1. STEWARDSHIP WITH HISPANICS
Office of Hispanic Ministry
Archdiocese of Denver

2. CHALLENGES
52 % Catholics in the Archdiocese of Denver are Hispanics, about 37 % nationwide.
A very low percentage of Archbishop‘s Catholic Appeal comes from Spanish pledges
A much larger percentage of ACA is used in Hispanic Ministry
The future of the Church depends on Hispanic leadership and Hispanic contributions to the Church
There is no concept of stewardship in spanish. There is not even a word for it.
1% Considering only spanish pledges, not considering those hispanics receiving and responding to a english letter
Other 10% is reaised.

3. LEVELS OF CULTURE
External cultural elements: Objects, sports, entertainment, fashion. This elements tend to globalize.
Language, traditions and customs: spoken language, music, art, poetry, literature, forms to celebrate, enjoy, express; food, calendar of significant celebrations, etc.
Systems and social institutions: Social, political, educational, economic, religious and artistic institutions.
Cultural Values: Beliefs and attitudes coming from philosophy of life and idiosyncrasy of a ethnic group.
Cosmo vision and profound understanding of life: This is the heart of Culture: World, God, humanity. The way we think and religion.

4. LEVELS OF CULTURE External cultural elements:
Language, traditions and customs:
Systems and social institutions:
Cultural Values:
Cosmo vision and profound understanding of life:

5. THE CULTURAL CHALLENGE
Every person is born within a culture, but nobody is born with a culture
Culture is learned during life through a process called: ENCULTURATION
Culture is learned in two basic places:
Home
Society

6. THE CULTURAL CHALLENGE
Acculturation: The modification of the culture of a group or individual as a result of contact with a different culture.

7. WHY HISPANICS DON’T GIVE?
Hispanics have lower salaries
Hispanics (especially immigrants) have financial commitments in their countries of origin
Hispanics come from poor countries where they receive assistance instead of assisting. The Crown used to subsidize churches in the New Spain.
Hispanics face uncertainty (especially if don’t have documents)
Hispanic, understood as immigrant.
A Median Hispanic household income is about 70 % of a White household median income
Most of us send money to family and relatives in our countries
We come from a culture of poverty, where having $8 dollar an hour is abundance and don’t know how administer the abundance
You could lose your job at any time,
Don’t want long term commitments

8. WHY HISPANICS DON’T GIVE?
Hispanics come from corrupt countries
Hispanics (especially Mexicans) have a history of trouble with church possessions
Hispanics don’t feel they belong to the Church in the US (“Que digan que estoy dormido”)
Hispanics have not developed a sense of ownership.
We don’t trust institutions, we have been robed everytime we give money.
There are many jokes about church’s money
The current immigration enviroment has helped this sense of not belonging.
At the end, we all want to go back to our countries.
Hispanics feel most of the times tolerated by the church but not necesarilly welcomed.

9. WHAT CAN BE DONE? Revert the ideas and misconceptions
Develop a sense of belonging
Creating concrete opportunities to give
Showing the use of money
Giving concrete and reasonable suggestions on the amount to give (we suggest “one hour of share”, 2.5 %, to start)
EDUCATION
We should start by giving what we make in one hour of salary
The parish can set the minimum amount/percentage
Budgeting, ministry fair, prayer, bible, etc

10. DEVELOPING A SENSE OF BELONGING
It is not creating a parallel church, but welcoming them.
Make them feel at home away from home
Your cannot expect them to give if you don’t give them first. (create an ecclesial space for them)
Find “gente puente” (bridge builders) and include them in the decision making process.

11. STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM Implementing Stewardship as a way of life
Stewardship becomes the evangelizing model of the parish
Emphasize belonging and integration into the life and mission of our church
At the end the parish implements the elements according to its reality.
The success of program relies on the pastor and committee

12. ELEMENTS OF THE PROGRAM
Stewardship of Time and Talent
Stewardship of Treasure
Stewardship of Faith
Stewardship of Vocations
Stewardship of Prayer
Stewardship of the Earth
Stewardship of Traditions and Cultural Values
* We don’t use all these themes, at least not to start, up to 6 can be chosen

13. IMPLEMENTATION Get the pastor involved
Create a spanish stewardship committee
One month used to educate on each stewardship theme.
Inclusion of lay witnesses
Homilies
Visual elements
Education on the topic of the month
Inclusion in the liturgies
Written materials, such as Sunday bulletin
Ask for “one hour of share” (2.5 %)

14. STEPS REQUIRED TO RECEIVE ASSITANCE FROM THE OHM
Formal invitation from the pastor to start the program in his parish.
The pastor selects a stewardship committee
Training sessions with the committee by staff of the OHM (the number of sessions mostly depends on the characteristics of the group)
Implementation
I will not come to a parish if I am not invited by the pastor
Invitation to the stewardship committee it’s crucial part of the process. A good selection is important
The process will require full time commitment to this work.

15. CONTENTS OF TRAINING SESSIONS
General overview and motivation
Assessment of parish reality
Assessment of our ideas (our parishioners) towards money and participation in the Church
Development of strategies to overcome those negative ideas
Selection of themes to be used.
Implementation plan
Design and approval of commitment cards

16. 1st weekend of the Month
Lay witness theme: belonging tied to the theme of the month
Homily on belonging tied to the theme of the month
Liturgical elements
Visual elements
Other elements included by committee with pastor’s approval.

17. 2nd weekend of the Month
Lay witness theme: Ownership/service tied to the theme of the month
Homily on ownership/service tied to the theme of the month
Liturgical elements
Visual elements
Other elements included by committee with pastor’s approval.

18. 3rd weekend of the Month
Lay witness theme: our gifts serving the wider community tied to the theme of the month
Homily on our gifts serving the wider community tied to the theme of the month
Liturgical elements
Visual elements
Other elements included by committee with pastor’s approval.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF COMMITMENT WEEKEND
ANNOUNCEMENT OF EDUCATION ACTIVITY (Ministry Fair, budgeting classes, prayer workshop, retreat, etc.)

19. 4th Weekend of the Month Commitment cards previously distributed
Brief Homily on the commitment
Praying for the commitment we are about to make
Filling out commitment cards
Offering of commitment cards

20. ST. JOSEPH’S CHURCH No volunteers or ministries in the parish
The only “active” group in the parish was the Perpetual Help group
About $2,000 weekly collection
Received a $2,000 a month from the AOD

21. ST. JOSEPH’S CHURCH after one year of stewardship
The collection increased 100 %. From 2K to 4K per week
Ministries developed: prayer group, charismatic group, youth group, young adults, stewardship committee, enough catechists, bible group, social ministries, 4 choirs, cursillo movement, christian family movement, etc (all done with volunteers)
461 registered to help in the parish (150 are still active)
3 potential vocations to the priesthood have come out of the parish.
There were 14 retreats of evangelization in the parish last year.

22. NOTES
We should choose up to 6 themes, so we can have a stewardship month and a non stewardship month
The process should be done every year
The parish should give money away to charity as a sign of the same commitment
Pastor and vicar’s involvement is essential (they also fill out commitment cards)
Evaluation and follow up every month
Communicate your success