Sacred Heart Parish / North Attleborough, Massachusetts 02760 / Stewardship

Goals of Stewardship

Q) Is the Parish, or the pastor trying to tell us what to do? How much to give?

A) Stewardship is an invitation to be thoughtful and generous in using God’s gifts. No one is hereby telling you what to do - how to use your gifts of time and talent, or how much of your treasure you should give away.

It is a spiritual challenge to trust that God, who deserves the first and the best that we can offer because of His love for us, will not be outdone in generosity. It is an opportunity to renew our confidence that in His care He will always be there for us, and make sure we have what we need to be the people He wants us to be. That applies to each of us, to our families, to our parish, to our church, and to our community.

If you choose not to commit your time and talent or your treasure at this time, that is fine - as long as it is a prayerful decision of yours.

Q) How do I know what percentage of my treasure is right for me?

A) In the area of Stewardship of treasure, some Christians choose the biblical norm of giving 10 percent of their treasure. Some, because of circumstances, give more than that. Others might start as two, three, or four percent, and annually try to increase. When you are at peace about the size of your gift, when you do not find yourself making excuses for its size, when you know in your heart that you have been completely honest with God and yourself, then your gift is the proper size.

Q) How many weekly collections will we have?

A) Our parish trust in God’s care, and your generosity will be demonstrated by the elimination of all second collections. We will commit a percentage of our regular parish income to the various national and diocesan collections that occur during the year.

Q) What about the annual Catholic Charities Appeal?

A) The ministries funded by the Catholic Charities Appeal are an important part of our parish membership in the wider church community. In planning of your gift, reserve a portion, which will be contributed directly to the Appeal.

Q) Am I expected to give all of my time, talent, and treasure to the church?

A) No, giving is not limitd to the church. Many people give their time and talent as volunteers to human service agencies in the community in addition to volunteering in the church. That volunteer work in the community can still be done in the spirit of the gospel as the Lord asks us. Many people give money to other community groups in addition to supporting the church. The proportion of your gift, which is offered to the church and to the community, is part of your prayerful decision.