Recently Terry Poplava, General Manager at ACST Catholic, appeared on the Kresta in the Afternoon radio show to discuss his article entitled Keeping Christ at the Center: The Wisdom of Stewardship. 5 Ideas for Parish Action.
Guest-hosted by Pete Burak, the conversation started with some recent data showing that while the number of people giving to the Catholic Church is still down 16% from pre–COVID levels, those who continue to give are giving significantly more. As Terry explains, we might think “we’re doing fine,” but when you look further into the data, you see that those who are giving more are in the 64+ age range, and younger Catholics are not giving or giving less. So it begs the question, how do we inspire giving among younger people so that the Church is positioned for success in future generations?
Pete, in the millennial age range, shared that his generation is generous, but they are particular about what they donate to, wanting to know why they should give and what the donation is used for. Also, he stated that his generation doesn’t give because “it’s what we’re supposed to do.”
Terry then discussed the connection between discipleship and stewardship. “Stewardship is the outcome of a commitment to become a disciple of Christ,” said Terry. “We are good stewards when we are concerned about everyone meeting Christ.”
Listen to the full interview here: https://avemariaradio.net/kresta-in-the-afternoon-september-11-2023-hour-2/
Polly King
Polly King has over 30 years in the marketing and communications field, the last 12 in Catholic publishing. As a convert to the Catholic faith, she has a deep passion for helping parishes engage and evangelize their communities. This led her to join ACS Technologies as part of their mission to serve the Church with technology and solutions that support their ministries. Polly currently resides in Indiana with her husband Bob and their 14-year-old Australian Shepherd, Riley. Her commitment to her faith and dedication to her profession make her an inspiring figure for those looking to make a positive impact in their communities.
