Stewardship Committee

2009 STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN

Of thine own have we given thee

From your Stewardship Committee:

St. Paul’s is a source of inspiration for many of us. It is our meeting place with God, a spark of life, a school for shaping character for our children and youth and a home where we can celebrate and renew our faith in God again and again. Especially in times like these, there is no enterprise more noble or more needed than keeping the Church strong.

We are blessed with the many vibrant and growing ministries of Saint Paul’s Church. However, Christian mission takes money. Are you pledging supportively? Most of our programs have received significant cuts in their budgets due to reduced pledges in recent years, including our diocesan pledge, outreach, our music program, Christian education, evangelism, repair and restoration, and parish life.

God is the source and foundation of all wealth and power.
...for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.
(I Chronicles 29: 14)

“Of thine own have we given thee” is the theme of this year’s Stewardship Campaign. As we wrestle with how God would have us manage "our" resources toward becoming joyful givers, we must examine through God's eyes what we are doing with what we have. Stewardship is not about OUR generosity. Even at our best, we keep a pretty tight grip on what we have. God does not. God is outrageously generous with us and our hope is that our giving will be a celebration of God's generosity. We ask that our stewardship campaign will be a time of prayer as we ask the question: "What return can I make to the Lord for all the good He has given to me?"

How can we do this? You alone can decide. The rule of thumb to guide you is based in the Old Testament, the tithe. The tithe, the giving of 10 percent or more of your income to the church, is considered by some to be unreachable and in some cases, frightening. This is why tithing should be entered into prayerfully. When giving through prayer and in the proper spirit of cheerfulness and gratitude for all God has freely given us, we realize the meaning, “…for God loves a cheerful giver.” Even if giving a full tithe is not immediately possible for you, it is still possible for you to develop a plan to work toward the tithe over time. Start by planning to give a set amount each week, even as little as one percent of your income. Once you’ve started giving weekly, seek to increase the amount you give by small increments.

A breakdown of our congregation’s giving patterns for 2009 is below and compares the number of members to the amount pledged per week, per month, and per year. Will you grow one step this year? If you have not pledged before, we ask that you begin this year, pledging any amount on a weekly or monthly basis that you feel our God is asking of you.

We are grateful for what you have already done and now ask that you give prayerful consideration to your 2010 pledge to allow your Vestry to prepare a realistic budget for the coming year to continue the successful programs of your Church.

We ask that your pledge card be returned by Pledge Sunday, November 15. A lunch is planned following the 11 a.m. service that day and we hope to see you there.

An electronic 2010 pledge card is available for use. Click here.

Calendar of Events

November 15, 2009 (Sunday)
You're invited to a church dinner in the River Room following the 11 a.m. service. Call the church office at (706) 724-2485 by Nov. 12 to make your reservation. It is asked that all pledge cards be turned in by the 15th.

Click on the chart to see a larger image or here to download a PDF file.


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Worship Services


	Sunday 8:00 - Rite I 10:00 - Rite II Beginning September 20 7:45 - Rite I 9:00 - Rite II 11:00 - Rite II Wednesday Noon - Rite II in Chapel