​​A Season of Stewardship || A Season of Gratitude
Strengthening Community
2024

​Welcome to The Church of the Good Shepherd's 2024 stewardship web page! This is a dynamic page and will be updated and refreshed regularly during our stewardship season. Please visit often!

​If you have any questions about this year's stewardship season, or any information presented on this page, please contact 
  • Esther Hall, Stewardship Chair
  • Any member of the Vestry
  • The Parish Office.

A Stewardship Prayer
O Lord, you have taught us that you will require much from those to whom much is given: Grant that we whom you have called to so goodly a heritage may share more abundantly with others what we so richly enjoy, and in serving them may know the glory of serving you. Amen. ​​

Stewardship Planning and Giving

Click the button below to submit your online pledge card
​Click the button below to submit your online pledge through your established Realm account
Please note: kindly submit your 2024 Annual Giving Estimate in one form only. 

Stewardship Messages

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​Read a Stewardship Message from the Rector
Hear Gerard McNeill's and Sharon Booth's Thoughts on Stewardship October 22, 2023
Read Lynn Hoke's Thoughts on Stewardship October 22, 2023
Hear Maggie Stoddard's Thoughts on Stewardship October 15, 2023
Hear James Joslin's Thoughts on Stewardship October 8, 2023

A Stewardship Prayer

Gracious and loving God, we understand that you call us
to be the stewards of your abundance, the caretakers
​of all you have entrusted to us. Help us always to use your gifts wisely and teach us to share them generously. May our faithful stewardship bear witness to the love of Christ in our lives. Amen.

Thinking about Stewardship
October 26th
Commitment Sunday, Oct. 29
Please be sure to bring your completed 2024 Annual Giving Estimate card with you to church. The cards will be collected, blessed, and offered to the glory of God during both the 8 and 10:15 services. 

​And be sure to enjoy the STEWardship lunch immediately following the 10:15 worship service. A beloved parish tradition: homemade delicious Brunswick stew as we enjoy fellowship and strengthen our community. 

October 19th
What Are We Raising Funds For? 
​Our goal is to generate financial commitments of $675,000: 
  • To increase the Director of Music role from 20 hours to 30 hours per week
  • To hire a half-time Associate Rector for Youth Ministry at 20 hours per week
The CGS budget has been carefully built to cover fundamental operating expenses and program expenses. Increased positions will be possible only if additional funds are realized through the generosity of your gift. Large or small, every gift is valued and appreciated as our strengthened community seeks to generate $675,000.
October 12th
The Church of the Good Shepherd strives to clearly exemplify and communicate the ways in which we utilize our resources towards the work of giving witness to God’s compassion, God’s justice and God’s transformative power. Stewardship is about getting involved – giving your time, sharing your gifts and talents, and supporting our church financially. Your involvement enables The Church of the Good Shepherd to do its work and ministry. 
Our 2023 Parish Budget:
  • $634,227 (81.2%)  Contributed income - annual giving commitments
  • $ 94,118 (12.0%)  Offerings - plate or online
  • $ 53,100 (6.8%)    Earned income - rentals

Our 2024 Annual Stewardship Goal: $675,000
Every gift is valued and appreciated as our strengthened community seeks to generate $675,000.

October 3rd
Faithful stewardship includes generous and abundant giving to those people and institutions that give witness to God’s compassion, God’s justice and God’s transformative power. The Church of the Good Shepherd strives to clearly exemplify and communicate the ways in which we utilize our resources towards this work. And we trust that we best accomplish it through the generous giving, not only of money, but also of time, skill sets, thoughtful opinion, prayerful discernment, and gracious leadership of our church members. For this reason, we believe that the Church of the Good Shepherd is a primary beneficiary of our members’ giving, though not necessarily the only one.
The Stewardship Committee works closely with the Vestry Finance Committee to receive and communicate the goals of the Annual Campaign and to articulate the importance and need to provide the resources necessary to keep our faith community strong and vibrant. Your financial commitment is critical as it allows the Finance Committee and Vestry to more accurately plan the budgets set aside for staffing, programming and upkeep of our historic church. 
​Each week during Stewardship month we will share budget details (income and expenses) and specifics on how contributions will be used in 2024. Every gift is valued and appreciated as our strengthened community seeks to generate $675,000.
September 28th
Stewardship begins with an understanding that everything we have comes from God. We are blessed in so many different ways by a God who is active in our own lives as well as scripture, history and all of creation. Grateful for the gifts, large and small, which God has given us, we are invited by God to respond to God’s grace by generously giving back, by sharing the gifts and blessings that have been bestowed upon us, and by caring for the world which God has entrusted to us.
Stewardship is about getting involved – giving your time, sharing your gifts and talents, and supporting our church financially. Your involvement enables the Church of the Good Shepherd to do its work and ministry. Our 2024 giving goal is $675,000. 

For more thoughts on stewardship, be sure to see 
​Giving Questions and Answers.

2024 Stewardship Season Calendar

​October 1           Stewardship Sermon: “The Risk and Joy of Living with Roommates” (I. Rhodenhiser)
                             Stewardship Event: Inaugural CGS Stewardship Magnet distribution, one per household

October 8           Stewardship Sermon: “A Framework for Freedom” (A. Phillips)
                             Stewardship Event: Blessing of the Animals on Capital Square at 4pm

October 15         Stewardship Sermon: “Where are you going, and how will you get there?” (N. Allison)
                             Stewardship Event: Community Hymn Sing with Cliff at 3pm

October 22         Stewardship Sermon: “Engaging and Interconnecting with God’s Beloved” (J. Allen)
                             Stewardship Event: Introducing this years CGS Stewardship Mug for first-time pledgers and those increasing their pledge                                  by 5% or more in 2024

October 29         COMMITMENT SUNDAY
                             Bringing our Pledge Cards to place in the Offertory Plate
                             Bishop Jennifer Brooke-Davidson preaching and confirming CGS members
                             CGS Brunswick Stew Lunch in Shepherd’s Hall following the 10:15 service
Did You Get Your Magnet?
Be sure to pick up an inaugural Good Shepherd stewardship magnet this week! Stick it on your fridge to serve as a daily reminder of our beloved community and our shared focus on strengthening it!
And Don't Forget Your Mug!
​These inaugural Good Shepherd stewardship mugs are available for first-time pledgers and those increasing their pledge by 5% or more in 2024!