Stewardship Minutes

Stewardship Talk
Raquel Perez

Good evening. My name is Raquel Perez and I have been asked to speak tonight about stewardship. My husband and I have been parishioners since 1999. Since that time we have expanded our family to include our daughter, Alyssa and our son, Tommy. It is ironic how sometimes a tragedy causes us to look within ourselves to seek a closer relationship with God. As for myself, before 9/11, I was a little too caught up in the “corporate” climate to really get involved with the St. Nicholas community. After 9/11, like most, I re-evaluated what was important to me and my family. I decided it was time to slow down. It was great to know that this parish has so many opportunities to allow you to explore your faith while helping others. In the wake of 9/11, I was searching for hope. I found that hope by reaching out and volunteering my time to the youth ministries of St. Nicholas. Specifically, I became a Vacation Bible School teacher, a Christian Formation Teacher and just recently a guest speaker for our newly confirmed candidates. By preparing the lesson plans for the students it made me delve deeper into the meaning of my faith. It also made me realize how important it is to share your faith not only with your own family but with the children of our parish family. It is through this spirit of community growth and prayer that we can continue to bring hope to the future. In closing, I invite those of you who have not had an opportunity to volunteer in a ministry to uncover your talents and strengthen our parish. Thank you for your time. I will be available in the Commons for questions.