Stewardship

The basic principle of Christian Stewardship and Catholic Sacrificial Giving is that everything we have is a gift from God. When we come to this realization, it becomes much easier to give something back to God and His Church. 

Whether it is helping at Mass with your time, serving on a committee with your talent, or contributing financially with your treasure, Lumen Christi is grateful for every single individual contribution given to us by our parish members and Guests. Thank you! 

Because of the wonderful commitment and generosity of its members, Lumen Christi has been able to survive and thrive since its establishment, and we want to make sure that Lumen Christi remains healthy for future generations. We currently have five major commissions, which serve out our mission based on the strength of its volunteers and their financial contribution to the parish. The five major commissions support the 6,200 members of the 2,100 families that make up 
our parish: 

• Catholic Formation – Life-long Faith Education  
• Human Concerns – Responding to People’s Needs  
• Stewardship – Gifts of Time, Talent & Treasure 
• Prayer & Worship – Mass & Sacrament Preparation 
• Lumen Christi School – On campus 3K-8th grade Catholic Education   

Of course, we live in a busy world. The time we spend at work, school, raising kids, or taking care of family members can be overwhelming at times. Yet, it is important for our own spiritual health that we carve out time for God. When deciding what we can do to give back to the parish with respect to our Time, Talent, & Treasure, please prayerfully consider the following in the next tab.

Consider the following 4 items: 

Planning

For most of us, unless we plan something, it probably isn’t going to happen. Unless we formally sign up for one of the parish ministries or include an amount of money for the parish with our regular budget in mind, it may get lost in the shuffle. 
Planning our giving enables us to prioritize our commitment rather than just giving what is left over. The planning process itself can be a spiritual exercise called “discernment” and allows us to arrive at something that shows our gratitude for all that our God has done for us. 

Proportionate

How much should we give? It is best to start with what we give now. Does this amount adequately reflect your gratitude for all you have been given? There’s no magic number of course but many people use the biblical concept called tithing (or 10%) of one’s income. 
If you’re not used to giving at this level, it can be a bit of a surprise, so it does require prioritizing and planning for the contributions made. Prayerfully consider contributing 2 or 3% of your household income or a suggested minimum of $1,000 annually. Based on our parish expenses and the number of households, our costs are approximately $1,000 per family. If you can give your gift and not notice, it may not be sacrificial in nature.

A Prayer of Thanksgiving

The commitment to Sacrificial Giving is one of the most important expressions of what our faith means to us. Offering our gifts through our parish places them in an appropriate context of prayer and a response back to God’s generosity to us. 
In the Offering, we can express our joy in having received and in being able to give back. We can say, “Thanks be to God!” We can therefore give back some portion of the tremendous gifts God has given to us the most important of which we celebrate at the Eucharist. There is no better time to fulfill our commitment to Sacrificial Giving than in an atmosphere of prayer and thanksgiving. 

Gift

Sacrificial Giving doesn’t buy anything for us, but it is a way to acknowledge God’s generosity back towards us. The way in which we give is as important as the gift itself. A sacrificial gift has no strings attached but is given freely as God has given freely to us. Our motive is a grateful response than an expected return. 

1. Automatic withdrawal (ACH) for your monthly donations. Contribution can be deducted from a checking account on the 15th of each month.
2. Envelopes for those who prefer to write a check.

Commitment Weekend will take place on November 12-13. Commitment Weekend is where current families can update or modify their existing gift, and new families can submit a paper pledge form or an online pledge form.