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June 14, 2009 The true meaning of stewardship is to live life as a disciple of Christ. That message came through repeatedly to about 270 delegates representing 16 Canadian dioceses who came to the Western Stewardship Conference held June 12-14 at the Delta Hotel. Co-chair Lisa Graf of Regina said she was very pleased at the number and scope of delegates. “This is very good for the first time the conference is being held in Regina. We have people from across Canada, Halifax to Vancouver.” Co-chair Reverend Lorne Crozon said he hopes it is an educational event and an opportunity to bring like minded people together to share ideas and suggestions about stewardship. “It’s going to have a great impact on individual parishes if they accept stewardship as a way of living their lives because it really talks about discipleship, being a member of the Body of Christ and living out that membership in a very active and very real way.” The conference began and ended with prayer services and keynote speakers, Winnipeg Archbishop James Weisgerber who opened the conference and Regina Archbishop Daniel Bohan who closed it. In between there were 9 sessions in 4 tracks dealing with varying issues including getting a stewardship program up and operating within a parish, sustaining a program, liturgy, spirituality, vocations and mission, conversion and the importance of good hospitality as the foundation for stewardship success. There was a separate session on the Prayer Shawl Ministry that originated in the United States and came to Canada through a North Battleford school project. Volunteers knit shawls and compose special prayers that provide comfort for the sick and shut ins. Track one provided a new way of seeing stewardship as a way of life; Track two offered sessions that would help parishes get started in establishing stewardship programs; Track three was designed specifically for experienced stewardship leaders to help keep alive the programs and to take them beyond the traditional interpretation of time, talent and treasure and the fourth track provided sessions to help parishes and communities to be welcoming and provide a sense of belonging for its people. Both Archbishops spoke of conversion to the new way of thinking and living stewardship as Disciples of Christ. “The community of the Disciples of Jesus cannot be built part time. We must become who we are and this demands constant conversion,” said Archbishop Weisgerber in his opening address. “To be a Disciple is to follow Jesus and imitate His way of life and carry that out in action,” said Archbishop Bohan in closing the conference. Frank Flegel Archbishop James Weisgerber Keynote. Learn more Archbishop Daniel Bohan Keynote. Learn more |
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