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St. Mark's 2009 Giving Campaign
St. Mark’s is conducting its annual
Giving Campaign for 2009 during the months of October and early
November. The purpose of the Giving Campaign is to raise funds
for all the operating expenses and ministries of the church
for the 2009 calendar year.
The culmination of the campaign will be on Sunday, November
2, 2008, when all parishioners are asked to bring their pledge
cards in for a blessing either to the 8 am or 10:30 am service.
Letters were mailed out in October that include a pledge card
and a Ministry Profile. Please click on the information below,
if you are interested in looking over St. Mark’s Ministry
Profile and Initial 2009 Budget.
Click for a Pledge Card
Click for "Hokey Pokey"
- a reflection on giving by Greg Schreck
Reflections on Giving - by
The Rev. George Smith
The St. Mark’s Giving Campaign is now underway and will
ask for your financial support for the programs and ministries
of St. Mark's for the coming year. Whether or not you have pledged
or given money to St. Mark's in the past, now is a good time
to think about what it means to give in general and why and
how much to give to St. Mark’s.
It can be helpful to know what other people are doing. According
to a 1998 survey, the average American Christian contributes
2.9% of household income to charities. The median is much lower
at .62%. The statistics show that most American Christians give
either nothing or very little to their church or charities.
At St. Mark's, approximately half of our 300 member households
turned in a pledge card for 2008. The half that didn’t
pledge may make contributions at various times, often into the
plate that is passed at worship services. Among those who pledged,
the average is about $3,000. The median is $1,750. A mean that
is higher than the median means that there are several generous
givers who raise the average for everyone.
As you think about how much money to give to St. Mark's, I suggest
four angles to consider:
1) The practical: in order to balance our budget for 2009, we
need an average pledge of $3,500 from 170 households. This is
approximately $9.50 per day or $67 per week. As the number of
pledging households increases, these averages will decrease.
2) Biblical: there is no clear mandate in Scripture about how
much to pledge to an annual giving campaign. Through the centuries,
many people have looked to the references to "tithing"
as a guide. A tithe is simply 10% of something. In the book
of Deuteronomy for example, the Israelites were to “tithe”
or set aside a tenth of their yearly harvest for a festival
and to support orphans, the poor and the Temple priests. In
the New Testament, each of the Gospels records Jesus speaking
about money and giving. If fact, money is only second to the
Kingdom of Heaven in terms of the issues he talks most about.
Some of the familiar parables include the rich young man who
walks away from Jesus or Zacchaeus, the tax collector who promises
to give half of his money to the poor. The thread through all
of Jesus's teaching is clear: generosity and giving are an essential
expression of God's love and action in the world.
3) Theological: The triumph of Christian theology is the claim
of God as Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The essence
of the Trinity is an emanation of complete self-giving. The
Father gives of himself to the Son and the Holy Spirit, who
in turn give back to the Father and to each other. The Godhead
is an eternal process of giving that pours beyond itself and
into Creation and the World. As each human is made in the image
of God, we too, in our essence are made for giving. Giving is
the very core of our image, our DNA, and we are most human and
most like God when we give - give of our time, our talents and
our money. In other words, by giving, we are doing what we are
made for. It frees us, gives us joy and reveals our true identity.
However, from an early age, our giving impulse is curbed and
even destroyed through fear and a barrage of messages that imply
that happiness comes through consumption and accumulation of
material goods. Giving is counter-cultural and can be scary
and difficult, but with practice and purpose, it becomes a thing
of freedom and joy.
4. Contextual: As you consider your financial support for St.
Mark's, you need to ask yourself what St. Mark's means to you.
Is it important to you, either spiritually, socially or historically?
Do the ministries, programs and presence of St. Mark’s
make your life better in some way? Do you think St. Mark's is
a benefit to the community and to those beyond our town borders?
How much money do you spend on other aspects of your life, such
as coffee, a health club, vacations, magazines or your cell
phone? Can you image $5 or $10 per day going to St. Mark's?
Some have decided to give much more, as much as $60 per day.
Others give just a few dollars. The question is whether your
giving is in alignment with the rest of your life - spiritual,
material and social.
St. Mark's is blessed with a generous and giving congregation.
Thank you for taking the time to consider and reflect on the
way you make your giving decisions and priorities.
George
If you have misplaced your pledge card, please click
here or contact or stop by the office for another one. If
you are unable to attend the November 2 service, you may mail
or bring your pledge card to the church. Lastly, if you have
any questions you may contact Beth and Ted Figler at beth@figler.com,
Cindy and Paul Flynn at notnowkato@gmail.com, the Rev. George
Smith or the Rev. Katie Wright.
Click for St. Mark's 2009 Budget
Click for 2009 Narrative Budget
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