Giving

A Spiritual Guide to Giving

Why should you make an annual financial commitment—a pledge—to St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church?

First, making a financial commitment to St. Patrick’s is making a commitment to God. You see, pledging is a powerful spiritual practice – it is a material acknowledgement that all we have comes from God, from the air that we breathe to the money in our bank account.


We live in a consumer society that has a disposable mindset. A couple of years ago, I bought a car. Not six months later, the dealership started calling me to see if I wanted to trade it in. They considered my car purchase as a short-term transaction, instead of a long-term commitment.


A pledge to your church should be something more. A pledge should be a thoughtful, intentional, and longer-term decision that represents your values and commitment to God. Another way to say it is that a pledge is a vow, a sacred vow to support and participate in the worship and ministry of your faith community.


Second, making a financial pledge to St. Patrick’s has profound material effects on the mission of the Church. Because of the gifts we make to God through St. Pat’s, kids get to meet Jesus for the first time through Sunday School, Youth Group, and Vacation Bible School. We are able to have inspiring worship with glorious music and spirit-filled preaching in a comfortable climate-controlled worship space. We welcome people into the Body of Christ through baptism and confirmation, bind people together though marriage ceremonies, and bury loved ones with dignity and sacredness.



Because of our financial commitment, the Christian community is fed in body, mind, and spirit. Simply put, the Kingdom of God is grown through the blessed support of our giving. St. Patrick’s is able to do all of God’s work because of your pledge.

How Should I Calculate My Pledge?

There are as many ways to calculate a financial commitment to God as there are people in the pews. You might have heard the word “tithe,” which means giving ten percent of your income annually. Tithing has frequently been taught as the biblical standard, or minimum, of giving. This isn’t a bad method of calculating a pledge, and it might be the right answer for you at this time. However, there isn’t a lot of evidence that tithing was routinely practiced in the Old Testament or in the new Christian communities of the New Testament. Indeed, the expectations were quite a bit higher in the early Christian communities, just check out Acts 4:32-5:11.


Furthermore, 10% of your income might be too much for you. Making a financial commitment to God should be an act of gratitude and thanksgiving that fosters flourishing. It is not to be a financial burden. Consequently, there are situations when giving 10% of your income would hinder rather than enhance. On the other hand, 10% might be too little. Most of us live far more extravagantly than the people we read about in scripture. In some cases, limiting our giving to 10% would not be an act of faith nor would we be doing as much good as we could with the wealth we have been given.



So, how should we calculate our pledges? Early in our marriage, Jodie and I pledged an annual giving amount equal to our monthly house payment. We did this because we wanted to be as invested in the kingdom of God as we were invested in this earthly plane. So, if you have never pledged before, I recommend this as a starting point.

Eventually we were able to give more. We set forth on a path to become “tithers.” We did this incrementally over a few years. If this method intrigues you, see the chart below for how different percentages of income equate to different monthly amounts of giving at different incomes.

Endowment Fund

Leaving A Lasting Legacy

Welcome to St. Patrick’s Endowment Fund.  Created with a vision for the future, our endowment serves as a financially sustainable and stable support mechanism to invest behind our ongoing mission and vision.  Through the generosity of our members, we aim to build a lasting legacy that will make a difference in our community.

History and Purpose

God is at work, and God is eternal.  Yet we are not.  How do we continue God’s work in the long term beyond just our time here? 



Established in 2013, the Endowment Fund has grown steadily over the past few years.  While it is still relatively modest in size (just over $100,000), over time it will enable us to continue to expand our ministries, and support our outreach programs.


The primary purpose of this fund is to provide the financial support for unique education and outreach activities that are beyond those typically included in the parish’s annual operating budget.  Gifting to the fund represents a secondary purpose—a means by which members and friends of St. Patrick’s can exercise their Christian stewardship responsibility.

Benefits and Fund Management

Investing in St. Patrick’s Endowment Fund offers numerous benefits:


  • Financial Stability:  A steady source of income that provides financial security and stability for our parish.
  • Program Support:  Funds to enhance educational and outreach programs, beyond what is available in our annual budget.
  • Future Planning:  The ability to invest in long-term projects and initiatives that align with the stated Endowment guidelines.


Our endowment fund is professionally managed and carefully invested to maximize long-term growth while preserving capital.  The Endowment Committee, selected by the Vestry, meets quarterly, ensuring  alignment with the values and financial objectives as stated in the by-laws that govern this committee.  With a diversified investment strategy, the goal is to produce consistent returns that benefit St. Patrick’s and the wider community.


How to Contribute

There are several ways to contribute to St. Patrick’s Endowment Fund:


  • One-Time Gifts:  Make a one-time donation to support our ongoing efforts and initiatives.
  • Recurring Donations:  Set up a recurring donation to provide consistent support throughout the year.
  • Planned Giving.  Explore legacy options such as bequests, charitable trusts, and gift annuities, to leave a lasting impact on St. Patrick’s. 


Remember St. Patrick’s Endowment Fund in your will and trusts.

Helpful Tips on How to Give

Setting Up Gifts

Use this guide to set up a gift through Realm.

Download Here

Updating Gifts in Realm

Use this guide to make any changes to your scheduled payments.

Download Here

Updating Payments in Realm.

This guide is helpful for updating payment methods.

Download Here

UTO

The United Thank Offering (UTO) is a ministry of The Episcopal Church for the mission of the whole church. Through UTO, individuals are invited to embrace and deepen a personal daily spiritual discipline of gratitude. UTO encourages people to notice the good things that happen each day, give thanks to God for those blessings and make an offering for each blessing using a UTO Blue Box. UTO is entrusted to receive the offerings, and to distribute the 100% of what is collected to support innovative mission and ministry throughout The Episcopal Church and Provinces of the Anglican Communion.

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