Dear St. Mary's Family,

Every year as autumn rolls around, the church asks each of us to consider prayerfully our support of the parish’s mission in the coming calendar year with a pledge of our time, talent, and financial resources. 

From a spiritual perspective, pledging allows each of us to consider what is important in our lives. Pledging is an opportunity for each of us to thank God for the many blessings we’ve been given. The Stewardship Campaign is truly an invitation to join our community in dreaming the dreams that our faith calls us to realize at St. Mary’s.

From a practical perspective, the cost of operating and maintaining our historic building, staff salaries and benefits, and even decoration for regular services and special events and holidays, must be budgeted by the Vestry before the beginning of each year. These ‘debits’ are paid for through estimated ‘credits’ consisting of pledged income. While plate contributions from both members and guests are helpful and appreciated, it is pledged income from our members that provides the basis for the next year’s budget. This is why, practically speaking, pledging your financial contribution is critical. 

We also urge each of you to join the members of the Stewardship Campaign Committee and the Vestry in our “10% challenge.” Please consider a 10% increase of your 2018 pledge to our church as we aim to receive $157,000.00 in pledges for 2019.  You may fill out a pledge card at church, or pledge online by clicking here.

We believe that God is the source of all gifts, spiritual and material. Our faithful and grateful response is to be givers and creators ourselves. While we strive to be good stewards of all God’s gifts to us, we believe that the way we use our money reflects the state of our spiritual lives. It is our experience that joyful giving results in spiritual growth, and we urge each of you to give generously to the work of St. Mary’s.

Sincerely yours in Christ,
Virginia Murray and Isaac Petty
Co-chairs, Stewardship Campaign 
The 2020 Online Pledge Card can be found here.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
  • What is a pledge? A pledge is is an annual financial commitment to support the ministry we do at St. Mary's.
  • I put money in the offering plate. Isn't that sufficient? Of course, your financial support of any kind is much appreciated. The reason it's important to pledge is so that the Vestry and Staff know how much we can expect in income for 2019, and budget appropriately. It's not possible to plan a budget around plate income we cannot predict.
  • How much should I give? The Bible talks of a tithe, a holy standard of giving, which is 10% of what we have, given back to God. There are many at St. Mary's who give 10% or greater, and there are many who are also working toward that goal. Start giving at a level that feels hard but not impossible. Focus more on the percentage of your income rather than an amount. Stretching beyond where we think we can give often has the result of showing us that there is more than we thought.
  • What happens if I can't make my pledge? There is no penalty or shame. If your financial situation changes up or down, simply contact the church office and let us know.
  • It makes me uncomfortable when the clergy and others talk about money in church, especially when we have visitors. How long will this campaign last? It is our hope that we will achieve our goal of $157,000 in pledged income well before the campaign concludes on Sunday, November 4th. The sooner we achieve the goal, the sooner the campaign will end!
  • How does the church use my pledge information? The amount of your pledge is known only to the parish administrator and the priest. Your confidentiality is very important. We share ongoing statistics about how much has been pledged, and how much pledged income is received in our monthly financial statements. These are posted each month on the bulletin board in the parish hall.
  • How should I begin this process? Begin by praying for God’s guidance in your giving! When you encounter obstacles or resistance, don’t make yourself feel bad. Just add that to your prayers and let God’s grace help you through it. Contact the church. We’ll be happy to talk about these things with you without putting any pressure on you. It’s all about giving with joy and gratitude.