The 11th annual Regional Stewardship Day Conference will be held on Saturday, April 28, in the historic southern city of Charleston, S.C. The conference will take place at the Embassy Suites Airport Convention Center. Pastors, pastoral administrators, associates, deacons, school principals, directors of religious education, parish and finance council members, stewardship committee members, youth and campus ministers, diocesan, parish and school staff are encouraged to attend.

Sponsored jointly by the Archdiocese of Atlanta and the dioceses of Charleston, Charlotte, Raleigh and Savannah, the conference is intended to be a source of new life for stewardship efforts all around the Southeast. The event will begin with a spiritual message from keynote speaker Father Dan Mahan, executive director of the O’Meara Ferguson Center for Catholic Stewardship at Marian University in Indianapolis, Ind. Father Mahan is an internationally known speaker on the topic of stewardship, having presented workshops and retreats to parishes and dioceses throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, the Philippines and China. He is the author of “More than Silver or Gold: Homilies of a Stewardship Priest.”

The day will commence at 8:30 a.m. with continental breakfast and registration and will conclude with Mass at 4:30 p.m.

Six breakout sessions, each offered twice, will cover a variety of topics, including several presenters from the Atlanta area. Representatives from St. Mary Magdalene Church in Newnan will share their stewardship journey from their humble beginnings to their current successes—a great “blueprint” for growing stewardship in a parish. Deacon Bill Hampton from St. Matthew Church in Tyrone will share his experience of “Growing an Engaged Church.”

For those promoting stewardship and looking for new ideas to keep the message fresh, Jim Kelley, director of development in the Diocese of Charlotte, will present a plethora of ways to “Keep Stewardship Alive.”

Hospitality is one of the characteristics of a stewardship parish. Margo Truett, pastoral associate at St. Anne Church in Columbus, will share hospitality strategies from welcoming the new parishioner to ongoing hospitality.

Hispanic Catholics make up the fastest growing population in the church in the Southeast. More than half of the parishes in the region have at least one Spanish Mass each weekend. Father Teofilo Trujillo, pastor of St. Mary Magdalene Church in Simpsonville, S.C., will speak on the topic of “Stewardship in Hispanic Culture.” He will do one session in English and the other in Spanish.

One of the best ways to educate parishioners about the various stewardship time and talent opportunities is through a ministry fair. St. Anne Church in Rock Hill, S.C., hosts a wonderful ministry fair each year; Pat Swoope will share their experiences of how to plan and execute a successful stewardship ministry fair.

Conference planners have structured this regional event to provide information and inspiration so that participants will return to their own parishes invigorated with a renewed emphasis on living and promoting stewardship and filled with new ideas for bringing the stewardship message home.

The Embassy Suites Hotel Airport Convention Center is located at 5055 International Boulevard, North Charleston, S.C.

Cost for the day is $40 preregistration or $50 at the door. Fee includes continental breakfast, conference materials, breaks and lunch.