St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church at 834 S. Orange Blossom Tr., Apopka, FL 32703-6560 US - Stewardship

What is Stewardship? Stewardship is a lifestyle. It is a life of total accountability and responsibility acknowledging God as Creator and Source of all. As stewards, we see ourselves as caretakers and givers of all God's gifts. Gratitude for these gifts is expressed in prayer and worship and by joyfully sharing these gifts with others out of our love for God. Why Stewardship? As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to live His life as our own. This is discipleship. Jesus makes the way of Stewardship very clear. He asks us to take care of His Church, His world, and His people. We are asked to put our personal abilities, skills, and resources at the service of the Church and the world so that our mission is modeled after Jesus.

Stewardship is based on the premise that all we have and all that we are comes from God, and, as a way to thank God for all His blessings, we return a portion of what we have received. What difference will Stewardship make in my life? The difference is in the focus of giving. Instead of concentrating on the needs of those to whom we are giving, the focus in primarily on God and our relationship with God. This focus is on our need to give ourselves through Time, Talent, and Treasure to God and to the people of God as God has given to us.

Stewardship is not limited to the Church. Many people share their Time and Talent by volunteering with community agencies, and they share their Treasure by donating to community organizations in addition to supporting their parish. Stewardship is a way of life that always lets you feel good about yourself. "Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:4-5

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