Thinking of Pledging for the First Time

If you are new to Trinity, or new to being intentional about supporting a church financially, thank you for considering a pledge as your financial support!

There are a lot of things to consider, and they don’t all become clear right away, so feel free to ask questions of the Rector and members of the Vestry, and give yourself permission to say to yourself, “This is what I am prepared to do now,” with the understanding that you may feel differently this time next year or the year after.

What you give to Trinity is a very personal choice. At the heart of the choice is the spiritual consideration that financial support is both an expression of gratitude for the blessings in one’s life and a commitment to the work of the church. On top of that, each of us has our own mix of financial responsibilities and goals.

There is, however, something we can all do, which is to think of the amount we give as a proportion of the blessings in our lives. Rather than thinking “Such-and-such a dollar amount is a lot of money!”, think about giving Trinity a proportion of what you have received. In practical terms, start by choosing an amount that you think you can afford, and divide it by whatever amount you think of as your discretionary income. It can be your income after all your regular bills are paid, or your income after taxes or somewhere in between. However you want to define it, this reframes the dollar amount as a proportion of your income.

Another helpful aspect of thinking and praying about pledging is to consider both the annual total and what that would be if you divided it up into weekly or monthly donations. Think of both the big picture and the detail. For some people who use a charitable trust or some other planned gift, making one large gift per year makes sense. For most people, giving weekly or monthly is more manageable.

The amount you pledge depends on what feels manageable and like an expression of gratitude and a commitment to the mission of the Church. The Episcopal Church recommends a biblical tithe —10 percent of what you make—net or gross is up to you. At Trinity we encourage you to “give as generously as you are able,” and you are the only one who knows what is generous for you. In this part of the U.S., the range of typical regular giving in Episcopal Churches is between $1,500 and $3,000 per year, or roughly $25-$60 per week. Of course, many faithful givers give less and some give considerably more.

Each year in the fall, Trinity runs a “stewardship campaign” in which we ask ourselves to think and pray about our financial commitment for the coming year. Many of us then make a pledge, that is, an expression of what we intend to give in the next calendar year. It is not a binding contract, and the information is kept confidential by the bookkeeper. Several times each year, the church office sends each contributor a summary of their financial giving so far, whether this giving has been pledged or not.

No matter the time of year, now is a good time to start thinking of your financial support for the mission and ministry of Trinity, whether you decide to make a pledge or simply begin giving. You can complete the attached form, or simply start with one of the four different ways you can give that Trinity can track and attribute to you. These are:

Trinity’s online donation portal. Click on the Donate Now button above to make a credit card donation. If it feels right to you, you can choose to have your donations automated to occur every week, every two weeks, every month, twice a month, or every three months.
The tools your bank or credit card has for recurring payments to automate your donations.
Old fashioned checks. Because they have your name and address on them, it’s easy to attribute your gifts to you in the church’s record keeping system.
Giving envelopes that have a donor number on them. If you would like to give cash on Sundays and have the amount attributed to your record, ask for a box of envelopes. We’ll know that any gift that comes in an envelope with your number on it comes from you.

A fifth way is to make a gift of appreciated stock. Ask your financial advisor for guidance about making this kind of gift and contact the parish office to learn where to send such gifts.

Note that you do not need to make a formal pledge in order to give if pledging does not feel right to you at this time. It’s perfectly OK to feel your way along, to give what feels right at this moment, and then adjust as you grow accustomed to giving regularly.

If you would like to make a pledge for what you plan to give for the rest of the year, you can pledge online or ask the parish office to mail you a pledge card.

Remember that your gifts, no matter the size, are extremely important to the ongoing life and ministry of Trinity Church. It’s worth noting that, taken together, the gifts of all of us who support Trinity regularly constitute the largest portion of Trinity’s income. Your gifts will make a difference!