And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And all ate and were filled. What was left over was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces. Luke 9:16-17, NRSV
Dear Friends of Saints James and Andrew, Leading the annual fall giving campaign is never easy, but it has its rewards. One of those is to witness the power of how our gifts fund the mission and ministry of our church in the community. Because of you, we can share our message of love, joy, hope and healing with many, and this is the greatest gift! As the stewardship chairperson, it falls on me to talk about wealth. Each household has had a different financial experience of the pandemic, and this year’s turbulent market and inflation have been rough on all of us. Even so, I am inspired by the ways you made and continued to make your financial gifts to sustain our ministry. This year, our giving theme is More Than Enough, and it comes from the end of Luke’s version of the feeding of the five thousand. Responding to Jesus’ call, the gathered crowd turns their pockets inside out, shakes out their blankets, and rummages through their parcels to find enough to take care of the needs of the community. And what do they realize? That by the miracle of faith and the action of Love, there was more than enough, an abundance of leftovers! Our fall campaign is like that ancient story: each of us contributing what we can provide; enough – enough to fund our operations and an abundance more to take care of our neighbors and plan for the future. Every gift is a miracle, a chance to change the world. And every gift is Love, the kind of love that protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. How many more lives can we change? How many more stories can we rewrite? Thank you for all that you do for Saints James and Andrew and the world. Today I am asking you to consider what you will pledge to our community in the coming year to sustain our ministry and serve our neighbors. Every gift of wealth, works and wisdom goes toward our ministry and mission, and yours is vital to us. I ask that you pray with us as we launch our annual gathering of gifts and gratitude, and consider how you will contribute your gift of wealth. In the spirit of love, Diane Kurkulonis, Stewardship Chairperson When you think about the future, do you automatically picture Saints James and Andrew (SsJA) as the same thriving community of faith it is today? Does it continue on after you are gone? If our yearly pledge of support ends when we die, what keeps SsJA going apart from new membership? One important way to ensure the future of SsJA is to plan a gift that can be accessed after you are gone. Much like you care for the well being of your children by making them beneficiaries of your estate, you can provide for SsJA by adding us to your estate planning, leaving a legacy of financial support for generations. How great would it be to insure the survival of our outreach ministries? What would it mean to not only ensure the future of your children but also of your beloved church family?
What is legacy giving? In a nutshell, planned or legacy giving is a donor's intention to contribute a major gift to an organization, beyond their lifetime. So, unlike an annual gift (an outright gift made for current use), a planned gift is for the future. Essentially, you can make arrangements for planned gifts in the present but they are actually doled out at a later date. Additionally, the major gifts contributed by you can be made as a part of your financial or estate plans. So by definition, planned giving is not limited by your current wealth. Unlike the value of what you contribute on a recurring basis, planned giving enables you to contribute gifts that you wouldn’t ordinarily be able to make. The gifts donated end up being larger and aren’t dependent on one’s regular income. That’s why most planned gifts take the form of a beneficiary designation, life insurance, equity, or real estate holdings (among others). Thus, even if you consistently contributed small gifts, your planned gifts can be of a much higher value. Planned gifts offer the donor the satisfaction of giving a legacy of philanthropic support to an organization close to their heart. Planned gifts are not always realized immediately; therefore, your gift can help ensure the future health of the organization. Oftentimes it is not possible to give an organization a large direct gift. Planned gifts allow the opportunity to support your charitable organization in a meaningful way without giving a large outright gift. Planned gifts can also offer substantial tax savings, reduce income tax and avoid capital gains tax. Giving a planned gift allows part of your estate to avoid the expensive and sometimes arduous probate process. Through planned giving, you can leave a legacy behind after you pass. Whether leaving a bequest as a tribute to a family member or creating a legacy for your faith community to continue its good work, you can make a lasting impact on a cause that’s important to you. At James and Andrew, we can offer you several ways to make a planned gift. We have welcomed Princy Stotz to the Stewardship Team as our Legacy Giving Advisor; she is knowledgeable about planned giving options and so can answer questions and make your planning even easier. The team has also been busy creating a new informational brochure for your use when you are ready to start planning for the future. We hope you will take a look at our brochure and call on Princy to explain in more detail the exciting ways we have available to keep The Episcopal Church of Saints James and Andrew in the lives of our families and friends for many years to come. Diane Kurkulonis, Stewardship Chair Princy Stotz, Con Trowbridge, Erica Burns, Elizabeth Keitel, Stewardship Team “Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above…” James 1:17, NRSV Dear Friends of Saints James and Andrew, Every message about our pledge campaign begins with Gratitude, and I am pleased to continue the message you have received from our clergy recently as we focus on our annual pledge campaign. Our theme this year, Every Perfect Gift, highlights all the ways in which we have been blessed by God and how that inspires us to give back to our neighbors, our church, and the world. In my message to you, I want to focus on our gifts of Treasure, the financial gifts that we make to our community to support our mission. This year has been so different from other years in terms of what has been asked of us as individuals and as a community. I want you to know, because I have heard your stories and walked along side you this year, that I know some of us are struggling with finances, with isolation, with uncertainty. Over and over again, I learn that it is the God we encounter at our church and Jesus who we follow by recognizing him in each other, that keep us together, that provide the consistency in a shifting world. Every dollar that we raise has a face behind it, a story, a purpose, a mission! We use our financial gifts to serve God, to care for each other, and to show our love for our neighbors. What greater gift can there be? I am grateful for how each of you supports our ministry in our community. If you are ever in doubt about the impact of your giving, look around you. Whether you have seen your church family on a screen this year or in pews as we have been allowed, every person you see is part of the story of your giving. As you consider making your gift or your intention to give this year, I ask that you also consider how you have been impacted, and how you will impact this church and our neighbors. What is the story of your gift, how will it unfold? How will your blessing be a blessing to others? This is the spirit behind our theme of Every Perfect Gift. This year I invite you to make your perfect gift, reflective of the gifts you have received from our Creator. With gratitude for each of you, Di Kurkulonis, Stewardship Chair Con Trowbridge, Erica Burns, Elizabeth Keitel, Stewardship Team Thank you for returning the online pledge form by Sunday, November 7, 2021. If you prefer to submit a card, you can pick one up at the Church Office. |
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