How much should I give?

In the Bible and throughout the history of the Christian Church, there is a strong tradition of Christians responding to the gifts that God has given them by giving financial gifts to the church that require significant sacrifice.  Sometimes, a tithe (10% of our income) is lifted up as the marker of significant giving.  However, most of the Bible avoids this kind of one-size-fits-all prescription for giving.   In fact, most of the Biblical examples of faithful giving far exceed the 10% mark.  The ten percent marker is a helpful marker.  However, use of a simple financial formula can omit fundamental aspects of faithful giving.  Our decisions about giving should grow out of our relationship with God and this should result in more variability than expecting everyone to give the same percentage.  Must of us have ample financial resources to meet our basic needs.   Most of us can give at least 10 percent of our earnings to the church without ever being in danger of not meeting our basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter.   But, we may need to make major sacrifices to give at least ten percent of our earnings to the church.   We will not be able to buy some things that we want, like a new car, a European Vacation, a bigger home, or four weeks at an expensive private summer camp for our children.  Most of us acknowledge that it would be a good thing if we gave at least ten percent of our earnings to the church.  Most of us recognize that our church should be a major priority in our life.  Therefore, we should make generous gifts of time and money to the church.   The real question for most of us is: Are we willing to overcome the fear and put forth the energy to develop a plan to make the necessary sacrifices?   With God’s help and the help of our Christian brothers and sisters, we can!  If this is a difficult issue for you, don’t be afraid to talk about it with people that you trust and respect.  Ask them how they have dealt with this issue.  Let them know what support you need from them.  Make sacrifices that reflect your beliefs about the importance of the church in your life and the importance of being in ministry to others.

What do I do if I’m uncertain about my income for the coming year or I do not expect to make equal payments on my pledge each month?

We recognize that some persons have income that varies greatly from year to year or from month to month.  When faced with this situation, some respond by basing their giving on a very conservative estimate of their income.  They prefer to notify the church that they will be giving more than they pledged rather than notify the church about the need to lower their pledge.  We certainly respect these feelings and this way of approaching a pledge.

However, you probably serve your church best by including more detailed information with your pledge.  For example, “My salary varies greatly depending on the economy.  I expect to have income to support a pledge of at least $150 per week.  I would like this amount entered as my official pledge.  However, my best estimate is that I will have income to support a $300 per week pledge.  I will send a quarterly note to the church financial office updating this information.”

The church Finance Committee must also deal with cash flow issues, because some persons do not make equal payments toward their pledge each month.  The expenses of the church can also vary significantly from month to month.  For example, our utility bills rise in the summer at the same time that pledge payments often are less consistent. 

Some persons receive a large portion of their income in quarterly or annual commission payments.  If you expect to make unequal payments, it is helpful to include this information with your pledge.  For example, “My family is pledging $9,000 for the year.  We expect the payment schedule to be $400 per month for January through November.  At the end of the year, we will make a payment of $4200.”

Imagine that you are a member of the church Finance Committee.  This kind of information enhances your ability to make prudent financial decisions!

Is my pledge confidential?

Yes.  Access is only granted to persons who must have this information.  Currently, the only person that accesses this information is our Office Administrator, Jennifer Evans.  Jennifer serves as secretary to the Finance Committee as part of her staff position. Our Senior Pastor, Kathleen Baskin-Ball and Business Administrator, Steve Wagner, also have access to this information, but they typically do not exercise this right.  Part of Steve’s staff position is to serve as Finance Committee Treasurer.  Information about pledges is provided to the Finance and Stewardship Committee without including personal information.  At the conclusion of a Stewardship Drive, a team of church members is asked to call a list of members who have not turned in pledges and encourage that they do so as soon as possible.   However, the persons making the calls do not receive any information about the pledge amounts of specific persons.