Stewardship: Fair chance to find use for time, talent
ORLANDO | It’s hard to think of an excuse that would hold water at St. Ann in Gulf Breeze for not giving time and talent through a parish ministry.
Only have about an hour a month to spare? Serve as a seasonal floral designer through the parish’s worship commission, making sure appropriate flowers in appropriate colors are in place in the sanctuary for liturgical seasons and holy days.
Looking for something to do just about every day, year-round? Volunteer in the kitchen through the hospitality commission and “you could find yourself in some kind of food preparation on a day-to-day basis. … Msgr. Luke Hunt, our pastor, believes in feeding the parish, feeding anyone who knocks on the door.”
These examples came from Chuck Porter, volunteer coordinator at the parish, where 62 ministries for the faithful are organized under eight commissions. About 400 parishioners from among 1,000 registered families are involved. “It gives them a myriad of choices,” Porter said. “It’s been my personal philosophy that when a parishioner gets involved in some form of ministry it … helps him or her to the next level. It takes them beyond just showing up for Mass each Sunday or Saturday as the case my be.”
While not all are as regimented in their approach as St. Ann, many parishes throughout Florida and elsewhere embrace stewardship models in which time and talent are emphasized along with treasure. Many, including St. Ann, strengthen the time and talent legs of the stewardship stool through annual ministry fairs.
“It’s one of these great get-togethers where everybody has a chance to see what’s going on, to share ideas, hopefully to get other people involved because there’s always a need for more people That’s how our ministries grow,” said newly ordained Deacon Pete Mazzella about the annual ministry fair at his parish, Holy Name of Jesus in West Palm Beach.
Deacon Mazzella, as leader of the parish’s Stewardship Renewal, is planning this year’s ministry fair and other events for November. With 99 ministries listed on the parish’s Web site and 1,500 registered families, it’s a big job.
“Basically our philosophy, if you can sum it up, is that parishioners need to be involved in the activities of the parish. They need to take a leadership role in many of those activities,” Deacon Mazzella said, citing the food pantry, helping with faith formation and driving the church van as examples of the diverse needs to be filled. “All these things need the involvement of a lot of parishioners if they are going to happen.”
A ministry fair in April at Our Lady of Light in Fort Myers yielded 80 new volunteers for more than 13 ministries, said the parish’s business administrator Hilary Whelan. Parishioner Bob Larranaga chaired the event.
“Bob’s extensive background in marketing and advertising enabled us to take the fair to the next level,” Whelan said. “Under Bob’s direction and guidance, and assisted by co-chairman Paul Swain, each ministry was invited to participate and market its ministry at booths set up in the parish center where refreshments were served to parishioners who were invited to come through the booths after Masses.”
Whelan said about a third of the parish’s 2,540 registered families are seasonal residents, but participation in ministries is still strong. Forty ministers visit the homebound or people in nursing homes or hospitals. Nearly 450 liturgical ministers serve at Masses. Thirty-five catechists and team members help with faith formation, and another 70 help with youth ministry. More participate through the Knights of Columbus, Ladies Society and St. Vincent de Paul Society.
“We also have a very active ministry with our thrift store,” said Whelan, regarding the Bonita Springs shop whose proceeds benefit the parish’s annual fundraising. “It’s built such community among about 70 volunteers who come together to run that operation.”
Porter at St. Ann has also experienced success through his parish’s annual ministry fair, which he said takes about four months to plan because of the diversity of offerings, some of which directly serve fellow parishioners or the local community, and others that are intended to benefit people as far away as a Navajo reservation in Arizona or a village in Peru.
“The one in February, we probably increased participation in some form of ministry by 25 percent,” Porter said.
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