"Without the way, there is no going; without the truth, there is no knowing; without the life, there is no living." Shortly after the creation of the St. Agnes Stewardship Committee, it became clear that if we wanted a stewardship parish, the children needed to be shown the "way" of stewardship so that they too could "go" on the stewardship journey. The children needed to be given the "truth" so they would "know" what stewardship is about. Once this occurred, they would be able to share in a stewardship way of life with their parents. Thus, a subcommittee was formed with individuals who enjoyed working for and with children. The subcommittee immediately set out to find materials to educate the children (K through 8th grade) and the youth (9th through Confirmation) of the parish.
Finding the materials turned out to be a bigger challenge than anticipated. Most of the publishers of materials being used for school or CCD classes did not even have the word "stewardship" in their text, nor did there seem to be other local resources available. Efforts to contact other parishes across the nation yielded no better results in terms of available written materials. Thus, the subcommittee did the next best thing, which is to create our own program using some ideas and concepts received from a few parishes contacted. The work of the subcommittee went in three directions, namely: (1) teacher in-service, (2) creating lesson plans and materials to be used by the teachers, and (3) providing liturgical experiences for the children to participate in. To begin teacher in-service, visits were made to the Director of Religious Education, School Principal, and Confirmation Director to gain their support. Lesson plans were written with activities for the students to do in class and at home, supplies gathered and classroom visits were made. Liturgical experiences were provided with special stewardship liturgies where the children and youth participated in all parts of stewardship Masses. This included special presentations including plays during Mass about stewardship written by the subcommittee and integrated each year with the theme used by the adult Stewardship Program.
St. Agnes School similarly promotes stewardship through the many ventures in which the students participate. The Student Council sponsors five (5) scholarships for activities such as the band, Camp Gualala, Camp Caritas, cheerleading, and the Washington, D.C. trip. The children participate daily in a recycling program which benefits both the school and the environment. At Easter and Thanksgiving, the children donate money and food to make baskets for the needy families. On a weekly basis, money is collected for a breakfast program that feeds 800 children in Peru in addition to money that the children also donate to the St. Mary's Mission Hospital in Nairobi. The children use their time and talent in planning special liturgies as well. During Lent, they present weekly Stations of the Cross and a special Good Friday liturgy. They spend time visiting residents in retirement homes, bringing joy and entertainment as they present them with special cards and letters. The children are also provided with their own Sunday envelopes to donate money or their time and talent. Stewardship is no longer just a concept to these children; it has been a way of life for them that is now deeply rooted.
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