More Thoughts on Generous Giving

By Julie Lowe

A parishioner pulled me aside on Sunday to talk about stewardship. This person was surprised that only about 30% of our congregation pledge. It was a theme echoed during the Vestry Candidate Forum in response to a question about our church and these tough economic times. It is a fair question and one we struggle with even in good times.

A pledge to give to the church in the coming year is not a contractual agreement, and we don’t charge “dues” to belong to the Church of the Good Shepherd. But we do rely on the generosity of our parishioners to continue to worship Jesus Christ in this space and to spread God’s word through outreach, Christian education and the like. Bill Bennett put it well on Pledge Sunday when he asked the congregation to turn in a pledge card with “an estimate of your annual giving.” We fully understand that sometimes circumstances change, and, if that is the case, a pledge can be adjusted.

Many people give to “general offering” over the course of a year - that is, they put cash or a check in the alms basin on a regular basis. But a pledge to annual giving allows your church leadership to be good stewards of God’s gifts by being able to plan for the year ahead. There are many very real needs in running a church this size and with these facilities. By not having to worry about whether we can pay the electric bill next month, we can plan for other activities that allow us to live into the mission and ministry of Good Shepherd.

Yes, we are probably facing a weak economy in the coming months, and that makes some people reluctant to pledge because they don’t know what tomorrow will hold. But we hope that, if you are not currently pledging, you will prayerfully consider what the Church of the Good Shepherd means to you in your journey of faith and support us by making a pledge for your annual giving. That’s what our theme for annual giving is all about: Genuine Living, Generous Giving, God Experiencing! We live genuinely into the fact that all we have is a gift from God. We give generously for the building up of God’s kingdom. We experience God in all that we do. Won’t you join us?