One who receives God's gifts gratefully, cherishes and tends them in a responsible and accountable manner, shares them in justice and love with others, and returns them with increase to the Lord.- Stewardship: A Disciple's Response

Time and Talent: 

Stewardship of Time: Yesterday you were given 1,440 minutes from the Lord as a gift. As Christian stewards we are called to give back to the Lord. Consider how much time you are giving back to the Lord each day in prayer and study of his word. At Good Samaritan, we have many opportunities to participate in an active and engaged life of prayer though parish and diocesan liturgies, through the Devotionals of Holy Hour and the Rosary, through prayer groups and through contemplative prayer both at home and in the inspirational setting of our beautiful church.  Prayerfully consider making a pledge to give back to the Lord a certain amount of prayer and study each day in gratitude for the gift of time he has given you. 

Stewardship of Talent:  

Jesus said, “The Son of Man came not to be served, to serve.” (Mark 10:45) The essence of the Christian life is to serve God and one another. We believe that every parishioner, without exception, has something to offer, something they do well and can do for the sake of the Kingdom of God.  A “talent” is not necessarily something at which we are very skilled. Being a good steward of our talents means using whatever God gave us to the best of our ability to build up His kingdom. When we name our talents we are not bragging because we know that each trait is a gift from God. And we needn’t feel that we don’t have enough talents to make a difference. God will make whatever he gave us “enough” to fulfill His plan if we generously share the gifts we do have with others. What are my Talents? God made each of us in His own image and likeness, and yet unique in all the world! We each have a special combination of aptitudes and abilities, interests and passions, skills and experiences that make us who we are and equip us to do what God needs us to do. Whether you are a good listener, a computer programmer, a good cook, a concert pianist, a warm hugger or a motivational speaker – God gave you a valuable talent to be cultivated and shared. How do I/can I use my Talents? Opportunities about in our day-to-day lives to use our talents to serve others. We use them to take care of our families, help our friends and neighbors, contribute to society through our work and civic activities, assist at the school, participate in parish life and do community service. We ask that every parishioner to serve the mission by being involved in at least one ministry each year.

Stewardship of Treasure 

Offertory:

In our culture, gifts are given for many reasons (e.g. birthdays, anniversaries and holidays). Many times, they are chosen out of love and with care. Because these gifts are special, even the wrappings reflect the giver’s delight. When we receive a gift, we consider it a good thing to take care of the gift and to thank the giver. Sometimes, we even share the gift with others.

There are many similarities between what happens when we receive gifts in our culture and when we receive gifts from God.

Because of God’s profound generosity and love, we are the recipients of many gifts. They are special and unique to each of us. They help make us who we are and who we are called to be. We need to “unwrap” our gifts from God. In our spiritual journey, this is what we call discerning or discovering our God-given gifts.

As Christian stewards, we need to respond in gratitude for the many gifts God has given to us, and also become responsible for taking care of them. Additionally, we are called to make our gifts grow and to share them lovingly in justice with others. We stand before the Lord in the spirit of accountability for all that we are given.

We give not to just meet a few basic needs or to pay the costs of renting our worship space. We give out of gratitude to God—the more the parish receives, the more we can build up God’s Kingdom, help the poor and begin programs to help others grow. No one is excluded from this. If someone has less, they give less, if someone has more, they giver more. This offering is a key part of our worship.

Annual Appeal:

Our archdiocese continues to grow, thanks be to God, and in many places we are bursting at the seams. We’ve grown by 270,000 Catholics since 2000, and by 2030 we project there could be as many as 1.2 million in our family of faith! As our community continues to expand, so does the support needed for our pastors to care for us, trained catechists to form us, ministers to prepare us for the sacraments, buildings in which to worship, and assistance in our struggles.

All of these vital needs are supported by your selfless generosity to the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal. Please join us again this year in supporting the Archbishop's Annual Appeal as a way to respond to God's love and make a tangible difference in the lives of the faithful in our central and north Georgia communities. The difference is indeed tangible. Your generosity enables us not only to serve the increasing number and diversity of our neighbors, but also to innovate and thrive, bringing the love of God to all in new and increasing ways.