“All things work together for good, for those who love God,
for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28
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Play "Name That Hymn" with Pati Cunningham as we await the kick off our Annual Member Canvas for the 2024 Pledge Season
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Pam Fitzgerald introduces this year's Annual Member Canvas during announcements on September 17, 2023
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With Generous Hearts:
A Guide To Giving At Emmanuel
What Is Stewardship?Stewardship begins not with a campaign, strategy, or plan. It is not rooted in the nuts and bolts of running a church. Stewardship begins with our awareness of God's abundance and our response. Being grateful and responsible stewards of the gifts we receive from God is at the heart of stewardship. It is about reaching out to build relationships and to serve God from a perspective of abundance instead of scarcity.
Each Fall, Emmanuel Greenwood solicits financial pledges for the coming year. Pledges allow the church to more effectively plan and budget for the coming year. Whatever your commitment, it is important to return a pledge card for our records and planning purposes. As faithful Christians we contribute our treasure, our time, and our talents to serving others and sharing God’s love. Our Ministry Guide page outlines many ways you might serve our church or the larger community. What Is A Pledge?A pledge is a commitment to give a certain amount of money to help the Emmanuel community sustain and grow. You are welcome here, and your pledge helps us extend that welcome to others. Annual pledges and the Sunday offerings are the main source of funding for Emmanuel's operating expenses.
Why Should I Pledge?Pledging is about your relationship with God and Emmanuel. Pledging to Emmanuel is different from financial contributions you might make to your alma mater or charitable organizations. A pledge acknowledges that everything we have comes from God. It allows you to share your many blessings while simultaneously furthering God’s mission of love and compassion in the world. Pledging gives you an opportunity to put your faith in action and deepen your connection with God.
Practically speaking, a pledge lets you plan your charitable giving for the year and makes tax accounting easier. In addition, pledging benefits Emmanuel greatly. The church depends upon your financial contributions, in addition to your commitment and participation in other parish activities, to do its work and ministry. Making a pledge enables our vestry to better plan how to use our resources. The Vestry establishes an annual budget based upon the total amount pledged to the church. While regular non-pledged giving is important, a pledge helps the Vestry plan more accurately and better enables our ministries to thrive and grow. How Do I Pledge?Pledge cards will be mailed. You may fill one out and return it to the church, either by mail; by placing it in the offering plate during worship services; or by delivering it to the Church office. You may also fill out a pledge form online if you prefer at this link.
How Do I Fulfill My Pledge?Returning your pledge card represents your promise to make a financial contribution to Emmanuel Episcopal. You may pay your pledge on any schedule that suits your needs: weekly, monthly, quarterly, or in one annual payment.
Direct Giving You can support the ministry of Emmanuel Episcopal by placing cash or checks in the offering plate during Sunday services, or by mailing checks, made out to “Emmanuel Episcopal” to the Emmanuel Episcopal Church, PO Box 38, Greenwood, VA 22943. Once you have pledged you will be given the option to receive envelopes to use in the offering plate. Contact the church office if you need envelopes. Automatic Giving Through Your Bank Schedule your monthly pledge via the online bill pay services at your bank. You can add Emmanuel as an account and schedule automated payments. Please contact your bank directly for more information. Be sure to give the mailing address to the bank: Emmanuel Episcopal Church, PO Box 38, Greenwood, VA 22943. Online Through VANCO This link will take you to our convenient new online giving page where you can schedule bank drafts from your account or pay by credit card. We have partnered with Vanco to provide a safe and secure online giving option for our parishioners. Stock, Securities, IRA Accounts and Donor Advised Funds You can receive tax benefits with a gift of appreciated stock. For more information, call your personal financial advisor. The Emmanuel Episcopal Church gift account is at D.A. Davidson, DTC # is 0361, account number is 1539-5841. Please direct broker to furnish your name so the church can give you proper credit. If you are 70-1⁄2 and have a traditional IRA, an IRA charitable transfer may be a good choice. You may transfer up to $100,000 annually directly from your IRA tax-free. For details, consult your financial advisor or call our office. Emmanuel can provide you a sample letter to send to the plan administrator. If you have a donor advised fund (DAF), you recommend grants to charity from your DAF. Please let us know that you will use your DAF to makes gifts unless you wish to remain anonymous. Matching Gifts Check with your employer. Some employers match contributions to charitable organizations. This benefit may double your gift. Emmanuel Episcopal Church, PO Box 38, Greenwood, VA 22943 Federal Tax ID: 54-1349792 How Much Should I Pledge?Because pledging is about your relationship with God and Emmanuel, your pledge should be made thoughtfully and deliberately.
Proportional giving is based on the premise that the first fruits are given back to God in grateful response to what God has given us. It refers to a conscious effort to determine an appropriate level of giving. Each parishioner is asked to consider making an annual pledge in proportion to income, moving toward the Biblical norm of a “tithe” – 10%. Not many of us can begin giving at that level, but all of us can begin with a percentage, a proportional gift, and move toward the tithe. All pledges are accepted with deep gratitude and recognition of the sacrifices each of us makes in our lives. If you have not pledged before, please give serious thought to making a pledge this year. If you are among the many generous-hearted people who have pledged before, please consider the possibility of raising your pledge as a way to further support Emmanuel. If you have any questions about Stewardship or making a pledge, please feel free to call the church office or the chair of our Stewardship Committee. They would be happy to speak with you and answer any questions you might have. |
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