Passionate Steward - 10th Anniversary Edition

Recovering Christian Stewardship from Secular Fundraising 151
challenges of aging, physical barriers may present the greatest
obstacle to their continued participation in, and commitment to, an
inclusive and interactive community of faith.
These problems are already making themselves felt. Good
sense dictates that the Church reflect proactively, before we find
ourselves in a state of crisis, and needing to raise money without
having given due consideration to either the need, or the best way
forward. This will involve clearly identifying the problem,
considering and settling upon a solution, and implementing the
chosen alternative (cf. the diagram on p. 106). See how, just as
described in the “Scenario” in Chapter XII, the recognition of a
shared problem provides an opportunity to engage an entire
community in the process of stewardship. By first taking the time to
consider the impact of this demographic shift, and then drawing
upon the talents of parishioners to discover remedies for the
problem (e.g. installing elevators, lifts, better sound systems, etc.),
the Church can position itself to solve its problems before they have
a deleterious impact on attendance, volunteer ministry and
community life. The time and talent that are devoted to these
problems today will no doubt lay the groundwork for the offering of
treasure required to implement a solution tomorrow. In this way,
undertaking a critical assessment of our physical plant (church
buildings) is not only a good starting point for proper strategic
planning; it belongs to good stewardship itself.
Creating a Legacy of Faith
Just as the corporate Church may undertake stewardship
renewal by carefully identifying those problems which challenge its
ability to fulfill its mission, and proposing solutions which will
enable it to move forward, so may individual Christians embrace
this kind of forward thinking and future planning in their own
stewardship journey. If the Church as a whole is ill-advised to limit
stewardship to reactive programs of high focus or intensity, such as