Lesle Knop is the executive director of the archdiocesan office of stewardship and development. You can email her at: lesleknop@archkck.org
by Lesle Knop
Stewardship conferences help us bloom where we are planted.
I have been impatient to get into our gardens after our snow-packed winter. With Eastertide comes a desire for renewal that drives me outdoors and onto my knees in praise of the goodness of God’s many gifts.
Just as plants in our gardens need sunlight and water, our understanding of what it means to be a Christian steward grows when we apply the “nutrients” of prayer, community, and new ideas.
I would urge all who want to cultivate a life as a disciple of Christ, a Christian steward, to attend the International Catholic Stewardship Council’s Region IX Stewardship Conference on April 19. This educational opportunity for Catholic clergy and laypeople from the far corners of Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas is offered every other year.
Recent regional conferences, like the one planned later next month, have been at Savior Pastoral Center in Kansas City, Kan., due to its central location, convenience, affordability, and comfortable amenities. Excellent speakers, the celebration of the holy Eucharist, lunch and other refreshments typically attract about 400 Catholics.
Our office of stewardship and development plays a small role in the planning of the conference. The work is shared by genuinely passionate individuals from throughout our four-state region, who will bring their burning love for Jesus, bright ideas and parish activities to share with you.
Many of these people have become friends during my almost seven years serving the archdiocese. I can say with confidence that each speaker selected for the conference has inspirational and practical suggestions for you to share with your loved ones and fellow parishioners that can be applied immediately when you return home.
Our own Deacon Dana Nearmyer, consultant for evangelization and Catholic formation of youth, and Gary Pratt, planned giving officer, will speak on topics for which they are considered experts by their peers: stewardship and the new evangelization and Catholic legacies.
While many of you are planting summer flowers and dreaming of vegetable harvests, I hope some of you will also nourish your own spirituality in this Year of Faith by attending our region’s conference.
Please plan to dig in to the rich soil of Christian stewardship by spending Fri., April 19, with new and old friends at Savior Pastoral Center. I promise that you will “bloom where you are planted.”
Registration information is available on our archdiocesan website at: www.arch kck.org. Space is limited.
