Dare to Think Differently

October 26, 2017October 26, 2017 / joppastewardship / Leave a comment

When I first heard about stewardship in 1994 it radically changed my thinking. This new way of thinking seemed so counter-cultural to me. Was I ready to take the risk? I took the risk and discovered a remarkably rewarding way of life. The rewards come as a result of the new habits and daily choices that stewardship has inspired me to embrace. Still, there have been many occasions when I have experienced those ‘out-of-nowhere’ rewards of stewardship that I can only explain as God-incidences.

For decades, the most popular approach for promoting stewardship in a parish has been the Time, Talent, & Treasure model. While this method may be tried, tested, and true, it is also a little tired. The three ‘T’s program is tired because it simply places a demand on people the moment they hear it. They think, “Oh, the parish wants me to volunteer and give more!”

Let’s dare to think differently about how we invite people to a greater commitment to this beautiful spirituality and way of life. Hearts and minds are transformed when we think outside the box of time, talent, and treasure. There is a better way to stewardship than the annual three ‘T’s appeal, a way that is both joyful and sustainable. God showed me this way at an International Catholic Stewardship Conference in 2008. I believed then that God was calling me to apply this way in my own life first, and then with time, God would make me ready to share it with others. It’s time.

Hearts and minds are transformed when we think outside the box of time, talent, and treasure

How do we change the way people think about stewardship? We can begin by demonstrating that stewardship is joyful when it is formed, not out of obligation or duty, but gratitude. At that conference in 2008, God introduced me to ten virtues that are the heart of the Christian steward’s way of thinking. Cultivating these stewardship virtues is God’s new and improved way to a more fruitful response to stewardship in a parish. This way is founded in the virtue of gratitude. Gratitude is the foundation because “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all the others” (Cicero). Prayer, humility, discipline, simplicity, trust, generosity, perseverance, patience, and mercy are the virtues that complete the way. I intend to explore each of the ten stewardship virtues in future posts.

Always grateful and hopeful in our good and gracious God,

J. Dan Potvin

PS I’d be most grateful to hear your thoughts on stewardship.

You can contact me at the Companions of the Cross

Telephone: 613-728-3175 (local)

1-866-885-8824 (toll free)

Mobile: 613-808-3309

Email: jdanielp@joppastewardship.com

Joppa Stewardship Leaders Bulletin Reflections for June 4th, 2017 Pentecost Sunday

June 1, 2017 / joppastewardship / Leave a comment

Over 2000 years ago God poured out His Holy Spirit at the first Christian Pentecost. The undying power and strength of Pentecost remains available to us today! We have the Holy Spirit. The question is how much of us does the Holy Spirit have? Give the Holy Spirit permission to work in you. The Holy Spirit wants to move us; to “activate our gifts” as we hear in today’s second reading. Today St. Paul reminds us that the Holy Spirit gives each of us different gifts, and a variety of ways to serve. And, it is important for us to remember that stewardship is not limited to serving in the Church. Think about how you serve others and name it for what it is…you are being a good Christian steward.

Sunday’s Stewardship Reflection

May 26, 2017 / joppastewardship / Leave a comment

May 28^th – Ascension of the Lord

Immediately before Jesus’ Ascension he commissions his followers. In our baptism we have received the same calling. Baptism summons us to be Jesus’ disciples. As his disciples each of us are to be good stewards of the faith that we have received. We do so by sharing our faith with others, especially those who do not yet know Jesus. In today’s first reading Jesus lays out his plan for how we are to be good stewards of our faith. We are to be Jesus’ “witnesses” and take the Gospel to the “ends of the earth”. Sounds like a daunting task, yet we have the confidence of knowing that we have “the power of the Holy Spirit upon us”! Evangelization is our common vocation as followers of Jesus. We do not need much formal education or formation to evangelize. Our love for the Lord is more than enough to be effective in making disciples in our little part of the world. “So what are we waiting for?” (Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel)

Joppa Stewardship Leaders Bulletin Reflections for May 7th, 2017

May 3, 2017 / joppastewardship / Leave a comment

May 7^th – 4^th Sunday of Easter

Peter’s transformation by the Holy Spirit is nothing short of amazing! He immediately goes out and calls the people to repentance with zeal and confidence. This is a man who was once so afraid he even denied knowing Jesus. Repentance is to change the course of our entire lives. As good stewards of the faith we profess, we too can give people an opportunity to change the course of their lives. When we share our faith with others we offer them the greatest gift they could ever receive! Each of us are agents in the New Evangelization. Good stewards are bold yet gentle in sharing their faith. Always careful to avoid condemning or criticizing. It is not by proselytizing that the Church grows but “by attraction”. (Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel) Let the light of Christ in you shine and you will be attractive to others.

Sunday Stewardship Reflections

March 28, 2017 / joppastewardship / Leave a comment

Bulletin Stewardship Reflections for April 2^nd to 30^th, 2017

April 2^nd – 5^th Sunday of Lent

…and you shall know that I am the Lord

The people of Israel failed again and again to be good stewards of God’s covenant with them. A stiff-necked and prideful people, they followed their own advice. Still, God is always merciful, and through the prophet Ezekiel he promises to restore them, not simply for their own good, but to remind them of his divine sovereignty over all that they are ever able to accomplish or possess. God is the one and only true source of all of our talents, abilities, opportunities, and possessions. Humbly accepting this stewardship reality is the way to avoid a prideful disposition. Humility is the stewardship virtue that gets pride out of the way and enables God to use us, and the gifts given to us, to advance his Kingdom.

April 9^th – Passion Sunday

He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross. Therefore God highly exalted him…

Jesus humbled himself and became the suffering servant for our salvation. As stewards of the good news entrusted to us, we too may suffer for the faith from time to time. Jesus completely emptied himself in serving God’s purpose, and ultimately his suffering was rewarded. For us, being God’s servants has its rewards in the life to come, but also in the life we enjoy here and now. Rewards like peace of mind that comes from trusting in God, and the feeling that we are making a difference in the lives of others. Still, we may occasionally suffer rejection for being good stewards of what we profess to believe. So, we pray this Holy Week that we may empty ourselves of pride or fear, and have the humility, wisdom, and courage to share our faith where and when needed.

April 16^th – Easter Sunday

Each year at Easter Vigil we renew our baptismal promises. Our baptism changes us forever. Baptism calls us to be Disciples of Christ. Responding to the call to follow Jesus involves many choices – choosing a lifestyle of stewardship is the response of an authentic disciple. Stewardship is to walk the road of joy. When we take care to cultivate and share our gifts we experience the joy of returning our gifts to God with increase. Today we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, which changed our world forever. How might your discipleship and stewardship change your world, and the world around you, this year?

April 23^rd – 2^nd Sunday of Easter

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe

Believing is seeing! Stewardship is rooted in the belief that all we possess, the goods of this earth, the relationships we enjoy, the talent and abilities we have, even our opportunities are all created by and come from our good and gracious God. Having this belief, we see all of life with new lenses – it’s all God’s gift, and he desires for us to be good stewards of it all. In believing this basic truth about stewardship our eyes are further opened to seeing God’s goodness and generosity everywhere around us.

April 30^th – 3^rd Sunday of Easter

Today’s gospel is a familiar story. Why did these men not immediately recognize Jesus? With all the busyness of modern life, do we sometimes miss opportunities to recognize Christ in our midst? “Stewardship always starts with a personal experience of the Risen Christ in our midst and in our hearts” (Bishop Sylvester D. Ryan). Let us pray this Easter season, and all year, that we may be good stewards of each 24 hour day and take some time to quiet ourselves every day so that we may be attentive to the voice of God in our lives. Moreover, giving the Holy Spirit permission to guide all of our decision making processes and thoughts will aid us in drawing even closer to the risen Christ, and in doing so we become even better disciples and stewards of the mysteries of God.

To Give or Not to Give… Is that the Question?

March 8, 2017 / joppastewardship / Leave a comment

To give or not to give? This is a reasonable question; however, I don’t see it as being ‘the’ question when it comes to our giving.

Why to give is another good question, although I think, still not ‘the’ question…I’ll get to that in a moment. The “why” points us to considering stewardship as part of our reason to give or not to give. We can give because the church or charity needs our gift and that is a good place to start when asking “why” should I give? We can give because we hope our giving will make a difference in the lives of others, be it giving time to God in praying for others, or serving the poor, or giving financial gifts to a cause we feel passionate about. Desiring to make a difference is a noble “why” to give.

Consider for a moment the familiar scripture story of the poor widow and her gift to the temple treasury. She gave just two small coins and Jesus said, “I tell you that this poor woman has put in more than all the others” (Luke 21:3). The ‘others’ of course being the rich people who were tossing their gifts into the treasury. Why did she give? I don’t think she gave because she felt the temple needed her gift. I don’t imagine she gave believing that her gift would have a huge impact. We know why she gave. Her love for God and gratitude inspired her to give all that she had. (Luke 21:4) This poor widow must have experienced much joy in making her gift because when love for God and gratitude are behind the gift joy naturally accompanies the act of giving.

As stewardship leaders, we do well to inspire a need to give in gratitude as the “why” for giving.

Stewardship is all about needed to give,

more than giving to a need.

Still, before we inspire the “why” to give, start with “whose is it” that we give. Stewardship reminds me that anything I can accumulate or accomplish in my life is not of my own doing, is not mine, and not for my glory. It all comes from and belongs to God, and is for his glory.

But why should we be happy that we have given you these gifts? They belong to you, and we have only given back what is already yours. But we are happy, because everyone has voluntarily given you these things. You know what is in everyone’s heart, and you are pleased when people are honest.

1 Chronicles 29:14,17

I would suggest that while good stewardship does indeed call us to carefully consider “what” we should give, or “where” we should give, and “why” we should give;

“the” most important question is “whose is it” that we give?

How has this question impacted your giving? Maybe something here to think & pray about this LENT?

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Stewardship Reflections March 2017

February 21, 2017 / joppastewardship / Leave a comment

Joppa Stewardship Leaders

Joseph Daniel Potvin, Ottawa, ON

Bulletin Stewardship Reflections for March 5^th to March 26^th, 2017

March 5^th – 1^st Sunday of Lent

In falling to the devil’s temptation Adam and Eve went against God’s divine plan for humankind. Not content with being created in the image of God they sought equality with God. The spirituality of stewardship gives us the strength to resist any temptation to think that our accomplishments, abilities, opportunities, health, relationships, and even our financial blessings, are of our own doing. We can find many rewards in daily life by acknowledging that all of our gifts come from, and belong to, God. Rewards like peace of mind, hope, and confidence are just the tip of the iceberg. Stewardship inspires us to use and share our gifts in a manner that recognizes that God is first in our life. Stewardship is a central part of God’s divine plan for us.

March 12^th – 2^nd Sunday of Lent

Stewardship is a way of life that has its beginning in a new way of seeing who we are and all that we possess. The disciples were blessed to see Jesus in a new and glorious way in today’s account of our Lord’s Transfiguration. When we are open to seeing God’s glory all around us amongst our daily busyness we can be filled with wonder and awe – life is truly a wondrous gift from God! Our hearts and minds are transformed and we are inspired to be a good steward of it all. Let Jesus reveal himself to you this Lent in a new and wondrous way so that your discipleship and stewardship may be even more joyful and fruitful.

March 19^th – 3^rd Sunday of Lent

In today’s Gospel, the Samaritan woman allows herself to experience a life-changing encounter with Jesus. As she conversed with Jesus her understanding of who he was grew, and this inspired her to want to bring others to also know Him. The more we come to know Jesus the more we desire to share the joy that we have discovered in knowing and following Him. Prayer and fasting are ways in which we can all deepen our relationship with Jesus. Sacrificial almsgiving closes the gap between what we are comfortable in giving and what God calls us to give and thus strengthens our trust in God because we trust that He will always provide for our needs. And, when we give in gratitude for all that God has given us, and not merely out of a sense of obligation or duty, we grow in our relationship with Him. We do well to invest a generous portion of our time in growing in our faith this Lent by allowing ourselves to truly encounter Christ and accept our mission to be stewards of the Good News.

March 26^th – 4^th Sunday of Lent

Stewardship is a call to collaborate with God. In baptism we are anointed and called. We are called to be a light, as St. Paul says in today’s second reading, “Live as children of the light”. How is God calling you? What are the gifts He has given you to respond to this call? Spending some quiet time in prayer with God each day is the best way to discern His plan and purpose for our lives. Each of us can be a light in our own unique way. Finding that way in the busyness of life requires that we be good stewards of our time and make time to hear God’s voice. God always provides what we need to be a light, provided we do our part and are good stewards of the gifts He has given us to be that light.

FREE Stewardship Reflections for Parish Bulletins – February 2017

January 27, 2017 / joppastewardship / Leave a comment

Joppa Stewardship Leaders

Bulletin Stewardship Reflections for February 5^th to February 26^th, 2017

February 5^th – 5^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Let your light shine before human beings”

We know that St. Paul was knowledgeable, in fact he was an expert in the law, a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. (Acts 23:6) Yet, we hear in today’s second reading that he preached, not with lofty words and wisdom, he kept his proclaiming simple – “Christ, and him crucified”. This simple proclaiming is good news for us as we strive to share the gift of faith that we have received with those who don’t know Christ. We can let our light shine through simple words and deeds, praise God! Being a light to others begins with acknowledging God as the very source of our lives, our words, our understanding and skills. This humble disposition creates room in our hearts, and minds, for our words and actions to be entirely inspired by the Holy Spirit, and in this way, we are good stewards of the mysteries of God.

February 12^th – 6^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

“To act faithfully is a matter of your own choice”

In baptism each of us are called to be disciples of Christ, it is not only for a select few, we are all called to this common vocation. How we respond to this call is our choice. Stewardship, as a way of life, naturally flows out of mature discipleship. However, it still is required that a person chooses to live the stewardship way. Christian stewards choose to live differently, and give differently, and as a result experience the fullness of life that Jesus came to give us. (John 10:10) Every day we are bombarded with images in the advertising media which are all intended to influence our choices and, as a consequence, our lives. Between the images and the consequences is choice. Good stewards choose wisely.

February 19^th – 7^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

“You shall love your neighbour as yourself”

Jesus sets out a standard of love for us in today’s gospel that sets the bar very high indeed, encouraging us to give to everyone who begs from you and love your enemies! How are we to live up to such high expectations? It helps to pray for the grace to always, and in every circumstance, be grateful to God. We can’t outdo God in giving and loving, still, Jesus calls us to do our best. God has blessed us with many gifts, and gratitude to God inspires our best because gratitude gives us the confidence and desire to love and give, joyfully and generously.

February 26^th – 8^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

“You cannot serve God and wealth”

When we put our trust only in the at-risk things of this world, like our bank accounts, or investments, we are extremely vulnerable to worry. Money can master us if we neglect to remember that God’s care for us is beyond any worldly financial limits. In today’s Gospel Jesus places before us a bit of a dilemma. God should be at the center of our lives, yet, we still need money, so how do we deal with this dilemma? The answer is to have our faith and our finances working together, by seeking first God’s Kingdom, putting God first in how we share, save and spend our wealth, and then Trusting God. Living this way frees us from worrying. Trusting in God’s providence is also one way we strengthen our relationship with Him – “all these things will be given to you as well”. (Matthew 6:3)

Joppa Stewardship Leaders FREE offer – Weekly Stewardship Reflections for Church Bulletins -Let’s Change some Hearts & Minds!

December 22, 2016December 22, 2016 / joppastewardship / Leave a comment

January 1^st – Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God

Mary perfectly embodied one of the foundational virtues of stewardship in her life – trust.

She trusted in God’s plan for her, and her new born son. As Mary pondered the words of the shepherds in her heart, I imagine she might have thought, “There must be more to this than I can see at the moment, however, I will trust in the Father’s call of me to be the mother of God”. Where might God be calling you in this new year that may require you to trust Him like you never have before? Maybe you possess, as of yet untapped gifts, that God has given you to respond to this call? Imagine what new and exciting challenges our good and gracious God may have in store for you to be a steward of in 2017? How exciting and hopeful it is to ponder these things in your heart.

January 8^th – Epiphany of the Lord

Today we celebrate the Epiphany – the revelation of Christ to all peoples. The Magi came to pay Jesus homage. The two essential elements of ‘paying homage’ are adoration and service. It’s not good enough to simply adore our Lord. Being intimately close to Him, as the Magi were that night, naturally inspires in us a desire to also serve Him. God has given us all awesome gifts. What treasure chest of gifts will you open up this year in the service of our Lord and His Church? We have been given an incredible gift in Jesus. How are you stewarding the gift of our Saviour? Why not share that gift in a way that brings even just one person who does not know Christ into the Church this year – now that’s a New Year’s Resolution!

January 15^th – 2^nd Sunday of Ordinary Time

Today’s readings all in some way speak of our purpose or calling. St. Paul tells us that we are “called to be saints”; John the Baptist was clear about his calling; and, the Psalmist invites us to respond, “Here I am Lord, I come to do your will”. To be a saint is to be set apart by God. This call comes from God the Father. What purpose or calling have you been set apart for? What unique gifts has God provided to enable you to live a life of purpose? Following God’s will may not always be easy, however God always provides…provided we do our part! Being a good steward of our individual calling is doing our part.

January 22^nd – 3^rd Sunday of Ordinary Time

Twice in today’s reading we are given the image of people being in darkness having seen a great light! As stewards of the Good News we have an opportunity to bring love and hope into a people’s lives where only darkness exists. We do this by freely, and generously sharing our gifts. To cling to our wealth and our time too tightly leaves no space to receive God’s blessings. In gratitude to God, good stewards joyfully share their gifts to brighten someone else’s life! When gratitude is behind our giving, JOY naturally accompanies the gift.

January 29^th – 4^rd Sunday of Ordinary Time

The stewardship virtue of humility is encouraged in all the readings today. Stewardship proclaims that my gifts are not mine and they are not for my glory. All spiritual and temporal gifts belong to God and are to be used and shared in a manner that gives God glory. Christian stewards accept and acknowledge that all we are ever able to accomplish or accumulate in our lives, is only because our good and gracious God has enabled it. This belief inspires us to embrace a humble disposition. Humility does not mean we deny that we have a gift, it simply means we know the true and only source of all our gifts.

Simplicity – Less Really is More! Dump the Debt & Stress

September 27, 2016 / joppastewardship / Leave a comment

I never imagined how good it would feel to shake off some of the excess, slow down, and live simply. When I finally recognized God as the only source of all the blessings that I enjoy, it was easier for me to swim against the tide, embrace the simpler life, and find a healthy balance in all of the consumerism, materialism, and busyness of modern life.

For some people the fast lane is a place they can thrive in. However, too much time spent there often manifests itself in unwanted consequences, like stress. Personally, I do find short trips in the fast lane rather exhilarating, so long as I do not spend extended periods of time there. Life tends to pass me by when I don’t steward my time wisely. Thankfully, over the years I have learned to be very intentional in my efforts to be a good steward of my time. This means learning when to say no to those activities that, although good, will only distract me from my God given purpose in life & my personal top five priorities (I have only five, simply because any more is too stressful!). Keeping it simple allows for clarity in my thinking which helps in discerning God’s will. Enjoying some simplicity in our daily schedule is all about focus. In addition, having the discipline to focus on a short list of priorities creates some space in my life to grow in my appreciation of what an abundant gift life really is.

When I am grateful, I find contentment, and I am happy with all that I have and who I am. Simplicity opens the door to so much more of what life has to offer. You discover more time to invest in personal growth and more time to nurture more loving and fruitful relationships. There is more money in your savings account as a result of less spending and no debt, and, as a result, more to share with those in need. Finally, with simplicity comes its greatest reward, more peace of mind and joy.

Simplicity is the virtue that allows us to be able to walk confidently and freely in and around the consumerism and materialism that grips our culture today. I do not wish to give the impression that I am some sort of anti-consumerist because I acknowledge that consumerism is what drives the standard of living that we all enjoy. I am simply an advocate for a kind of consumerism that is balanced and sensible. How then does a person resist the temptation to buy more? The best habit to ensure we keep our spending habits simple is to always preface every spending decision with the question, “Is this a need or a want?” This is a stewardship of finances question, and a great way to cultivate the virtue of simplicity in our daily choices as consumers, and eliminate debt!

Living simply expands our capacity to help those in the world, who are less fortunate than we are, which is one of the rewards of this virtue that my wife and I enjoy the most. It is so gratifying to know that those who struggle just to live, can be the beneficiaries of our simplicity. By sharing the fruits of the sacrifices we make in living a simpler life, we are able to offer hope to those who have nothing.

“Live simply so that others may simply live!”

St. Teresa of Calcutta

Without a doubt, simplicity means giving up some things. However, it is what we gain that makes this virtue so appealing. In what ways have you cultivated this virtue in your life, and what have been some of the rewards? I’d love to hear from you.

Over-extending ourselves, and our pocket books, are the greatest obstacles to enjoying the rewards of the stewardship lifestyle. If we are too busy being busy, peace of mind eludes us, and stress then easily overpowers us! In addition, excessive busyness leaves little or no room for God in our life. How am I supposed to hear the voice of God with all of the noise?

Simplicity creates some space in our lives to be even better stewards. We all have life leadership roles, be it as a parent, spouse, a friend, at work, at church, or in the community. Any time we try to help someone get to heaven we are acting as a leader. As stewardship leaders we will give those we lead a wonderful gift by encouraging them to live simply.

Hearts and minds are transformed when we think outside the box of time, talent, and treasure

Bulletin Stewardship Reflections for April 2nd to 30th, 2017

April 2nd – 5th Sunday of Lent

April 9th – Passion Sunday

April 16th – Easter Sunday

April 23rd – 2nd Sunday of Easter

April 30th – 3rd Sunday of Easter