November 1, 2018

Greetings St. Francis School Parents and Guardians,

Earlier this week, I attended the International Catholic Stewardship Council Conference with a group from the Diocese of Orange and the Orange Catholic Foundation.  A gathering of Catholic stewardship leaders from across the country, I was invited to attend the conference to gain insights into the practice of stewardship and learn about development tools for Catholic schools.    

As a novice fundraiser and first time attendee, I took full advantage of the plenary addresses and the conference sessions to receive information as well as learn methods to promote and teach stewardship.  I learned that this is not simply an appeal for funds, but is a Gospel inspired expression of how we live our lives in response to the call to bring the presence of Jesus Christ to our students and families.  

Fundraising starts with relationships.  People give to people based on shared values, shared vision, and shared trust.  Money follows mission. Our mission is to educate minds and form children to fulfill their God given potential within a Christ-centered community.  As such, the work we do in all aspects of our school, from marketing to recruitment, curriculum to pedagogy, enrichment activities to faith formation, is facilitated by and inspired to build relationships.

The conference provided me with an introduction to stewardship that included helpful ideas and materials.  An important takeaway for me was that the spirituality of stewardship is at the heart of everything we do. We're not building a facility, we're strengthening a community that is the foundation of hope in the person of Jesus.  We are the hands and feet of Christ at St. Francis of Assisi School. Through God's grace and our commitment to unleash our children's gifts, may we work together passionately to transform the lives of our children.

I will follow-up on last week's message when we talk next week.  Until then, have a great weekend!

Tom Waszak

President