How do we teach children to be good stewards of God’s gifts? I’m often asked, “How can we teach stewardship? What curriculum should we use? What projects can we do with children that will teach them stewardship?”
To be honest, I don’t believe that’s how it works. Our young people do not learn to be good stewards just from a program or a curriculum, a one-day event, or a one-time mission trip. They learn to be good stewards when they see generosity modeled for them.
Generosity is one of the most important values parents and church communities can model for children and teenagers. In a culture where we are saturated with messages of consumption, violence and individuality at the expense of others’ well-being, all of us bear a particular responsibility to teach and model generosity to the children and teenagers of our parish.
May the giving of our time, talent and treasures serve as an example of generosity for the young people in our parish to model throughout their lives.
God bless you,
Deacon John