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| We have a very dynamic parish committed to Full Stewardship, and it is my job and distinct pleasure to help my parish family members find ministries suitable to their time and talent. Steps for joining a ministry have been made very simple and can be found in the current light blue Ministry Booklet or on line. |
Tom Picard |
In 1997-98 our parish went through a visioning process exploring if we wanted to become a full stewardship parish. If we did, what did full stewardship mean to us as parishioners, and as a parish? The answer was yes, and we agreed that God blesses each of us with varying degrees of time, talent, and treasure. The parish consensus was that the first 10% of God's gifts should be returned to God in the form of time and talent given to various ministries, and treasure to do God's work.
The current full stewardship goal, that Parishioners are asked to try and achieve on their annual pledge of treasure, is that on the average, the gifts given back to God should be 8% to the Parish/Diocese and 2% to the community.
Since our commitment to full stewardship, we have grown to more than 130 separate ministries for adults and youth, all being supported, including our grade school, from the Sunday tithing of our parishioners. That means our active parishioners do not have to pay tuition at St. Jude School.
Once a year each member of our parish is asked to make a statement of stewardship or Annual Pledge. The Annual Pledge includes Time, Talent and Treasure. Time is coming weekly to Mass, Talent is getting involved and joining at least one ministry, and Treasure is your financial gift to the Parish/Diocese. A set monthly payment is sent to the Diocese in Knoxville to help support their programs which in turn benefit St. Jude. There is also a separate building fund that is used to pay off debt, maintain existing structures and to prepare for the future projects at St. Jude. That is where I come in, I try to help make all this happen, and it's exciting. If you are new to town or are contemplating a move to Chattanooga, I hope you consider joining our St. Jude family. I will be looking forward to meeting you.
| What is a ministry at St. Jude?
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A ministry is a service function, usually provided by volunteers,
for the church or the surrounding community. Ministries are the “Talent” portion of our
gifts of Time, Talent, and Treasure.
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| To join a ministry:
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1.
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Review the list of ministries
and decide which ministry or ministries you may be interested in joining.
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2.
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List the 4-digit code number of each ministry in which you are interested on your annual pledge card. Please make and keep a record of your ministry selection(s).
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Call the parish office at 870-2386, Monday through Friday, 9 am to 4 pm, and tell us which ministries you are interested in. We will provide you with names and contact phone numbers for the ministry leaders so you can let them know you are available to help.
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| That’s all there is to it! By doing this, you will have made a step toward sharing your special talents with your church. We will all be the richer for it.
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Questions, comments and suggestions
are always welcome; email
St. Jude Parish Manager, Tom Picard or call 870-2386.
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