Are you taking a vacation this summer? Sometimes it is difficult to keep our stewardship commitment active during the summer months when so many of us are on vacation, yet there are so many reasons to do just that!
Stewardship is a Way of Life
The Offertory, or Collection, at Mass is an integral part of the Sunday liturgy, not just because it is the primary
means by which the parish receives financial support from the parishioners, but because it is also an
expression of our gratitude to God for the blessings, He has given us to return a portion of them back to Him
for use by His Church.
By our baptism as Catholics, we are called to be stewards of God’s gifts to us, to use them in ways that build
up our families, our parish, our community, and our world. In that stewardship, we are encouraged to be
deliberate and intentional in weighing our various obligations against our limited resources as we decide
where we spend those resources of time and money and effort. When we give to our parish and to the
greater Church, we are witnessing to our children and to the world about our values and about what’s
important to us.
The parish offers various methods by which parishioners can support her mission through various offerings
and collections. Each method has unique recipients and benefits both to the giver and the parish.
Weekly Offering - The weekly offering is to the parish what your paycheck is for your family. This is how the
bills get paid: utility bills, insurance, salaries for clergy and staff, and all the other line items you see in the
annual or quarterly financial reports. Stewardship is a way to express gratitude out of love for God and one
another, not because the Church needs our money. The church, and our parish specifically, will always need
money, however, we are not asked to give to fund operational costs or fund a specific charitable program.
We are asked to gratefully return a portion of our time, talent, and treasure to God.
Second Collections - Other collections are taken up throughout the year as a second collection at Mass, as
determined by the Archdiocese of Boston. These provide for local, national, and international needs. Some
are scheduled every year and others are special, one-time collections responding to a special need such as
a natural disaster.
Online Giving Challenge- Our goal is for parishioners to put envelopes (not their offertory) on a permanent
summer vacation and make the switch to Online Giving.
This is especially important in the summer months when many families may be out of town some weekends
and Saint Peter Catholic Church does not receive the weekly offertory envelope.
It’s easy for people to forget to catch up once they’re back, and our weekly offertory can fluctuate as a result,
making it harder to predict how much we will have to sustain our year-round ministries.
Take the Challenge
Online Giving is an easy way to keep up with your commitment to Saint Peter Church. The Online Giving
program allows you to make regular Sunday and Holy Day contributions. You can even make your gift to
special collections too. It is a safe, secure, and convenient program that allows you to tailor and manage your
giving anytime, day or night even if the Parish Office is closed or if you are out of town. You can even
manage your gift right from your phone! Search the app store and download myParish app (St. Peter,
Leington, KY) today. Or scan the QR code on the bulletin and visit our web page www.stpeterlex.org
The more consistent and predictable our offertory will be month after month, helping us do even more to
spread Christ’s love throughout our community. Examine how you are responding to God’s call to
stewardship concerning your Sacrificial Giving Commitment while praying a Stewardship Prayer. Being part
of this challenge is simple. Thank you for your continued support of our parish faith community with your time
and talent and treasure.
