Parish Leaders Confer about Stewardship

As part of its Year of Stewardship, the Diocese has been holding regional one-day conferences with parish leaders. Sessions held in New York, Rhode Island, Illinois and Florida were resounding successes for the leaders who attended.

“The meeting provided parishes an opportunity to exchange ideas on stewardship campaigns and learn approaches that have been successful,” said Jeri Humphries, parish council chair, St. Mark Church, Springfield, Mass. “The major challenge seems to be to re-educate our parishioners to help them understand the difference between stewardship and membership.” “We should emphasize that stewardship needs to encompass all three components – time and talent and treasure – and the major emphasis need not be on treasure initially,” Humphries added. “Once you engage parishioners in giving their time and talent, there will be a greater connection with the church that will, in the end, lead to parishioners giving their treasure to support and perpetuate their church.”

Invited to the sessions are parish council chairs, Diocesan delegates, and clergy. Archbishop Khajag Barsamian attends every session, as do Diocesan Council members and Diocesan staff.

“We want to encourage our local leaders to speak of stewardship as any and all substantive support of our church. It is not just writing a check; stewardship is creating a sense of community among the parishioners,” the Primate said. “We also want to show how the Diocese can help parishes, and how the parishes can help each other in building stewardship plans.”

Sessions include discussions of stewardship in the Bible and the Armenian Church tradition; building a parish stewardship program that encourages giving of time, talent and financial support; and ideas for creating a year-round effort at building support for the church.

“To me, stewardship says we’re actively working to strengthen the church spiritually, not just financially,” said Fr. Diran Bohajian, St. Leon Church, Fair Lawn, N.J. “Some give time, others have skills or money. When you put them together, that is what makes our Christian community come alive.”

Participants in each session crafted “action plans” detailing ways parishes could help themselves, ways parishes can help each other, and support needed from the Diocese. Follow-up steps will be collected from all the sessions to create a plan of action for building stronger local communities of faith.