Sept 23-24: The Gift of Giving: Growing in Our Personal & Parish Life through the Cycle of Stewardship

Sept 23-24: The Gift of Giving through the Cycle of Stewardship

The Gift of Giving: Growing in our Personal and Parish Life Through the Cycle of Stewardship
A retreat led by V. Rev. Robert Holet on Friday & Saturday, Sept. 23–24
SS. Peter & Paul Orthodox Church, Meriden, Connecticut

Free and open to all—Registration deadline is Sept. 16.
Contact frjmosher@sspeterpaul.org or 203-237-4539.

Friday
6:30 PM	Vespers
7:45–8:30	Movement 1: God as the Lord & source of all things—This really is God’s Church
Saturday
9:00 AM	Morning Prayers
9:15–10:30	Movement 2: Receiving God’s gifts
	Movement 3: Offering the First Fruits to God
	Break
10:45–Noon	Movement 4: Commending all our life to Christ our God
	The Church’s Offering – Our first fruits, and our ministries
Noon	Prayers
12:15 PM	Lunch
1:30 – 2:15	Movement 5: God provides a growing abundance
	Movement 6: The stewards grow in their capabilities
	Church operations – growing in our spiritual mission
	Open Discussion, submitted questions.
	Break
2:30–3:15	Movement 7: The steward gives an account
	Spiritual exercise, Stewardship Examination of Conscience
3:30	Great Vespers, followed by brief remarks:
	Movement 8: The faithful steward receives his reward
5:00	Opportunity for Confession, as desired

V. Rev. Robert Holet is a parish priest in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, with a Doctor of Ministry in the understanding of stewardship in Orthodoxy. He is the author of The First and Finest: Orthodox Christian Stewardship as Sacred Offering.

His work helps Christians today differentiate the holy way of Christian offering from false or misguided concepts of stewardship and offers suggestions for ways in which church communities can rediscover the richness of these insights from the ancient, Orthodox tradition. He has spoken across the nation, including at the 2015 Assembly of the Diocese of New England (Orthodox Church in America).

He challenges us to consider whether we offer our first and finest to the Lord, and encourages parishes to exercise stewardship as an act of divine worship in the service of God and the poor.