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Stewardship at Christ Church
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I want to donate Stock?
Stock Gift Wire Instructions
What is stewardship?
A: At its most basic, it’s how we care for the gifts we have received from God. It means taking care of our environment, of other people and of ourselves. Stewardship is the wise and faithful use of our resources — our time, talents and treasure — all of which we believe have come to us from God. Stewardship is about community - everybody reaching everybody. It’s a kind of personal thanksgiving to God for all the gifts God has given us. During this fall stewardship effort, we’ll be focusing on treasure or committing to financially support God’s work at Christ Church through pledging.
Does my pledge really matter?
A: It most certainly does! To many people, it comes as a big surprise to discover that Christ Church is not a wealthy church. A Bronxville location, classic Gothic architecture, the power and beauty of our worship services, the ever-growing selection of classes and events all seem to say we’ve made it. But the truth is that Christ Church manages to maintain all this only through the giving of members like you — we rely on everybody. Unlike many mainline churches, we do not have a large endowment to fall back on in times of need. Almost 75% of our operating budget comes from pledges.
Why is it necessary for a canvasser to come to my home?
A: A personal visit from a canvasser helps build our parish community. It is a way to get to know each other, and offers a chance to talk about what’s happening at Christ Church – what we like and perhaps what we’re not excited about. Canvassing even gives the Church a chance to confirm your personal information and keep its records current. We hope you will welcome a canvasser to come by for a short visit (usually 10-15 minutes).
Will the person who calls on me know how much I pledge?
A: No. He or she will not know any details about your past or future pledges other than whether you have made a pledge in the past, and he or she will not ask you for a specific commitment. The role of the canvasser is to connect personally with every member of the Parish and to ensure that pledge cards are returned promptly.
Why is it necessary for the person who visits me to pick up my pledge card?
A: Getting all the pledge cards back promptly is critical to the success of the canvass. Each canvasser has committed to making sure that pledge cards are returned quickly, and to this end, the Stewardship Committee asks canvassers to pick up completed cards personally.
Where does it say we’re asked to give money?
A: In the Episcopal Church, giving is part of worship. The oblations (or offerings to God) at the Holy Eucharist are of bread, wine, water and money. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus talks about money more than any other subject, except the Kingdom of God. In many passages, the Bible makes it very clear that the decisions we make about money and possessions are spiritual decisions and affect, for good or ill, our relationship with God. In fact, the Bible addresses the issue of our finances over 600 times and there are 45 references to tithing (or giving the first 10% of our income — our first fruits as it says in Proverbs 3:9) to God. Tithing is a form of proportional giving.
What is Proportional Giving?
A: It is simply committing to give a specific percentage of your income to Christ Church.
While 10% (the Biblical tithe) of gross income is the goal, we recognize that you may not
feel called or equipped to tithe right now and Proportional Giving allows you to systematically work towards the tithe goal by starting at a lower percentage and increasing by 1% or more each year.
Why not just a flat sum?
A: Three reasons:
Because we think it’s important to focus intentionally on what you give as a portion of all you have received.
Second, with proportional giving it’s easier to see progress towards the 10% tithing goal as you increase your commitment each year.
Third, proportional giving has the built-in flexibility for any ups and downs in your personal situation.
Why is a pledge better than making a weekly donation in the offering?
A: Pledges account for the great majority of Christ Church’s operating income and the parish could not survive without them. Making your commitment at this time for next year (calendar 2006) enables the Church to establish a budget and determine the level of support for all our programs. Pledging is also a sign of our commitment to God and to the Parish.
How much should I pledge?
A: Only you can answer this question. The first and most important step is to pray for God’s guidance. The standard for giving from the Bible, the Church and the IRS is 10%, otherwise known as the tithe.
Tithing is returning to God 10% of our income as a way of expressing our joy and thanksgiving for all that the Lord has given to us. The Bible poses the question: How shall I repay the Lord for all the good things he has done for me? (Psalm 116:10).The Bible’s answer is for us to offer our very lives to the Lord and then to offer the tithe as a symbol, a sacrament of our commitment and a way of supporting God’s work being done with and through Christ Church. Everybody who commits to tithe has the same reaction: “I thought it was going to be lot harder!”
What will Christ Church’s budget be in 2006?
A: A preliminary budget will be established prior to the canvass, which the person calling on you would be happy to discuss. For 2005, our anticipated operating expenses total about $900,000 and we expect to run a substantial deficit (approximately $100K), as we have for the past several years. We are all excited by the growth we have experienced, but we need to increase pledges substantially just to maintain our current programs.