Parish Development Programs
Offertory Program
(Offered each fall)
In 1998, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles introduced the Parish Offertory Program. This program produced a 20% increase in offertory in the financially marginal and financially subsidized parishes that conducted it. This increase was measured through out the entire first year, not just in the first few months.
In 1999 and 2000, many more parishes, individually and as part of an annual archdiocesan effort each Fall, conducted the program. As parishes that were not financially subsidized or financially marginal began participation, the average increase throughout the first year was found to be 25% and more. The parishes that conducted the program in 2002 averaged increases of 24.5%. After 12 months, in 2003, the average increase was 20%. And in 2004 the average was 28.5%. In 2005 the average increase in the parishes that implemented the Offertory Program in the fall of 2004 is 19.3%
Also, the program teaches parishes to conduct annual renewals on their own, without attending workshops in future years. Those parishes that conducted renewals report an average additional 10% increase the second year and 7% in the third year. These increases are cumulative.
The message of the program relies on the need to give as opposed to giving to need.
The Offertory Refresher
(Offered each fall)
Nearly 160 parishes in the Archdiocese have conducted the Offertory Program. Over time, skills can become rusty, some committee members, pastors and parish staff members are new to the process and participating parishes have suggested various updates in the content of the program.
The Office of Development has designed a refresher Workshop that will provide parish leaders, staff members and committee members with an overall program update, new sets of workshop materials and updated floppy discs containing sample brochures and commitment forms.
Parishes that participate in the Offertory Refresher will attend regular program workshops, but will receive materials indicating that the parish has done the program in the past.
Time Talent & Treasure
(Offered each Fall)
Parishes that have implemented the Offertory Program may wish to implement the Time, Talent and Treasure Program now. The Offertory Program helped parishes to learn the management techniques required to be prepared to implement the additional management practices encouraged in the Time, Talent and Treasure Program. Participating parishes, because they conducted the Offertory Program, will have additional money to support the training and management of significant numbers of new ministers.
Parishes have tried to conduct this type of program on their own. Often the results are not satisfactory. This may be a result of the method of solicitation or the fact that parishioners felt that the parish wanted money more than time and talent. Often people have indicated a willingness to serve in a ministry but were never contacted because parishes are unprepared to manage the commitments received.
Those who participate in the Time, Talent and Treasure Program must understand that all of these gifts must be solicited and tended with the same fervor. For example, parishes should be as attentive to thanking ministers for their contributions of time and talent as they are to thank financial contributors for their money. This is a departure from the attitude of expectation that may have been present in the past.
To assure this equality from the outset, our program addresses time, talent and treasure in the context of one brochure and solicits them simultaneously. Further, parishes are asked to confirm, report and acknowledge these gifts in very similar ways and with equal enthusiasm.
Parishes that conduct the Time, Talent and Treasure program will be asked to recruit a Coordinator of Lay Ministers to serve on their committee.
This program can generate Offertory increases in the range of an additional 7 - 10% and will also increase the number of available lay ministers by over 30%.
Contact
Kevin T. O’Connor at KToconnor@la-archdiocese.org
Download Materials
- Introduction to The Offertory Program The Time, Talent and Treasure Program and The Offertory Refresher Workshop (400 K PDF File)
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