Faith Siebenaler is a champion of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Parish Stewardship Toolkit, and she encourages parish leaders to take advantage of workshops on the kit that are coming up in early June.
She’s able to recommend it to other parishes because she’s seen it work at her own, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Hastings.
“Our income is up, and because we utilized the toolkit we didn’t have the expense of a consultant,” said Siebenaler, who is coordinator of stewardship and communication at her parish and a member of the Archdiocesan Stewardship Committee.
The toolkit’s timeline and sample letters can be adapted to meet any parish’s need, she added, and she called it “a sign of growth” that the archdiocesan Office of Stewardship and Development has updated and added to the toolkit.
An initiative that the director of stewardship and development, Michael Halloran, brought to the archdiocese in 2011, the toolkit is available both in three-ring binder form and online.
Expanded content
New sections on planned giving, Logos-based reports and shared ministry are now part of the toolkit, noted Mary Kennedy, chair of the Archdiocesan Stewardship Committee, and there are more examples from a variety of parishes to encourage sharing of time and talent.
“The toolkit is meant to be a living, breathing document based on the variety and the changing needs of parishes,” said Kennedy, who is director of stewardship at Pax Christi in Eden Prairie.
Another committee member, Mary Woida, administrator of St. Joseph in Red Wing, echoed that sentiment. “We keep building on what we learned,” Woida said. “Stewardship is not a one and done.”
Pastors, parish administrators, parish staff and volunteers involved in stewardship efforts are invited to attend one of five regional workshops to introduce updates to the Archdiocesan Parish Stewardship Toolkit.
The dates, sites and times are:
- Monday, June 4: Lumen Christi, Cleveland and Bohland in St. Paul — 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Tuesday, June 5: Pax Christi, Pioneer Trail and Homewood Hills in Eden Prairie — 6 to 7:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, June 6: Holy Name of Jesus, 155 County Road 24 in Medina —11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Thursday, June 7: St. Odilia, 3495 Victoria St. N. in Shoreview — 6 to 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, June 8: St. Patrick, 72nd and Clayton in Inver Grove Heights — 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Information about registration is being sent to all parishes.
