St. Patrick Ministry Guide

Why be a Volunteer? (Can’t someone else do it?!)

Glorifying God Through Stewardship of
Time, Talent & Treasure!

Click here to view Ministry Descriptions 2016.

As Christian stewards, we receive God’s gifts gratefully, cultivate them responsibly, share them lovingly in justice with others, and return them with increase to the Lord.

“As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one anotheras good stewards of God’s varied grace”
(1 Pt 4:10).

First Ask Yourself: Am I a Disciple?

 “A disciple is a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ. As members of the Church, Jesus calls us to be disciples. Mature disciples make a conscious decision to follow Jesus, no matter what the cost.  Christian disciples experience conversion—lifeshaping changes of mind and heart—and commit their very selves to the Lord. Christian stewards, then, respond in a particular way to the call to be a disciple. Stewardship has the power to shape and mold our understanding of our lives and the way in which we live.

Jesus’ disciples and Christian stewards recognize God as the origin of life, giver of freedom, and source of all things. We are grateful for the gifts we have received and are eager to use them to show our love for God and for one another. We look to the life and teaching of Jesus for guidance in living as Christian stewards”. (Stewardship:  A Disciple’s Response, USCCB)

What does Stewardship Look Like?

Stewardship begins with Love.  It is love for Jesus that naturally ignites our genuine love for others and respect for all of creation.  Through a personal relationship with God, Christian stewards understand that we are called to a way of living in which we recognize that  everything belongs to God and that everything exists for His glory.  In prayer and worship, in love and respect for others and our environment, and in sharing our God-given gifts and talents, our parish family works as a TEAM to magnify God’s gifts and glorify Him. Stewardship is a way of life that fosters virtue and bears the  fruit of solidarity among peoples.

A Guide for Our Yearly Commitment to Stewardship Through Commitment Sunday

Click here to listen to talks from Commitment Sunday by parishioners regarding stewardship.

There are three areas of commitment:

Spiritual Commitment

What will you do in the coming year to renew your faith? Will you go on a retreat? Read scripture daily? Pray the Rosary each week? Maybe you will commit to spending an hour in Eucharistic adoration each week, or attend a daily Mass in addition to Sunday. Will you participate in the sacrament of Reconciliation monthly or take a class or workshop? There are hundreds of books on prayer, lives of the saints, etc. that can help you grow spiritually. What will you do, on an ongoing basis through the next year, to renew your faith and grow spiritually?

By putting our spiritual commitment in writing, we intentionally plan to grow spiritually in the next 12 months.

Service Commitment

How will you serve God in the next 12 months? How will you challenge yourself to do more to serve Him? During World Youth Day, Pope Francis told the young people in Rio that to live our faith we need to look to the Beatitudes. How will you do that in the upcoming year? There are dozens of ministries within our parish and Catholic community. You can assist in the liturgy as a sacristan, extraordinary minister of Holy Communion or reader. You can serve those who need transportation to Mass through the Ministry of Care bus, or knit prayer shawls for those who need comfort. There is always a need for catechists in our Sunday Religious Education classes and RCIA and for volunteers in our school. You can join the Serra Club to support religious vocations or the Haiti Ministry to help meet the needs of the poorest of the poor at our sister parish in Mar Franc, Haiti.

Our parish is your home, and you should actively participate in some way in the life of our parish. But we also are called to “Go out and share the Gospel.” That means we can serve God throughout the community. What ways are you called to serve? What do you currently do in the community, and how do you commit to grow or increase your service? What new ways will you serve our community?

By putting our service commitments in writing, we intentionally plan to grow closer to God by serving others in the year ahead.

Financial Commitment

Everything we have is a gift to us from God. Sure, we work hard and earn our pay, but our ability to do so comes from God. Part of worshiping God is giving back to Him with joy and gratitude. As with making any commitment, intentionality is important. Do you know how much you give to the parish, the diocese and other charitable groups? Have you prayerfully considered these gifts? The Biblical tithe of 10% may seem out of reach, but can you give more than you do? Will you give with joy and gratitude? Can you give up any anxiety or resentment regarding money when you give?

Making a financial commitment to the parish in writing – even that written commitment which is only seen by us and God — helps us intentionally plan what we will give back to God from the abundant gifts He has given to us.