Each year during the fall, we enter into a season of stewardship, which means the Budget for 2021 is prepared and presented to the congregation. Once the 2021 Budget is presented to the congregation, we have Pledge Sunday, where each of us has the opportunity to prepare and present our pledge to the congregation. Pledge Sunday will be on October 4.
Before October 4, the Stewardship Committee and the Deacons will approve and present a Preliminary Budget. After Pledge Sunday, the Stewardship Committee will make any further changes to the Budget, which might be necessary, based on the information gained about giving.
Pledge Sunday is an important opportunity to express our commitment to the church. A pledge helps the Stewardship Committee create a plan for the next year, but it is not the only way to make a commitment to the church. Each year, we have faithful members, who give to the ministry of the church regularly and routinely, but they do not fill out an Estimate of Giving card. If making a pledge is helpful to you, we invite you to fill out an Estimate of Giving card; but if it is not, we are thankful for your gifts.
A season of stewardship allows us to reflect on our thanksgiving and rediscover the joy of giving! We are thankful for the many ways the church has continued its ministry this year. We continue to care for one another, while serving the community beyond our walls. We are grateful for the gifts of the congregation, which make this ministry possible.
The joy we discover in giving is the joy of God’s grace! God’s generosity informs our giving. We give because we have received. We offer our gifts, talents, and time as a way to offer God’s love to others.
We are thankful for the gifts of the congregation, as our giving is a shared commitment. We give thanks for one another and the opportunity to share God’s grace with others.
-Tripp