The Stewardship Commission

...encourages stewardship as a year round opportunity and celebrates gifts of time, talent and treasure of our members.  This Commission is convened by (vacant).  Our Vestry Liaison is Fred Frohbose.  The Stewardship Commission meets on the second Thursday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the Parlor.

Pledging Primer

All things come of thee, O Lord, and of thine own have we given thee.

1. What is Christian stewardship?
   We define stewardship as, “using the gifts that God gives us to do the work that God calls us to do.”
2. What is pledging?
   Pledging is making a commitment to give a certain amount of money to the church in the following year, usually with an indication of when we intend to give the money, i.e. weekly, monthly, etc.
3. Why does the church ask us to pledge?
   Pledging is one area where the spiritual needs of individuals and the corporate need of the church intersect. First, pledging provides people the opportunity to think about the place of money in their lives. Second, the church uses the total amount pledged when it creates its annual budget.
4. Why is it important that people think about money?
   As Christians, we worship God in all areas of our lives, including our financial lives. Our money gives us opportunity to put into practice the values that are important to us. Money also serves as a resource that we can use to do God’s work and to make a difference in the world.
5. What is the “culture of materialism” and how can I fight it?
   Money rules in our culture. We measure success by how much money or “stuff” we have. We buy things to make us feel better. We feel as though we never have enough so we chase after more, thereby living with a sense of scarcity rather than abundance. We often define our “worth” not by who we are but by what we have. In many ways, money controls us.
6. What can I do about this cultural pressure?
   The best way to keep money from controlling us is to take away its power. The first step in this process is to share some of it. That which we give away can no longer control us. Giving money away enables us to move from an attitude of scarcity to one of abundance.
7. Why should I give money to the church?
   We believe that the church is the Body of Christ and that God works through the church to do God’s work in our world. When we give to the church, we give to God and to God’s work. In addition, the church provides us a spiritual home – a place to worship, learn, and serve. Those who are able have a responsibility to support the ministries of the church.
8. Why does the church need my money?
   Remember, God does not need our money. However, because God has chosen to work through the church, God calls us to give to the church so that the church can do God’s work. Good Shepherd has an annual budget of over $400,000. Almost all of this comes from pledges. The worship, education, outreach, and fellowship programs that we offer would not be possible without the generous pledge payments of our members.
9. Is giving a spiritual discipline?
   Giving is a discipline that people of faith have practiced for millennia. Praying, studying the Bible, and serving others are disciplines that we practice because they are time-tested ways to gain strength for the spiritual journey. Pledging is another. Spiritual disciplines are acts that we choose to do not because we always feel like it or want to, but because they are part of our commitment to God, to each other, and to ourselves. Try each of these spiritual disciplines and you will find that your life is more satisfying and complete.
10. What is tithing?
    Tithing is the biblical principle whereby a person or family gives ten percent of what they earn back to God through the church. The author of the book of Malachi says, “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing” (3.10). Tithing also is the standard of giving affirmed by the General Convention of the Episcopal Church and practiced by many of its leaders, Good Shepherd including many at .
11. What should I do if I cannot tithe?
    You do not have to become a “tither” all at once. Many people start small, giving one or two percent and increasing the percentage each year. Figure out what percentage of your income you gave this year and see if you can increase that percentage when you pledge for next year. Even if you can pledge only a minimum amount, fill in the pledge card as part of your spiritual commitment.
12. Do I have to pledge?
    Pledging is not a requirement for participation in the life of Good Shepherd. We love and accept people here regardless of how much they pledge or even if they pledge. 
13. Can I change my pledge if my financial circumstances change?
    Yes. We understand that things happen. Sometimes people wish to give more than they originally pledged. Other times, they need to reduce or cancel their pledge.

A Message from Good Shepherd's Treasurer On Ways to Give to Good Shepherd:

Tax-free transfers from IRA to charity allowed in 2007. The Pension Protection Act of 2006 allows a direct transfer from a traditional or Roth IRA to a charity to be excluded from income, up to $100,000 per year. You must be 70 ½ or older on the date of the distribution and it must be transferred directly by the IRA trustee to the qualifying charity. A charitable deduction cannot be claimed for the amount of the excludable distribution; however, a qualifying charitable distribution counts against the required minimum distributions that the IRA owner must otherwise receive. Since the qualifying transfer is not included in gross income, you may be able to preserve eligibility for income-based tax breaks and may help limit the amount of Social Security benefits subject to tax. The exclusion is not allowed unless the entire distribution would be deductible as a charitable contribution (had you received the distribution and contributed the proceeds), without regard to the annual percentage-of-income ceilings.

Conclusion: if you will be over 70 ½ and have IRA’s that will require minimum distributions during the year, it may be a good idea to have your pledge amount made by a direct transfer from the IRA to the church. This can count to fulfill your pledge amount and part or all of your required minimum distributions while excluding the distribution from income and thereby lowering your gross income. A lower gross income may increase the benefits of income –based tax breaks and may limit the amount of SS benefits that will be subject to tax. You will probably get a greater tax benefit from this direct IRA transfer than from simply contributing money to fulfill your pledge.

Donation of appreciated stock to a charity has been a long-time tax beneficial way to give money to a charity. If you own appreciated securities traded on an established securities market that you have held for more than one year you get a tax deduction for the full market value of those securities on the date of transfer to the charity. You will also avoid paying capital gains tax on the securities’ appreciation that you donated. If you were to sell the securities and then give the proceeds to the charity you would owe capital gains tax on the gain. You must make sure that the transfer takes place within the current year to take the deduction for that year. The transfer is not complete until it is received by the recipient charity. Once received, the church will sell the securities. Good Shepherd has several brokerage accounts that can serve as recipient accounts for transfers of appreciated securities. If you wish to utilize this tax-advantaged way to contribute to the Church please allow adequate time for the transfers to take place. It will often require several weeks to process the transfer with your brokerage company.

Before doing either of these methods of contributing to the Church, please consult with your tax advisor to be sure that this is the right for you.

Louis Weeks, Treasurer