Stewardship starts with a personal invitation

Stewardship is much more than the Sermon on the Amount, a wise priest once stated. 
Tithing with financial donations is an important part of stewardship as our parishes and ministries could not operate without them. However, treasure is only one of the three Ts that define stewardship as a way of life. Stewardship has three parts, just like the Trinity.  
God calls us to use our gifts of Time, Talent, and Treasure to glorify Him, serve others and fulfill His mission for our lives. This is why He is so generous with the gifts he entrusts to us. 
“All good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change” (James 1:17).
The first step in fulfilling God’s will of living the life of a Christian steward typically starts with an invitation from another good steward. This could be an invitation to attend Mass, a Bible study, Men of St. Joseph or simply a friendly welcome from the usher. The first and most important T of stewardship is taking Time for prayer. 
“Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
Using our Talents to serve others is the second T of stewardship. Examples of this can be found in those serving our parishes: ushers, altar servers, lectors, choir members, vacation bible school volunteers, bereavement committee members, welcome committee members. Parish ministry volunteers are answering God’s call to serve and they are an incredible blessing to the parish. This is how we share our talents! If you are not already serving, discern how you can use your talents to serve.
What inspires you to get involved? Most of us were invited to participate by our priest or someone involved in the ministry.   
Christian stewardship is a disciple's way of life. As disciples, we are called to spread the word of God and invite others to join us. This invitation may be all someone needs to get involved in a parish ministry. This one simple invitation could be the encouragement they need to share their gifts of time, talent and treasure while fulfilling God’s calling in their life. 
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, ...” (Matthew 28:19).
The three Ts of stewardship are not silos—they are interlocking gears. An invitation to attend and participate leads to getting involved in the ministries of our parish, thus naturally, investing in the parish itself. Therefore, the final T of stewardship is giving generously of our Treasure.  
So, keep the gears turning and invite someone to get involved in the life of your parish.
­­— Shannon Roh is the Executive Director of the Office of Development and Stewardship for the Archdiocese of Mobile.