Stewardship and Small Parish Life

By Brenda Rummel, Malta Diocesan Stewardship Council

Rural communities and parishes have different needs compared to areas with larger populations. Rural parishes have
fewer resources. They have fewer members, volunteers, and less nancial support than larger parishes.

Many rural parishes are taken for granted by many members of their parish. People expect that the parish will always be there. But will the parish always be there when they want it to be?

How can we ensure these parishes will be there for future generations? Lay men and women need to step up and to become leaders in their parishes. There are many areas in parishes that people can use their God given gifts of Time, Talent and Treasures to ensure their parish is there for future generations. For example:

Time and Talent:

Give of your time teaching youth and adults about our faith, become an extraordinary minister or lector. Help with music ministry, and the cleaning and maintenance of the parish

Treasure:

The bills and priest’s salary need to be paid monthly. If you are paid weekly or monthly, commit to an amount each week or month to donate. Some nd it easier to do this by automatic donation just like the payments online for our personal expenses. If you are on an annual agriculture budget, set aside a steer or two or a load of grain to be sold and given to the parish as an annual donation.

Rural communities are known as good stewards of our land and natural resources, we need to be just as good stewards for our parishes.