A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. Proverbs 11:25
Thank you to all of you who have submitted pledges. Even though a pledge is not a contract, it still gives Session a promising idea of what folks intend. This allows Session to be realistic in their planning of a budget for the new year. We do plan on and receive loose offering through the year, but without knowing someone’s intentions, it is harder to guess how much to allot for that. So, if you have not already done it, please prayerfully consider submitting a pledge. We would really like to put our faith into action here at Christ Our Anchor!
Offering
A financial offering will be collected to support the mission and ministry of the church. Offering envelopes are available (in the Red Pew Books) for your use: please add your name and phone number and place in the collection plates. We will keep a record of your gifts for tax purposes at the end of the year. Every gift is important. and using the envelope allows us to thank you, and give you credit for your generosity.
Some reasons you might consider making a financial pledge to Christ Our Anchor
… Pledging can indicate a commitment to a growing relationship to God, the Church (particularly COA) and its future; you help us thrive. It can provide a sense of ownership as well as a responsibility to COA.
… Pledging, and the quarterly giving statements, allows you to better manage your budget and keep track of what you give to the church. The documentation it provides makes it easier to claim your charitable giving tax deduction with IRS.
… Someone said Christian stewardship is everything we do after we say we believe. Financial commitment is one aspect of stewardship. It is one way to connect your life to the Church.
…Pledging allows Session to develop a realistic annual budget based on the total amount of income we expect to receive the next year (based mostly on pledges)
… Pledging allows you to reflect on the gifts God has given you and to show your thanks to God, the Church and your blessings.
… Pledges are not contracts; if your situation changes you can stop or modify your pledge at any time without any need to explain. Pledges to COA can be of any dollar amount.
… Pledging supports salaries, buildings, programs and the greater vision of the church; it allows us to begin to carry out the work which Christ has commanded us to do in the world. If enough dollars come in in pledges, we might even have money looking for a mission!
… Pledges can be paid as you wish: yearly, quarterly, monthly, weekly to best fit your personal financial plan; they can be put into the collection plate or mailed in to the church thus allowing COA’s work to continue even when you might be absent.
… Pledging is quite private; only a few people within COA know what anyone commits to and the information is kept confidential.
… If you haven’t been pledging, consider pledging just a portion of what you plan to give to COA if that makes you more comfortable or you want to leave room for other financial giving opportunities. Even $1 a week means there is $52 more that can be parsed into the annual budget.
Won’t you help COA connect the dots from your faith to financial giving by pledging this year?
What is Christian Stewardship in Modern Times?
Stewardship, evangelism and ministry are extremely interconnected ideas that often make the modern Christian feel a little uncomfortable. The word stewardship comes from the Greek word oikenomous, which means somebody who manages a household. A person doesn’t own the household but manages it. The resources of the household are not the stewards but are managed by him/her.
We understand the concept of management in the secular world where we make decisions about the uses of money, employee time and talents, saving, investing, growth and so much more. Christian stewardship can be explained in many of these business terms where the business of the Christian (evangelism) is easier to envision.
When we pledge financial support of our church – a commitment to give a predetermined amount over the course of one year – we are investing in the “business” of God on the earth. We provide the financial support which allows the Pastor and other important staff to concentrate on God’s work and worship. We make sure that the place of worship is honored and attractive – an outward statement of the importance we place on our corporate worship. We also invest in the materials to ensure a strong Christian Education program for all ages, small group opportunities, and outreach (evangelism) activities to invite and engage our neighbors who have no church home. Finally, we support mission and service outreach (ministry) to make our community and world a better place.
God blesses us with unique talents and asks us to be good stewards of the time and use of those talents for Him. The church needs many different types of talents to thrive so every single one of us has some talent we can volunteer towards the efforts of the Church on God’s behalf. We can’t have a strong Christian education program without teachers and aides; we can’t govern the church without leaders/elders; we can’t support the pastoral efforts of the church without deacons; we need volunteers with every type of gift to support local and world mission which takes many different talents; and the list goes on and on! God guarantees that we ALL have a talent to share in His church and ministry.
God has given us the freedom to choose or manage our lives, our time, our talents and our treasure. He has also provided guidance about the importance of placing our commitment to Him at the very top of our list. God knows our hearts and our intentions and circumstances. He knows that there will be times when we can give more of our time and talents and other times when we can give more of our treasure. Seek His will first as you look at your connection and commitment at Christ Our Anchor Presbyterian Church and He will guide you in making the choices that will allow both you and COA to grow and move forward on the very special faith journey that God has planned for you!