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What is Stewardship?
Stewardship is the grateful response of a Christian disciple who recognizes and receives God's gifts and shares those gifts in love of God and neighbor. "We love Him, because He first loved us." (1 John 4:19). Stewardship is taking time to reflect on the blessings we have received from God and giving back a meaningful portion of our time, talent, and treasure to give thanks and support the work of His Church. In short, Stewardship is participating in the life of the church.
When thinking about Stewardship, it may also be helpful to understand what it is not. To learn more, click HERE to read an article by David Baranowski, the Director of Parish Stewardship & Leadership Formation for the St. Louis Archdiocese.
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What are the pillars of Stewardship at IW?
We Pray
When we pray, we are spending time specifically with God not only by attendance at Sunday Mass and Holy Days, but also in other ways like Adoration in our Chapel, worship at our monthly Encounter night, joining a small group or Bible Study, c regularly celebrating the sacrament of Reconciliation, or scheduling a dedicated time of prayer on one of our Men's/Women's ACTS or Silent White House Retreats.
Curious about how to deepen your faith, have you been away from the church, or are you interested in learning more about the Catholic faith? Please contact our Director of Religious Education, Nicole Vonder Haar ([email protected]).
We Participate
When we participate, we strive to deepen our faith and help our parish flourish. Participation is not simply filling a need or checking a box, but prayerfully sharing our time and talents in a meaningful way through ministry activities. This could include leading a Boy Scout Troop or soccer team, serving residents in area Nursing Home, working to protect the preborn and their moms in the ProLife Ministry, or a number of other ways. We also participate by offering fellowship activities to our parish and larger community through events like Blood Drives, Donut Sundays, Golf Tournaments, and more.
Curious what your unique talents are or where to get started? Check out the "Spiritual Gift Inventory" and the list of Ministries and Events linked below or email our Pastoral Assistant, Anni Christman ([email protected]).
We Give
When we give, we are returning some of our financial blessings for the needs of others and supporting the outreach of our parish. Giving with open hearts ensures a healthy and hopeful future for our parish, school, and those in our community who depend on us. Donating through the weekly envelopes or setting up an OSV electronic donation using the link below allows you to select those areas you feel most called to provide financial support such as our St. Vincent de Paul, Pro-Life, School Inclusion Program, Maintenance/Repairs, and more.
Would you like to learn more about the various charitable giving opportunities at IW? Please reach out to our Business Manager, Dave Olson ([email protected]).
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Stewardship through the Faith of our Founders
Stewardship has been modeled by our founding members. Faith of Our Founders is a collection of stories from some of our original founding members and long-time parishioners about their commitment to their Catholic faith and stewardship that helped create our vibrant, faith-filled parish community. A special thanks to all our founding members and their dedication to Incarnate Word Parish and for sharing their stories. Let us honor and celebrate their legacy as we work to continue making God's love visible through liturgy, sacraments, education, and service to others.
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Stewardship Timeline & Requirements
Each summer a Guide Book is mailed to each registered family detailing the many aspects of parish life at Incarnate Word and serves as as tool for parishioners to personally discern living Stewardship as a way of life. The following winter all parishioners are asked to make a commitment to pray, participate, and give for the upcoming year and submit a Stewardship Commitment Card. NOTE: School families receiving the discounted active parishioner tuition rate are required to submit an annual Stewardship Commitment Card with their school applications/re-enrollment forms each January, renewing or refreshing their commitments. These commitments should include (1) Parish Ministry, (1) Parish Event, and Financial Support using envelopes or OSV. Commitments should be made with prayerful consideration of each family's unique talents, abilities, and interests. To learn more about the various opportunities please see the list of Ministries and Events linked above or contact the parish office.
Prevent & Protect St. Louis Program: If you are interested in volunteering for a ministry that includes youth, elderly, or vulnerable adults, volunteers are required to complete the Prevent and Protect St. Louis Program. Contact the Parish Office, click HERE to learn more, or email Andrea Brockmann ([email protected]).
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