Money and Stewardship
Thank you for your generosity. With your help, the church has fed thousands of people; fostered an inspiring and enlivening worship program; subsidized other community organizations by providing a space at a cost less than 1/4 of the cost of commercial space.
Your generosity helps us care for each other and for others.
Churches are the most effective distributors of caring and empathy.
Why?
Clergy are less expensive to employ than most CEOs of not-for-profits; The church incorporates volunteers to do most of our daily work; it's members, through contributing to the physical plant, subsidize other not-for-profits, such as the school, AA and various community organizations. You facilitate non-monetary exchanges such as trading, recycling or work-exchanges.
The church helps others build their own community: yoga practicioners; Bengalis; the hungry; artists; the differently abled; wine aficionados.
We provide a place for them. Churches are frugal, running on faith, you, and our faith.
Generosity opens our eyes to opportunities in our lives, and in others. Generosity brings happiness. Sacrificial generosity feels good.
If you are a committed Christian, you are expected to support the church. The church collects, distributes and shares voluntary resources so that we can care for each other and those who need help.
If you are leery about how churches use your money, as an Episcopal church, the diocese requires a yearly (and expensive) audit, and any pledging member has a right to see our books. Members of the church even write the budget. And if you are nice to us, we might let you see our books anyway.
Unlike other churches and some synagogues, we do not require any particular amount as dues. Although scripture tells us that we owe everything to God, what we offer the church is open to interpretation. It makes our existence very precarious, but responsive.
What should you contribute? Here are a few ways to think about stewardship, which is our word for taking care of each other, the church and the world.
Stewardship is about how you manage the resources of your life. Spending two hours a week considering your finances is a way of looking at how you manage your time and work. You probably have more money than you think. Most people spend without thinking. Keep a diary and make a budget - think of it as a spiritual exercise. Pay off your credit cards. Look at how you live, first (do you really need to lease a Mercedes? Why not purchase a 10 year old Lexus?). Then, as you assess your own lifestyle, consider the church. And give a percentage as first fruits. What you give is a tax on our own innate envy and greed. Do I think it's easy? No. Your priest stands before you as someone who is also struggling in this path.
Remember that we are the wealthiest country in the world. Why do we succumb to the consumerist lifestyle? It's not easy to challenge its grip upon us. Perhaps together, we an seek a different kind of relationship with our money.
What should we give?
The average pledge nationwide is 2.6% of gross income. The average household income in White Plains is $130,000. This would mean an average Episcopalian who lives in White Plains would give $3,380. The place where scripture suggests we start, however, is 10% - which would be $13,000 for the same family. I'll say that if people gave accordingly, our church would become a very different place that would feel abundant. We'd have great music, multiple services, a full-time music director, effective services, and a healthier physical plant. It would rock.
When deciding what you can give, consider the following ways. Our benchmark is a tithe (10%): of some portion of your income. Consider, of course, where YOU are. Its for YOU to discern. The priest can't order you to pay a dime. Here are three ways you can use the math of 10% in your offering.
- Tithe any unexpected amount - a bonus, winnings at poker, what you have in your pocket on Sunday, or
- Tithe your spending budget after fixed expenses, or
- Tithe, or give a percentage of your net, or gross, income after taxes. Here is our online pledge form!
If you wish to donate using a credit card or your PayPal account, click on the Donate button at the top of this page.
Pledging helps us budget and is a good indicator of our community's strength. You can also email us and we'll send you a pledge envelope. Checks are written out "St. Bartholomew's Church." You can also do direct deposit. Just go to the individual pledge form and submit it directly to them. Thank you for your generosity. Your commitment is a blessing upon us.