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Children’s Stewardship
Parish Stewardship Effort for Children
Parishes who have completed a successful first-time stewardship effort, and are committed to promoting on-going stewardship awareness, should consider the value of introducing stewardship as a way of life for the children and youth of the parish. They have been eager and interested observers of the adult efforts over the previous year, and many of our young people already practice stewardship as part of their family’s commitment. A focus on Children’s Stewardship should be done in addition to the adult stewardship effort with youth lay witnesses either on a separate weekend from the adult lay witnesses, or as part of a Children’s Liturgy of the Word.
Suggestions for implementing Children’s Stewardship in your parish
Support – It is vital to enlist the support of the pastor, pastoral staff, Pastoral Council, Faith Formation Director and (in parishes with a school) the school principal.
Education – Include a 3-5 week mini-lesson stewardship in your faith formation classes. Feature some of these children’s activities such as posters, banners, essays, etc. during the weeks proceeding Commitment Sunday.
Compile a children’s time and talent list – Be sure to include adult ministries that would welcome participation on the part of children. ( i.e. housecleaning, lawn and garden care, visiting the elderly, etc.) Make that list available to the children.
Communication – Introduce the idea of children’s stewardship early through bulletin announcement, parish newsletter articles, and bulletin board materials. Include a note on children’s stewardship in the letter from the pastor.
Children’s Commitment cards – Provide commitment cards for the children to complete their intentions of time, talent and treasure as their gift of thanksgiving for all of God’s blessings in their lives.
Children Envelopes – Consider implementing use of a children’s envelope that includes a space for sharing their weekly time, talent and treasure.
Lay Witness – Ask a young person who is involved in ministry in your parish ( altar server, children’s lector, children’s usher, etc.) to share with the other children what stewardship means to him/her.
Follow-up – See to it that each child who completes a commitment card receives a “thank-you” and an invitation to participate in the ministry they indicated. Contact should also be made with the parents regarding their role in the child commitment.
On-going awareness- Include a children’s corner in your weekly bulletin, highlighting some of the time and talent items mentioned by them in their weekly envelopes. Include children’s stewardship notes in parish newsletter, prayers of the faithful, faith formation classes and newsletters, and ( when appropriate) in children’s Liturgy of the Word or homilies for children.
Children’s Stewardship Committee – Consider forming a sub-committee of your Parish Stewardship Committee to address the current and on-going needs of the children’s stewardship.
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