GIVING at St. John’s starts with YOU!
Searching for meaning, belonging and life in God is a fundamental. Feeding your spiritual hunger can happen at St. John’s while using the gifts God has given you, to do the work God is calling you to do. We invite you to consider thinking about a way of giving back, through your talents and financial resources.
How can I share my gifts of time and talent? Time is a rare commodity for most of us. There are ministries at St. John’s that are available on a regular or a periodic basis - join one of our many committees (Choir, Altar Flowers, Altar Guild, Hospitality, Greeters, or Eucharistic Ministers) or perhaps a seasonal outreach project (see our Outreach page). If you have a gift to share or you would like to learn more about St. John’s ministries, the clergy and staff are here for you. Learn More.
How are your financial resources used? Parishioners fund the budgeted expenses: salaries for clergy and music director, building maintenance (utilities and grounds maintenance), program education, parish life (hospitality), outreach, insurance, liturgical supplies, etc. A budget detail may be found in our Annual Report, copies available in the Church office.
What is a Pledge? In the Episcopal Church we use the term pledge to mean an estimate of my weekly giving over the course of a year. A pledge helps the parish leadership (vestry) plan the budget. A pledge is personal and confidential. A pledge is an offering made to the church whether you are in worship or not. Ultimately, your pledge is to God. Read More
Why Should I Pledge? There are many reasons to pledge, of which the following may help you to determine whether to pledge or not:
It is an important part of your faith journey.
It is a promise to your faith community.
It is active witness.
It helps the vestry develop a more accurate plan for the church year.
It helps you by providing the necessary record of donations for a tax deduction.
How do parishioners know what to pledge? The Biblical standard of giving is the tithe or 10% of net income. A few parishioners tithe, but most do not. Most make a "proportional gift," meaning a proportion of your net income.
One parishioner once said this about her pledge, "It dawned on me that my weekly giving was less than I was spending on coffee and lunch out each week. I decided to change that."
Another parishioner once said this, "My pledge is the first check I write each week. It is another way of keeping God first in my life.
Pray and Begin. The best way to begin giving is to start. Please contact the Church office for a pledge card or go on line to pledge electronically. We hope you will feel good participating in this way. You will certainly bring strength to the ministries in which you are drawing hope and life. THANK YOU!