Good Shepherd Sharing Our Blessings

We invite all parishioners to participate in our current stewardship campaign by making a pledge to the 2012 operating budget.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Annual Stewardship Pledge

Q. What is Stewardship?
A. Stewardship is all that I do, with all that I have, after I say, "I believe". Christian stewardship is a transformational way of living, understanding that God is the source of all life and that we are entrusted as stewards of God's world. It rests on the belief that an abundant and generous God provides us with all that we truly need.


Q. What is Stewardship NOT?
A. Stewardship is not fundraising, charity or philanthropy. While all of those have useful purposes in society, they assume that donors "own" the goods and services they donate. Stewardship recognizes that all of our gifts (both physical and personal talents) stem from God, and that Christians are simply "giving back" some of what has been bestowed upon them by God.

Q. Why is my pledge important to Good Shepherd?
A. A pledge to Good Shepherd allows the church to meet its financial obligations to carry out its mission. Pledging is the primary source of revenue for the church and is a crucial element of creating our annual budget. The annual stewardship pledge accounts for 90% of our total receipts each year. Other sources of income come from plate offerings, use of buildings and grounds, fundraising (grocery coupons, etc.), and interest/dividends.

Q. How much should I pledge?
A. The spiritual discipline of giving pays no heed to how much you give, only to how much of what you have you give. The Episcopal Church has adopted the tithe, one tenth of your income, as the standard of giving. This is the scripture-based admonition to give 10% of your time, treasure and talents in support of the church. In reality though, only a small percent of our parishioners actually tithe. Many have, however, made a commitment to work toward tithing by starting with a percentage they felt manageable and increasing it over time.

Q. What is the average pledge at Good Shepherd?
A. The average pledge for our parish currently is $2,109. This amount is derived by taking the total amount pledged divided by the number of pledges.

Q. Can I practice stewardship without pledging - by just putting money in the plate?
A. Of course any money received, whether by pledge or plate offering, will benefit Good Shepherd. But, by making a pledge, not only are you making a stewardship commitment, you are also helping the church to practice good stewardship. Pledges give us an idea of the financial resources we will have to carry out our mission and enables purposeful decision making when creating the annual budget.

Q. What happens if I can't meet my pledge?
A. There are no "penalties", financial or otherwise, for not fulfilling your pledge. Of course, since our budget is based in large part on pledges, not meeting them may cause a shortfall in revenue and in turn it could cause a change in our spending plan. For this reason, we should set our pledge so that we have a realistic expectation we can give the amount that has been pledged. In the event that your circumstances change which causes you to be unable to meet your pledge, we encourage you to contact our clergy, not only to inform us of the need to revise your pledge, but also to receive pastoral care and support.

Q. Who has access to my pledge information?
A. The amount of your pledge is private and as a result, few individuals have access to pledge information. Only the Treasurer, the Bookkeeper, and the Rector have details of all the pledges.

Q. Can I automatically transfer funds directly from my bank each month to make my pledge to Good Shepherd?
A. Yes, this can be done through your bank's website under the bill pay section. Simply set up Good Shepherd like any other account, but without an account number. Then set up an automatic payment once a month corresponding to your pledge amount. Each month at the chosen time/day, the bank will automatically write and send a check to the church. Then let Marjie Rogers, the Good Shepherd pledge administrator, know that your pledge will be sent automatically.

Q. Who can I contact for personal help or information about pledging?
A. If you have a question of a mission or finance nature, please contact a vestry member, our Treasurer, Mark Dunlap, or the Chair of the Finance Committee, Pete Roden. If you are seeking answers to a theological question or have a pastoral need, you are encouraged to contact Fr. Craig MacColl.