Stewardship at Saint Ambrose

We believe that each member has been given unique gifts and talents by the Lord.

Stewardship calls us to develop and utilize these gifts, along with our time and treasure, to us grow in holiness and build God’s Kingdom. As a community of faith we will help each member develop an appreciation of the gifts of time, talent and treasure and to create opportunities to empower and engage our members in service to the Lord and our parish community. Saint Ambrose Parish is a community committed to a vibrant culture of stewardship, collaboration and engagement.

What is Stewardship?

Stewardship is a way of life, a way of thanking God for all of His blessings by returning a portion of the time, talent and treasure allotted to us. God grants us with many blessings every day and it is important for us to offer up our blessings to Him.

Becoming a Good Steward at Saint Ambrose Parish:

We are blessed to have over 160+ ministries and programs in our Parish. There is truly something for everyone to become involved with at Saint Ambrose!

Click on the links below to learn more about the different ministries within our Parish and discover how you can share your time and talent with our Parish Community.

Check out our Parish Guidebook for more details about all of the ministries, programs, and events at our parish!

Stewardship in Our Children’s Lives:

Stewardship is a way of life, and it is important to teach our children at a young age how important it is to be good stewards. Here are some benefits to promoting Stewardship in your child’s life:

  • Stewardship Can Help Build Self-Esteem: When children understand that their gifts and talents were given to them by God, they will grow to feel good about themselves and feel empowered to help others.
  • Stewardship Helps Children Set Priorities: Stewardship teaches children the difference between needs and wants. Children learn to concentrate on their blessings rather than on what they want.
  • Stewardship Prepares Children for their Adult Role in the Church: Stewardship is a way of Life. It is the way a good Christian lives every day of every year.

Click here to learn more ways how to promote Stewardship in your child’s life!

Stewardship is now understood as a way of life, the faithful response of a Christian disciple to the Lord’s invitation to follow him “without counting the cost.”

No gift is greater than time, and yet nothing is so easy to waste. Contrary to our cultural norms, good Stewardship of time doesn’t mean being busy all the time. Time spent in prayer, nurturing relationships with our family and friends or just enjoying the beauty of the world around us is time well spent. In fact, taking “time out” to nourish ourselves spiritually can be the best thing we can do to deepen our relationship with God.

Stewardship requires the spiritual use of time. To the Christian steward motivated by love of God and mankind, there is a practical understanding of time. Recognizing that each instant of the day has been God-given, the Christian steward understands that the application of his time need not be confined to the use in strict liturgical formality but should be applied to a liturgy of Christian living throughout the day, as well. A simple commitment upon waking each day to make every minute of the day dedicated to a love for God, and a simple commitment of thanksgiving at the close of each day provide the guidelines for using time in a Christian sense all day long.

These guidelines set the pace for action and reaction in every effort. By following these guidelines – spirituality, grace, hope, love, charity, compassion and justice will be derived whether the action takes place within the family, at school, in business, at one’s trade, in social life, or even in leisure. At the very least, parishioners should make the most of their observance of the Lord’s Day. Even more, people will grow in their faith by spending time in daily prayer.

Each of us has varied talents. Talents include being a good listener, being able to organize people, relating well to children or teens, being patient with others and numerous other less-recognized gifts. Our gifts often change during our lives: in our youth our gift may be energy; when we’re older, it may be knowledge. We are each one-of-a-kind creations of God with unique contributions to make in this world.

The Stewardship of talent calls us to search out those talents, nurture them, and help them to grow, and then share them with other human beings. Our first and greatest commandment, “To love our God with our whole heart, our whole soul and our whole mind.” We do that by using our God-given talents for the benefit of others, and doing that brings us directly to our second greatest commandment, “To love our neighbor as we love ourselves.” We are often held back from recognizing or sharing our gifts because of a narrow definition of “talent.” We think “talented people” are extraordinary achievers or have easily identifiable gifts, such as musical ability or artistic talent. We must remember that each one of us was created by God and was given the ability to serve God and each other in some way.

As Christians we recognize that our gifts of talents and skills are meant to be cultivated and shared with others, beginning with our family and friends, with our parish community and with the world. Sharing the gift of ourselves is how we express our gratitude for being created as a unique and gifted people.

St. Paul reminds us: “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit gives them. There are different ways of serving, but the same Lord is served. There are different talents . . . but the same God gives talent to everyone.” (1Cor. 12: 4-7)

Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.” Matthew 6:21

When it comes to spirituality, things of the heart, money matters. How we use money, what we think of it, whether we are willing to share it – all make a difference in the way we live our lives, because, “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Catholics are called to give witness to the Stewardship of treasure in and through support of their parish communities and through the larger diocese in which they live. Of course, this means contributing to the support of the parish –and to its many ministries.

But Stewardship of treasure means much more than church support. It means accepting money – and all the material things we possess – as gifts to be cherished and shared, not for their own sake but for the good of others, especially our families, our communities and those whose needs are greater than our own. Catholics are invited, and challenged, to make gifts to the parish and the diocese that are planned, proportionate, and sacrificial — not simply because, “They need the money,” but because each of us has a need to give, as God has given generously to us.

Are you a Ministry Leader?

Stewardship Commitment Form

Reserve an Information Table for your Ministry at a Donut Sunday!

We are here to help our ministry leaders connect with our parish members as easily and frequently as possible. When your ministry books an info table at a Donut Sunday using the form below, the parish will ensure the following:

  • Your ministry name is included in the line-up announcement published in any promotion (bulletin, weekly e-news, social media posts, and pulpit announcements) of that Donut Sunday.
  • Your ministry is listed on the Parish Stewardship form (created and printed by the parish) that is given to Donut Sunday attendees and collected by the parish at the end of the Donut Sunday. The forms need to be collected by the parish and the parish will disseminate the information to the leaders of the respective ministry within one week of Donut Sunday.
  • The parish will provide you with a tri-fold display board to use at your table to aid in promoting your ministry. In some cases, these display boards are already made for your ministry. Please indicate on the form whether you need that display board or if you need a new display board.

Please use the following form to request an information table at an upcoming Donut Sunday.

Meet-a-Ministry at Donut Sunday Table Request

Please complete a different form for each of the Donut Sundays and/or ministries you are reserving a table for.

  • MM slash DD slash YYYY
  • Please contact Vita at 330.460.7382 or [email protected] if you need accommodations to this requirement.
  • Six foot tables are used for ministries.
  • For instance, do you have an upcoming event you are trying to promote to the parish as a whole; are you trying to boost awareness and/or membership for your ministry; etc.?

Here are some tips to follow that will help maximize the time you have with our members:

  • Don’t wait for members to come to you. In other words don’t spend several hours stuck behind your table. Donut Sunday is meant to foster fellowship and is a fun opportunity to get out from behind your info table to mingle casually with members.
  • Get creative with decorating your table/space. Create visually appealing aids and have fun in coming up with ways to make your ministry stand out. If you would like help, please reach out to Vita Schmidt.
  • Make a good impression by including personal touches like introducing yourself and being sure you get their name. Create conversation about more than just your ministry.
  • Use your time you have with the members you engage with as an opportunity to leave a lasting and positive impact with them.
  • The list of members who expressed an interest in your ministry will be emailed to you that week. Always follow-up with those people on that list and then provide the parish with what occurred during your follow up. For instance, if they became a member of your ministry or are no longer interested in your ministry, please share this with the parish.