Giving opportunities
There are as many ways to help build the church as there are individual members. As St. Paul tells us,
As a body is one though it has many parts,
and all the parts of the body,
though many, are one body,
so also Christ.
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,
whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons,
and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.
Now the body is not a single part, but many.
You are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it.
—1 Corinthians, chapter 12
Contributing your personal gifts of time, talent, or treasure is an opportunity for you to thank God for his many gifts to you. At the same time, you become part of the “Great Commission”: healing, teaching, spreading the faith, building the kingdom of God.
Ways to give
One obvious way to give is through participation in the Annual Stewardship Appeal (ASA). Parishioners’ ASA contributions to their parish and to the diocese directly support efforts in East Tennessee to feed the hungry, house the homeless, educate both young and old in the faith, counsel those who are hurting, save the lives of the unborn, promote vocations, support Catholic education, minister to the young, assist families, prepare couples for marriage, and so much more.
Download ASA materials to learn more.
A number of Catholics in the diocese have become members of the Catholic Foundation of East Tennessee (CFET) in order to support seminarian education and help underwrite land purchases for new parishes. Over the years, CFET members have made it possible for many young men to be prepared for the priesthood and for several new churches to be built.
To learn more, contact Jim Link, CFET’s director, at 865-584-3307.
What about giving the gift of your talent and treasure? Opportunities are everywhere—from serving as an usher, greeter, reader, or chorister at your parish to volunteering at a local soup kitchen or getting involved with the Council of Catholic Women, Knights of Columbus, Ladies of Charity, Catholic Scouting programs, or any number of other worthy causes.
Wherever you are, you can make a difference.
