Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Adverbs for Advent

He did it again. Bishop Morneau asked a question that really made me think, especially as we celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow, and start Advent on Sunday. He asked, "What are the adverbs in your life?" Whoa...flashback to 6th grade at Most Precious Blood Catholic School in Fort Wayne, and Mr. Raucci my determined English teacher explaining the difference between adjectives and adverbs! They are most commonly (hint, just typed one) seen as "ly" words.

It's at this time of year that adverbs are most on my mind...I'm just more reflective I guess. Certainly (no pun intended) those that spring to mind are gratefully, joyfully, humbly, peacefully, prayerfully, excitedly and purposefully. All good things. However, an examination of conscience also finds, hurriedly, impatiently, judgementally, sarcastically and angrily. Ouch.

This Thanksgiving and Advent, I'm making a conscious effort to focus on living the good adverbs so my heart and soul are ready come Christmas.

On a separate, but related note, my good friend Leisa Anslinger, sent me a link today to a Jewish folktale called The Special Ingredient about preparation in a way we don't often expect. I realLY enjoyed it and I hope you do too. http://www.nccl.org/Resources/Documents/CL%20Weekly/2011/The%20Special%20Ingredient.pdf. I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving and a spirit-filled Advent!

There's lots of activity in the vineyard lately. Can you go too?

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Where is Your Parish Going?

In my presentations I typically refer to the great work by the Gallup organization, Leisa Ainslinger and others on the topics of Strengths and Engagement. In his book Growing an Engaged Church, Al Winseman refers to levels of engagement. The highest level is " Where Are We Going?". Parishioners who are the most engaged in their church or parish have moved far beyond what they can get from the parish and what they can do for the parish to a concern for the direction the parish is headed.

Does your parish have a direction? I refer to this as a "point B" for the next year. Today we are at "point A" in our community and our programs. What is the "point B" we are aiming for this year? A typical response has been "we have a mission statement and we try to act according to the mission". While this is very important, the mission statement is likely not clear enough to direct our actions for the next period of time. We need goals for the next year in regards to the priorities we want to set. This may include capital improvements, but also must include something about how we are changing lives both within the parish and externally. And it needs to have a measurable endpoint ("point B") so we gain the sense of direction and accomplishment.

As good stewards we know we must return with increase. Can we determine if we have done this as a parish over the past 12 months? What should we do to increase or improve over the next 12 months? With the plan we can engage our parishioners in the direction of our parish and rally their support for our future goal.

I am personally motivated when I find a way to help my parish move forward. I feel at loss if I don't know what the direction is or when sadly there is no direction. I have been a member at parishes where the only sense I had was that we were maintaining our activities week after week. Not motivating at all!

So what is your "point B"? Where is your parish going?

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Clever Annual Stewardship Video

Whiile I was at the ICSC's annual conference, I was speaking to Sid Hayden and Fr. Brendan Mbagwu from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Carmel, IN. Father Brendan showed us the latest parish annual stewardship video on his Droid. It was the most clever parish video I've seen in quite some time! I highly recommend watching it. It is a good example of the talent in the pews they found when they asked.

The link to watch it on YouTube is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzOX3eywOoI&feature=colike . You can also search for it called Seton Engaged.

Short and sweet blog post today. The vineyard work has really picked up! Why don't you go, too?

Truly An International Catholic Stewardship Gathering




The annual conference of the International Catholic Stewardship Council was truly an international one. Present for the conference Masses and attending workshops were Bishops and lay representatives from every Continent except Antarctica!


Attending the conference (but not in this order, or all pictured) were Archbishop John Onaiyekan of Abuja, Nigeria (former president of the African Council of Catholic Bishops), Archbishop Peter Smith of Southwark, United Kingdom, Archbishop Richard Smith of Edmonton, Canada, Archbishoip Fernando Chomali of Santiago, Chile, Bishop Brian Finnigan of Brisbane, Australia, Bishop Robert Kurtz of Hamilton, Bermuda (member of the ICSC Board), Bishop Lino Richero of the Diocese of Carabayllo, Peru, Bishop Luc Bouchard, of Saint Paul, Alberta, Bishop John Noonan from Orlando, Bishop Felipe J. Estevez of St. Augustine, Bishop John Wester of Salt Lake City, Bishop Paul Bootkoski of Metuchen (Episcopol Moderator of ICSC), Auxiliary Bishop Donald Hanchon of Detroit, and last, but certainly not least, Auxiliary Bishop Robert Morneau from Green Bay.




All came to see how they could grow stewardship in their respective arch/dioceses and countries. In almost every country, as in almost every parish, stewardship starts with a few passionate individuals carrying the torch and passing the light and knowledge to as many other people as possible. I see this certainly throughout the Church in the United States as well as our North American sister, Canada, and also in the Philippines with the efforts of Mila Glodava, and Fr. Andrew Kemberling who have been working with a team of dedicated individuals for nearly ten years now.




I also see it in Australia and New Zealand. What started with one gentleman, Tony Sanderson, who came to ICSC accidentally several years ago thinking it was the annual conference of the Diocesan Fiscal Management Conference, and left, soul ablaze with a new understanding of stewardship and determination to bring this message home. Tony has now retired, but passed the torch to Chris Ehler from the Archdiocese of Brisbane who is currently the ICSC Board representative for Australia and New Zealand and every year gives us an update of what they've accomplished in the last year. Chris is truly a servant leader. Here is a link to some of their achievements over the past several months. http://www.bne.catholic.net.au/files/Report-to-ICSC-Board-2011-on-Visit-of-April-and-Ed-Laughlin-to-NZ-and-Australia.pdf Chris shared with us at the Board meeting that after bringing stewardship speakers from the States to Australia and New Zealand for many years, they are ready to make a go of it with "home-grown" talents. Knowing Chris and a few others he has brought and introduced me to over the years, they are certainly going to do well, and are an inspiration to me.




In addition to Canada, the Philippines and Australia, Michael Murphy, the Executive Director of the ICSC, tells me he personally has been in contact with individuals from the countries of Argentina, the Bahamas, Barbados, Chile, Columbia, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Kenya, Lebanon, New Zealand, Peru, Trinidad and Togago, and the United Kingdom. All very much interested in teaching stewardship to the Church in their regions. Truly reminds me of Pentecost. I'd love to hear how this international aspect affected you or maybe currently motivates you to spread the Kingdom!




My Master's vineyard is rapidly growing, and we're going to need a lot more workers. Will you, go too? Hope to hear from you! See you soon.