If your phone rings it may be your parish pastor or parish facilitator calling you about becoming one of our diocese's over 600 lay leaders who will join in leading efforts to help the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois become a "Total Stewardship Diocese."

Have you been called? Are you praying for guidance to make your decision? Have you called your pastor to tell him of your interest and enthusiasm?

Let me share a little bit of the history of this plan with you. In March, at our clergy conference in Carlinville, our priests spent time with leaders from the Diocese of Wichita, which has a nationally-recognized stewardship model. Those who gathered were inspired by the presenters and their message was well-received by our presbyterate. I then sent a note to all priests, encouraging them to discern, pray and then be prepared to seek out and ask four to five people from each parish to be lay leaders.

These individuals would become the energetic, enthusiastic and Spirit-filled evangelizers for promoting "stewardship/discipleship as a way of life" as we become a "Total Stewardship Diocese" filled with "intentional disciples."

In August another communication was released to now send in those names after having discussed this new ministry with lay leaders who have responded "yes" to being a part of this first step in our journey.

I have already communicated with many supporters of this new ministry. For example, at the Bishop's Gift Society Banquet in August I spoke to so many of our diocese's generous stewards. The dinner was for those who were great supporters of financial giving to the Annual Catholic Services Appeal (ACSA) yearly appeal for our diocese. However, I chose to speak about how many of those present had already made the decision to make stewardship a way of life and how they had already become intentional disciples in all areas of stewardship and discipleship.

Those who gathered commented on how inspired they were to hear of such great examples of how "time and talent" stewardship was being lived out by today's disciples throughout the diocese. Folks from Quincy, Springfield, Maryville, Gillespie, Effingham, Jacksonville, Carlinville, White Hall, Liberty, Shelbyville and more of our communities have called to show their support and seek to hear more about this mission of our diocese.

I am excited to hear about those who are being called and who are responding "yes." The pastor or parish facilitator is choosing and making the call to invite them but we have asked them to pray for the Holy Spirit's guidance in choosing those leaders. Likewise we are praying that the Holy Spirit will inspire and grace those are being called to say "yes." This ministry is very important to the success of our mission in creating this new way of life.

When these named are gathered, we will then begin to do some intense formation for the clergy and these lay leaders. We hope to meet quarterly at a deanery gathering and twice all together in Springfield. The lay leaders will help each parish eventually bring forth the birth of a "Stewardship Council" ministry in each parish.

However, our first mission will be for all of our clergy and these chosen lay leaders to embrace this model. We will need to spend quality time doing great formation of these 750 parish leaders. We must first embrace this call to make this model as a personal way of life for us, if we are ever going to be able to lead our diocesan family to embrace this way of life as well.

If you wish to talk more about how you can become an intentional disciple contact your parish priest or contact me, Father Chuck Edwards, by calling (217) 698-8500, ext. 103, or email .