Queen of Peace Philosophy of Stewardship

When we gather as a community,  we gather beneath our “Spirit Window.” The name of every parishioner who was registered by the July before we dedicated our church is listed in that window. As the steel frame was completed, we had a party--something we are very good at--and parishioners and friends signed the beams and left messages that are enclosed in these walls. That’s the kind of community we are here. Everyone is included, everyone celebrates, everyone is family and we accept that everyone is in a place along the road toward a life-giving relationship with our Lord. We consider it our mission to advance everyone in that most essential relationship. That mission continues to be successful and we have added so many parishioners our family since we dedicated our church on the Feast of the Holy Rosary, October 7, 2001. Our community has come a long way and hundreds of people have joined us at different points along our parish's stewardship journey, so I recognize the importance of setting out the Stewardship concepts that built the community we enjoy.

His Holiness, John Paul II, has labeled our society a “culture of death.” I hate that, but I believe anyone who turns away from God toward lesser pursuits is turning from Life to death. While consumerism is normative in any society, we have, sadly, moved beyond any norm toward a compulsive drive that, in fact, distracts us from our true happiness. It is so pervasive that every one of us participates. We, therefore, have a common sense that is askew. We believe happiness can be purchased and that possessions--certainly our money, but also our time and talent--belong to us. We want to control, protect, and determine everything, and believe we can. We claim the right to make choices and equivocate choosing our favorite ball team and choosing abortion. Avarice replaces charity. We forget that God is forever and believe in temporalities. We are, finally, insecure, restless, frustrated. So John Paul has spoken wisely and well.

Before truth can break through, the barriers have to be lowered. Stewardship is a concept that lowers those barriers. I believe God has so lavishly blessed us in this free and well educated society that we make few sacrifices for our faith. The Biblical tithe is minimal; but it has credibility. Our International Catholic Stewardship Council unites “time, talent and treasure.” The fundamental basis is that all we give is but a percentage of what God is giving us. I have personally experienced the conversion and deepening relationship with God and community that tithing offers.

Stewardship is not giving to a need, but giving out of our need to give. Stewardship moves the mind and heart toward a steady, planned walk in faith. One has to trust God to enter into a tithing commitment. We grow from wanting more, to being grateful for all we have been given. We move from temporalities to God as a source of every blessing.

In addition to the tithe, needs-based giving, such as our diocesan and parish capital campaigns, are necessary. Specific purpose giving has the element of maintaining control of the money; one gives to get what one wants. Specific need giving works fine for single purpose charities, like Cancer Research or March of Dimes. But they are not the steady, faith based, planned sacrificial giving that draws people toward deeper relationships with God and community. Our goals as Church are greater. We have a mission larger than the single purpose. I believe a Church capital campaign ought to have a beginning and an end. At the end, God ought to be praised, everyone ought to be congratulated and thanked, and the pledges collected. The emphasis ought to then return to stewardship as a way of life.

Our people are good, they take our leadership seriously. They respond to our requests; they model our behavior. To succeed in our mission, we have to lower the barriers created by the consumer mentality that suggests we are in control and we give to our wants. Moreover, as Church leaders we are fighting “common sense” in our own purpose. If we are thinking the giving is about what we want to do with the money (however benevolent) or how much we, as administrators, need for our particular agenda (however magnanimous), we are thinking like consumers too. The tithe is a biblical imperative to return a percentage to the Lord; needs-based, specific purpose giving begins after we give the tithe.

We are doing God’s work, we can trust God, and we can move people to trust God. If people are drawn toward tithing time, talent and treasure to their parishes, they will be enriched. They will develop a greater sense of God being the giver and, therefore, they will grow grateful. Grateful people are happy people. Happy people want to do even more for God. When they do that, they share in the full measure of the Christian mission. That is real empowerment! The Church benefits pragmatically because if people are sacrificially giving on a steady committed basis, parishes flourish and the diocese receives the harvest of justice to help all the good works, including the formation and education programs. God has given us the best plan. Inspired writers long ago set out the plan for the pragmatic support of God’s work on earth: tithing.

Wonderful things are happening, miracles; we can trust God and be grateful. Again, thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely yours,

Rev. Jeffrey A. McGowan, Pastor