The U.S. Bishops' pastoral letter, Stewardship, A Disciple's Response, presents a compelling and urgent call to action to church leadership. Stewardship is identified as the essential expression of discipleship—one whose principles must be actively nurtured if the Catholic Church is to meet the challenges presented by today's increasingly secular culture. In addition, it is clear that giving among the Catholic laity falls beneath that of other denominations. That gap is widening, in part because of an erosion of trust, in part because of the increasing tendency to "privatize" one's faith. The pastoral letter is quite clear in its emphasis on stewardship as a means to reverse this trend, and that action must be taken at all levels: individual, parish, diocesan and institutional. What it does not offer, however, is a blueprint for doing it.

The Parish Cornerstone Program is a comprehensive support program created to serve the principles of stewardship and evangelization identified in the pastoral letter through enhanced and expanded parish communications. The program is comprised of five core components, which may be implemented as individual modules or in concert. Each is a powerful tool—both for keeping parishioners well-informed and for encouraging their active participation in furthering the mission of the parish.

Evangelization
Proclaiming The Good News
Accountability
Time and Talent
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