Dear Friends of St. Therese,

2020 proved to be a challenging year for everyone. The chaos and uncertainty presented by the COVID 19 Pandemic is not the only challenge we are experiencing. Just about everyone has faced a crisis of one kind or another in their life.  The only thing that stays the same in this life is that we all go through crises.  Sometimes a crisis can bring about change…in us and in our circumstances. Change is not easy to adapt to, but something we all must remember; people change; however, God never does.

New Directions
The challenges faced during this pandemic have required that St. Therese Catholic Church make some changes as well. The initial closing of the parish was a difficult but necessary decision. Apparently, it was time…a time for a new beginning.
                   
A new direction had to be plotted and actions taken to continue our mission to Love God, Follow Jesus, and Serve All. We are blessed that we have stewards who shared their Time, Talent, and Treasure to be able to quickly initiate on-line services, followed by the resumption of limited in-person Mass celebrations, weddings, baptisms and funerals. Many parishes remain closed, so we are very thankful for these gifts.

Time for Introspection
Have we paused, during this chaotic time, and turned to God? As we begin the New Year, have we pondered the change brought about in our individual circumstances? More importantly have we thought about the impact on our fellow parishioners, neighbors, and the less fortunate? Is this God’s way of forcing us to think of OTHERS and SHARE our good fortune and gifts received from Him?  If so, how can we change for the better?

New Opportunities
We can all embrace our new beginnings and grow our faith by giving freely of the gifts provided to each of us. These gifts can be defined as our own unique gifts of Time, Talent, and Treasure. We believe that this new Stewardship Challenge should be focused on reminding us to put God First in everything we do. We do this by following His call for all to become Disciples of Jesus Christ.
                   
The concept of stewardship as a way of life should not always be focused on our temporal or temporary needs such as facilities and debt reduction. It recognizes the innate spiritual desire to give. This desire lies within all our hearts. Our loving God created us in His image with the potential and expectation to share our gifts with the world around us. It means putting our complete trust in God, in all things, by sharing all our God-given gifts, especially that one “gift” that means the most to us — maybe it’s our time, our talent OR our financial resources.
                   
As the hands and feet of Jesus, we are a community called to help develop and strengthen each other’s faith, our relationship with God and each other.   We have been given different gifts and have been called to utilize them in our own unique way. God’s plan will only work, if WE DO WHAT GOD IS CALLING EACH ONE OF US TO DO.
                   
In the coming months, St. Therese will offer various opportunities to learn more about the importance of stewardship and living our lives putting God First. These efforts are ongoing and will extend throughout the year. Please refer to the weekly bulletin, St. Therese web page, Facebook page and newsletter for more information.  

Some of the questions we will explore are:

• What does “God First” mean to you?
• What is Stewardship?
• What are my talents?
• How can I use my God given gifts to better myself and my community?

Take a moment to think about what St. Therese Catholic Church means to you. Will you challenge yourself to put “God First” as a way of life and give generously of your Time, Talent, and Treasure?

St. Therese Catholic Church Stewardship Committee

Click here to be directed to the Stewardship Committe webpage