“Working from Why” is the theme of a stewardship and evangelization conference to be offered by the Diocese of Peoria on Thursday, March 5, at the Spalding Pastoral Center in Peoria.

The conference, which runs from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., replaces the diocese’s biennial development and stewardship conferences and expands the invitation to a variety of other ministries including evangelization, respect life, vocations, Catholic Charities, and the diocesan tribunal.

“The church’s ministries all work together toward the same goal — to bring people to a deeper relationship with Jesus and help one another on our journey to heaven,” said Debbie Benz, director of the diocesan Office of Development and Stewardship. She issued a wide invitation to the event, including parish leadership, staff, and volunteers from throughout the diocese.

Katie Herzing

Following a welcome from Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, a keynote presentation will be offered by Katie Herzing, the senior parish coach at Our Sunday Visitor. Herzing, who worked for a decade in the Diocese of Charlotte in parish religious education, office management, and youth ministry, now helps parishes nationwide create vision plans to share the Gospel in the 21st century. She writes weekly for TransformYourParish.com.

After lunch, Benz will make a brief presentation on this year’s Annual Diocesan Appeal and distribute appeal packets.

At 1 p.m., breakout sessions will be offered by diocesan leaders on the following topics:

• Development and Stewardship, designed for pastors, principals, development directors, and stewardship councils;
• Finance, for anyone who works in finance at parishes or schools;
• Respect Life, for Natural Family Planning providers, parish representatives, and anyone interested in promoting a culture of life;
• Tribunal, for those who work in parish ministry with couples preparing for marriage or assisting individuals who have been divorced;
• Catholic Charities, for anyone interested in volunteering
• Vocations, for priests, ministry leaders, vocation committees, and all interest in having more priests and religious, and
• Evangelization and Faith Formation, for those involved in religious education, youth ministry, and young adult ministry.

There is no charge to attend or for lunch, but registration is required and can be done online at cdop.org/working-from-why.