GIVING OVERVIEW

Together, St. John’s parishioners provide most of our annual budget through giving to the church. Without your generosity and gifts, St. John’s would not exist.

Our commitment to you is that the resources you invest in the work of the church will be put to thoughtful and prayerful use and enable the creation of good works that will have far-reaching benefits throughout our communities.

“You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.” 2 Corinthians 9:11 (ESV)

ANNUAL GIVING AND BUDGETING

St. John’s relies on your generosity to carry out its mission and ministries. Like other “non-profit” organizations, we ask you to consider making a pledge to share a portion of the gifts God has given you to support our work to carry out God’s mission on earth. Many folks use “church envelopes” provided by the church to keep track of their pledges, putting in cash or checks before placing them in the offertory plate on Sunday during worship. But there is no reason why you shouldn’t consider setting up St. John’s on your Bill Pay account. Or, if your bank gives you the option of payments via Zelle, that can work as well. This has the dual benefit of providing a reliable stream of income to the church (if you miss attending one Sunday), and it gives you a chance to use the “offertory time” during the service to offer other gifts - of prayer, of contemplation, of service. If you have made a pledge and need guidance regarding the use of Zelle or Bill Pay, please contact the treasurer of St. John’s at treasurer@stjohns-northhaven.org.

What’s the difference between making a “pledge”, and just “giving”? A pledge is a promise to give a certain amount to the church, either weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually. Our annual budgeting is based on these promises, which is why we ask for annual commitments every year from parishioners. We recognize that circumstances may change during the year and you may need to adjust your pledge. This is part of the budgeting process as well. But we rely on thoughtful, faithful, careful giving throughout the year to run programs, pay salaries, and maintain our community spaces. Giving without making a pledge is always welcome, of course, but it makes it more difficult to be good stewards of the monies entrusted to us.

What should I consider when making a gift?

Pray. We are part of the St. John’s community because of our love and commitment to Jesus Christ, and to following Jesus’s way of love. Ask God to guide you in your generosity.

Your life’s blessings. Your commitment and generosity should be given with gratitude and joy for all we’ve received in our lives, and with knowledge that generosity gives life. Giving allows us to share our blessings more broadly than we can do on our own.

Why is St. John’s important to you? Is it our worship, our liturgy, our presence in the community? Is it the comfort and blessing you both give and receive in being in a community of faith? Is it our music, our prayers, our laughter together?

Why give first to St. John’s and not another “charity”? We all give to worthy causes and trust the work they will do through our giving. As your spiritual home, what you give at St. John’s empowers you and others to do work in God’s name. Your generous and regular commitment to St. John’s is a statement that our ministry is received from generations in the past and will continue long past our own lives.

Challenge yourself. Making a pledge commitment and giving is about trusting that God will take care of us. Explore deeply what you need, and how you can be of service to others. Say yes to taking risks for God.

Every pledge and gift matters. St. John’s does not receive funds from any source other than our life together. Local congregations fund the Diocese Episcopal Church in Connecticut | ECCT (episcopalct.org) and the Episcopal Church www.episcopalchurch.org, not the other way around (which is a common misperception). Every gift you give matters, and will be used to share the love of God.

If you’re interested in making a pledge, please use the button below or contact the treasurer of St. John’s at treasurer@stjohns-northhaven.org.

MEMORIAL GIFTS

Memorial Gifts are one-time gifts, given in memory or honor of a loved one, often after their death. Memorial gifts can be designated for a specific purpose or at the discretion of the clergy and/or vestry.

Some memorial gifts are given to the endowment of the church. Endowed funds are invested prudently to add to their value, and then used for large, capital projects such as repairing the steeple, maintaining the organ, or other such projects.

If you’re interested in making a memorial gift, please contact the treasurer of St. John’s at treasurer@stjohns-northhaven.org.