The concept of active stewardship is hardly new in Catholic parishes. The practice of such stewardship may be another matter however, if one is to believe the mutterings of some parish officials that a small percentage of parishioners do a large percentage of the contributing. Like, 20/80? Or 10/90?

Thus is it that the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, in an effort to help its millions of parishioners better appreciate, understand and participate in their role as responsible stewards of their resources --- or, more accurately, the gifts that God has bestowed on them --- has contracted with RSI Catholic Services Group of Dallas, a company known for helping to build such awareness in parishes throughout the U.S.

This year, a pilot program to develop good stewardship practice is being developed and implemented that will involve at least 25 parishes in the five pastoral regions. It is not, RSI officials stress, intended as one more "program" for a parish to tack on to its list of programs --- and certainly not as one more thing for a pastor to deal with --- but rather a process that will become, over time, a lived part of every parishioner's (and, by extension, the parish's) life.

"Our goal," says Dan Conway, president of RSI Catholic Services, "is to help parishes look at their current strategies and ministries, the resources they have, the challenges they face, and help them to invite their people to invest themselves through their time, talents and treasure."

RSI --- which began in the 1970s serving Protestant churches --- developed its Catholic Services Group to respond to the particular needs of Catholic dioceses, parishes, schools and other institutions. Altogether, it has helped faith-based organizations to raise more than $6 billion, including more than $685 million for Catholic organizations in 25 dioceses.

"The concept of stewardship may be fairly new to many Catholics," notes Conway, "but the fundamental concepts are as old as the Judeo-Christian tradition."

For that reason the RSI process begins with an emphasis on Scripture and the church's own centuries-old teaching, a teaching especially well articulated, says Conway, in the U.S. Bishops' 1993 pastoral letter, "Stewardship: A Disciple's Response," and in the teaching of the late Archbishop Thomas Murphy of Seattle.

"Archbishop Murphy was a proponent of the spirituality of stewardship," explains Conway. "He asked Catholics to consider two questions: 'What do I own, and what owns me?' The first invites us to do an inventory of all we've been given; the second calls us to an examination of conscience, to ask ourselves what we have done with these gifts and blessings.

"In the final analysis, Archbishop Murphy knew that he --- and we --- owned nothing, for we are merely stewards of what has been created and given to us by God."

To see one's self as a steward of God's creation, though, generally requires that "destructive" cultural patterns be broken and obstacles overcome --- specifically, those presented by consumerism, materialism, individualism and anything "that interferes with our distorts or longing for God, our most basic spiritual desire," Conway asserts. "As baptized Christians, we have that obligation to consider what Jesus' invitation to 'sell all you have, then come and follow me' truly means."

For parishes who become involved in RSI's "Growing Stewards" process, the answers are found in a multifaceted, spiritually-based program that brings together the principles of basic Christian stewardship with sound pastoral planning. Those principles include "gratitude, accountability, generosity and returning to the Lord with increase."

"When that understanding happens, there is not only an increase in the involvement of parishioners in stewardship activities, but it also provides increased enthusiasm and direction for the parishes as they plan for their future," says Arthur Ledesma, RSI senior executive consultant, who is working with the L.A. Archdiocese and its participating parishes in developing the pilot program.

Specifically, the program calls for a series of action steps taken over the course of many months, beginning with the formation of a leadership team; the development of a "parish action plan"; promoting stewardship education; and developing a parish ministry fair.

Later in the year (October is the current target date), the participating parishes would devote four consecutive Sundays to speaking on the aforementioned Christian stewardship principles, in conjunction with holding the ministry fair and concluding with the establishment of a covenant that encourages parishioners to decide what they will commit to giving in terms of time, talent or treasure.

"Some parishes," Ledesma notes, "will say, 'Wait, we already have a ministry fair," or 'We're already doing this or that.' What Growing Stewards does, though is to tie all of the elements together, to unify them in a way that people can see more clearly how being a good steward is living your baptismal call to service. When that happens, the message is received more clearly, the participation is much higher, the process is more integral in the life of the parish --- it has a greater impact."

Moreover, says Ledesma, there is more likelihood that those parishioners "on the fringes," those who come to Mass but may not do much more, will come forward and share their time, talent or treasure.

The timing of the RSI "Growing Stewards" process is fortuitous, Ledesma adds, in that the archdiocese has already undertaken a Synod process that surfaced both diocesan and parish priorities to be addressed. Concurrently, the development of newer leadership models --- in which there may or may not be a priest-pastor for each parish, or where there is additional lay leadership to ease the pastor's burden --- offers more opportunity for parishes to participate in this process without as much fear that "this is another thing on top of everything else we're being asked to do."

"Certainly, a pastor's enthusiastic support is very important to making this process work," he says. "And certainly many pastors are very burdened with responsibilities. But what many who have used this process, including those who were not at first enthusiastic about it, have found --- especially if they are willing to delegate and empower others --- is that there is a real conversion process that takes place in the parish, as people better understand what it means to be a Christian steward. It isn't about giving more money; it is about deepening your relationship, as an individual and as a community, with the Lord."