September 14-16, 2008
Crowne Plaza - Anaheim Resort
Anaheim, Calif.
Conference Pricing:
Early bird registration (register on or before July 7, 2008) - $450 per person.
Early bird fee for parishes sending three or more people - $400 per person.
Registration fee on or after July 8, 2008 - $550 per person.
Fee after July 8, 2008 for parishes sending three or more people - $500 per person.
Hotel accommodations are not included in the registration fee.
Conference Schedule
Sunday, September 14, 2008
| 9:00 am - 3:00 pm |
Registration |
| 3:30 - 4:30 pm |
Opening Mass with Most Reverend Sylvester D. Ryan Presiding |
| 4:30 - 5:00 pm |
Welcome, Introductions, and Logistics
|
| 5:00 - 6:00 pm |
Opening keynote by Most Reverend Sylvester D. Ryan |
| 6:00 pm |
Conference Banquet |
Monday, September 15, 2008
| 7:00 - 7:30 am |
Rosary and Morning Prayer
|
| 7:30 - 8:30 am |
Breakfast |
| 8:30 - 9:30 am |
Workshops |
| 9:30 - 9:45 am |
Break |
| 9:45 - 10:45 am |
Workshops |
| 10:45 - 11:00 am |
Break |
| 11:00 - Noon |
Workshops |
| Noon - 1:15 pm |
Lunch |
| 1:15 - 2:15 pm |
Workshops |
| 2:15 - 3:00 pm |
Break |
| 3:00 - 4:00 pm |
Workshops |
| 4:15 - 5:15 pm |
Mass |
| 5:15 pm |
Dinner on your own |
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
| 7:00 - 7:30 am |
Rosary and Morning Prayer |
| 7:30 - 8:30 am |
Breakfast |
| 8:30 - 9:30 am |
Workshops |
| 9:30 - 10:00 am |
Break / Hotel check-out |
| 10:00 - 11:00 am |
Closing keynote by Charles Zech |
| 11:15 - 12:15 pm |
Closing Mass |
Speakers and Workshops
Most Reverend Sylvester D. Ryan
Stewardship and Evangelization
In 1992 the American Bishop’s Conference published two letters: Go Make Disciples, and Stewardship a Disciples’ Response. These two letters continue to be compelling, serious challenges to all the Baptized to become witnesses to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, especially in the secularized culture and political world of today.
Lorene Duquin
Why Catholics Don’t Go to Mass
This workshop will explore how the post-modern culture affects families today, why Mass is not a priority, the need to bring families to a conversion experience, why our attitudes toward them make a difference, effective ways to reach them, and creative strategies for inviting them to come back to Mass.
How to Help People Forgive the Church
Everyone knows people who have been hurt by someone or something in the Catholic Church. Maybe they stopped going to Mass or switched to another faith. Maybe they remained Catholic, but still struggle with anger, resentment or feelings of betrayal. Hurts happen because the Church is made up of human beings. We may hold the Church to a higher ideal, but the reality is people in the Church sometimes make mistakes. This workshop will look at different ways parishes can help people let go of negative feelings and reconcile themselves with God and the Catholic Church.
Michael Rivera
Global Stewardship
This workshop deals with Stewardship at a Global level. Focus will be placed on how parishes can live out the stewardship principles set out by the US Catholic Bishop’s, Stewardship – A Discplie’s response. Emphasis will also be placed on tangables things that parishes can do to help those in need in there own area and throughout the world.
Fr. Eduardo Montemayor
The Art of Hospitality: Preparing the Front Line Troops
El Arte de la Hospitalidad
This workshop is designed to help your parish start or further train your hospitality team in the art of welcoming, and thus assure that everyone who walks onto the grounds of your parish enters an environment where people feel they belong, and are comfortable, accepted and needed.
Jim Kelley
The Parish Stewardship Process
This session will focus on practical things parishes can do to start their stewardship initiatives or improve current processes. Practical examples will be given on forming a stewardship committee and defining their responsibilities, setting an annual plan for events and communications, preparing and conducting the annual renewal, guiding lay witnesses as well as other important aspects of teaching stewardship.
The Use and Training of Lay Witnesses in Stewardship Efforts
Justin Clements
So What's Your Plan? 2 Approaches to Strategic Planning for Parishes
A popular business axiom which absolutely applies to Catholic parishes these days says it best: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” This session highlights the critical need for today’s parish communities to engage in strategic planning and features a practical overview of the basic elements of two different methods for formulating a parish strategic plan.
Fr. Daniel Mahan
Spirituality of Stewardship
This presentation will offer practical ideas to deepen the spirituality of stewardship within the parish. The particular focus will be on the stewardship of talent and time, with special attention to practical ways for parishioners to learn about the talents that God has given to them.
The Role of the Pastor
Promoting stewardship as a way of life is a natural fit for the parish priest, flowing right from the heart of his vocation. This talk explores how promoting stewardship is of great help to the pastor in attending to both the temporal and spiritual needs of the parish. Practical suggestions are given that help the priest best fulfill his role in the stewardship process.
Phil Lenahan
7 Steps to Becoming Financially Free
This workshop is designed to help participants better understand what it means to manage our resources as Stewards of Providence. It starts with the understanding that all we have ultimately belongs to the Lord and he wants us to use our resources in ways pleasing to him. This is a timely message in a culture that emphasizes consumerism and leads people to fall into the trap of overspending, consumer credit and failing to prioritize their spending on those things that really matter in the long run.
Amy Rose
Stewardship and the Offertory
Take a fresh look at your parish’s offertory process. Learn to apply stewardship principles, maximize giving, create communication avenues, and get better long-term results when applying these concepts in your parish. Help your parishioners to re-examine their gifts of treasure and how they can contribute to their parish’s overall success. Although stewardship is more than just the offertory, the collection basket is still an important place to see some of the fruits of your labor.
Leisa Anslinger
I Know I Should Offer My Talents, But...
How often do we hear parishioners say this? “I know I should offer my talents, but I’m not sure what my talents are, or how to offer them in my parish.” Explore ways to help parishioners identify their strengths, or themes of talent, and strategies parishes can adopt to assist them when they are ready to offer service in their parish or beyond it to the world.
Sharon Hueckel
Blending Multiple Cultures in a Parish
Your parish is probably a multi-cultural parish, even if you have Mass in only one language. And if your congregation speaks two or more languages, you certainly are! This session will look at some ways to see and celebrate our rich cultural diversity. Come prepared to share some examples of your own and to go home with a wealth of new ideas.
Teaching Stewardship in a Multi-Cultural Parish
When stewardship is all about gifts and gratitude, teaching stewardship in a multi-cultural setting becomes an invitation to explore and share the diversity of our various cultures and spiritualities. But it also creates some logistical challenges. This session will focus on the stewardship journey of one tri-lingual parish (Spanish, English, and Vietnamese) and invite participants to share their experiences, too.
Mia Haber
Better Bulletins, Newsletters and Print Communications
If you want people to get your message, you have to make it easy for them. Whether you produce a weekly bulletin, a 24 page monthly newsletter or write business letters and financial reports, this workshop will show you how to improve all of your documents and publications. This workshop will focus on the most important things that you can do in print to increase readership, promote a sense of unity and harmony on the page and focus your parishioners on what is really important.
Dr. Joseph White and Ana Arista
Stewardship and Religious Education: Helping Children and Youth Realize and Share Their Gifts
This workshop, facilitated by a parish DRE and popular catechetical author, will discuss how to highlight the stewardship themes aleady present in parish and Catholic school religion curriculum and augment these themes with hands-on activities.
Fr. Tam Pham
The Spirituality of Stewardship (Presented in Vietnamese)
What does the word “stewardship” mean to you? Stewardship is not a program. Stewardship is not about raising money. Stewardship is not about another thing to do. Then what is it? Stewardship is a way of life. If you want to put in a specific theology term is a way of disciple’s response to God call.
Teaching Stewardship to the Vietnamese Community
Some people hear the word “stewardship” and automatically think “fundraising.” Stewardship is not a “program” or a fundraising effort. It is not a one-year experiment. It is a commitment to a new way of life—the lifestyle of Christian Discipleship.
Carlos Proano
Communicating the Stewardship Message to the Hispanic Community
The most important contribution of Spanish Speaking Catholics for the United States Catholic Church is faith and devotion. To help Hispanics understand Stewardship is imperative to connect the practice of Stewardship with our faith. Empowering them to give the best of them in gratitude for all the blessings they already received.
Coni Perez
Develop Your Parish Leaders (Presented in Spanish)
Learn to find, develop and nurture a team of leaders from your parishioners. Providing the correct tools will empower and strength your group’s skills, communications and will help them make a commitment to leadership roles. This leader team will be instrumental in bringing forth other leaders, vital in parishes with minimal staff. These processes have worked at St. Luke the Evangelist, Houston TX where over 70 ministry leaders guide their 1500 plus volunteers.
Joe DiMario
The Planned Giving Process
A “hands-on” practical/basic approach to a planned giving initiative. The session will include strategies, timelines and action steps, and suggested marketing materials.
Charles Zech - Closing Keynote Speaker
Best Practices in Parish Stewardship Activities: Myths and Realities
Parishes that are interested in becoming stewardship parishes have a variety of activities that they can employ to achieve that goal. But what kinds of activities are effective at building stewardship, and what activities are not effective? The truth is, no one knows. There might be some anecdotal evidence, but no one knows for certain. Based on a national survey of parishes, this presentation will provide a holistic view of those parish activities that significantly impact the parish's stewardship effort, and those that are thought to be effective, but in reality are only myths.
[View] the LCS Anaheimbrochure (.pdf) for more information on event schedule, guest speakers, and registration information.