Stewardship

As Christians, we are called upon to make meaningful decisions about our philanthropy – challenging ourselves to make a difference in our community, our country and the world through stewardship.  At St. Mark’s, financial support for various ministries comes almost entirely from parishioner pledges. You have an opportunity to join with other members of your parish family to support God’s work locally through the Annual Pledge Drive. The amount you pledge should be based on your financial circumstances. Regardless of the amount, it will become an important part of the budget upon which St. Mark’s relies during the coming year.

Stewardship is the practice of giving thanks for all the blessings of this life; not just the material gifts, but also the spiritual gifts allowing us to fully experience God’s grace and fulfill our baptismal covenant.   We give thanks in a very practical way by committing a portion of our personal income towards the operating expenses of our church.  Persons new to the Episcopal faith may be surprised to learn there is no larger governing body of our church hierarchy similar to the Roman Catholic Church providing funding to individual churches.  Most income received by St. Mark’s comes from annual giving as part of our stewardship campaign conducted in the fall of each year, and to a smaller extent our endowment fund.

 

The Operating Budget

Making a financial commitment to St. Mark’s each year greatly assists us in forming our operating budget for the next calendar year.  The largest portion of our budget is allocated towards salaries and benefits for our clergy and staff, and they in turn bring their talents to bear in the form of worship leadership, pastoral care, Christian education, administration, and music for our weekly services throughout the year.  Other significant budget items include heating, electrical, and property maintenance for three buildings; the rectory, church and parish house.  A portion of our operating budget funds church leadership, education, parish growth, clergy support, and outreach through our diocese in Eastern Massachusetts, the US, and abroad.   All totaled our annual budget for 2009 exceeds $350,000.

 

Stewardship Process

Each fall, pledge cards are mailed to all households in our parish, requesting we prayerfully consider the ways which God has personally blessed us and given us all that we have.  We are stewards over all the personal resources we have acquired, and we are at the same time grateful and thankful for these blessings. 

The amount we personally decide to commit to St. Mark’s each year is written on the pledge card, and turned into the parish office directly or dropped into the collection plate during the stewardship campaign season.  Just prior to the beginning of the new calendar year, everyone who turns a pledge card in receives a small box of “giving” envelopes marked with a pledge number which you may use when placing cash or a personal check into the collection plate during our weekly worship service.  You may also decide to establish a weekly, monthly, or quarterly electronic debit transaction cycle resulting in funds being electronically prepared and mailed to St. Mark’s.  All amounts are collected and recorded through our parish office.  At the end of the calendar year, a giving statement is mailed to each household.  You may also contact our parish administrator any time throughout the year if you have a question about your pledge or amount given so far this year. 

 

Levels of Support

While we all continue to face uncertain times and may find it difficult to feel comfortable about committing a specific amount of our income towards charitable giving, it is always acceptable to change our financial commitment when personal circumstances mandate it.  However, starting each calendar year with a financial goal allows the important task of financial planning for the parish to proceed with greater confidence.
Deciding the appropriate level of financial commitment is entirely your decision.  Below is a guide to help determine the level of support you would like to consider.

Annual Income	1% - 2% of income	3%- 4% of income	5% - 10% of income
$25,000 or less	$250 - $500	$750 - $1,000	$1,250 -$2,500
$50,000	$500 - $1,000	$1,500 - $2,000	$2,500 - $5,000
$75,000	$750 - $1,500	$2,250 - $3,000	$3,750 - $7,500
$100,000	$1,000 - $2,000	$3,000 - $4,000	$5,000 - $10,000
$150,000	$1,500 - $3,000	$4,500 - $6,000	$7,500 - $15,000
$200,000 & Up	$2,000 - $4,000	$6,000 – 8,000	$10,000 - $20,000

 

Members who give generously of both their financial gifts as well as their gifts of time and talent frequently comment what an amazing sense of joy they experience knowing they are ensuring our parish remains very central to their Christian experience, the experience of being transformed by God.