Christian Stewardship is:

• the proper and generous use of our time, talent and money;
• all that we do with our lives
• about joyfully returning to God a portion of all the gifts which God has so generously showered upon us

Dear Friend of Grace Church,

In this season of giving thanks, the staff, congregation and wider community of Grace Church is deeply thankful for the warmth and peace of mind that our new boiler system will provide.

Thanks to generous donations for this urgent project, work is underway on replacing the boiler that heats the Church and the small hot water system that heats our parish offices. Repair work will soon get underway on the stained glass window near the Baptistry.

We thank you for your generosity for these projects and the many that have been done over the years. Even as this important work begins, ongoing financial obligations that support the daily and weekly activities of Grace Church remain.

We give thanks for your support of time and talent and money to support our everyday life as well. We are writing to ask that you make a pledge to the Operating Budget.

As you may know, our annual Operating Budget pays for the salaries of our dedicated Rector and staff, supports our varied and high-quality programs and ministries, and maintains our beautiful physical space.

Your timely pledge to our Operation Budget allows us to effectively plan for our financial commitments throughout the year.   That's why we are seeking your pledge commitment by December 2 for the coming year.

We anticipate a $400,000 Operating Budget for 2013. Full funding will allow us to support:

• Outreach ministries 
• Salaries for the Rector, administrator and musician
• Two Sunday Services
• Music and robes for the adult and children's choirs
• Heat and light
• Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Materials

A list of our ministries supported by our annual budget can be found on the Grace Church Web site (www.graceoakpark.org).

If you've been inspired by Grace's uplifting Sunday services, our ministries to homeless veterans and fellow community members in need, or our education/formation and outreach programs, we hope you will pledge both from your heart and your wallet.    

We thank you for sharing your resources with us and for supporting the mission and ministries of Grace Church.

A pledge is a promise. A pledge to Grace Church is a promise that we will share our resources within our faith community. Your pledge allows your Vestry to budget for program, staff, worship, outreach and facility upkeep throughout the year.   Beyond that, pledging also allows us to reflect on the ways we, as individuals and as a community, can share some of what we have with others. Your pledge, then, is a promise to yourself, the faith community at Grace Church, and our community at large.

How much should I give? That answer, of course, is completely up to you. As you think about your pledge for 2013, consider what we call "proportional giving." In other words, think about what percentage you can offer to God by supporting the work of Grace Church.

Ask yourself whether you could increase your pledge by $5, $10, or $20 per week. For some, that's not possible at this time. For others, that extra amount is about the same as a few stops each week at your local coffee shop or a movie ticket.

This extra money can go a long way toward supporting Grace's ministries and keeping our budget solvent throughout the year. You might think that your increased pledge amount won't make much of difference in Grace's overall budget. But it does! And it will continue to pay dividends to Grace and our community for years to come.

It doesn't take a big increase in your pledge to make a big difference. If each currently-pledging household increased its pledge by just $5 a week, our pledge base would grow by $27,560 or 11%!  

The average pledge in 2012 was $2,324 per year. This is a generous amount, but still less than what Grace needs to cover its basic budgetary needs.

56% of active Grace households pledge. If non-pledging households were to pledge at the average pledge level, our pledge base would increase by almost $193,000. This would allow Grace to continue support of its existing ministries, but also to develop a more sustained commitment to adult formation, youth pilgrimages, our sister parish in Renk, and so much more.

2012 Pledge Levels:

# of                         
Households      Pledge Range
in category
_________________________

16                 $1 - $10 per week

25                 $11 - $20 per week

19                 $21 - $30 per week

10                 $31 - $40 per week

7                   $41 - $50 per week

6                   $51 - $60 per week

5                   $61 - $70 per week

3                   $71 - $80 per week

3                   $81 - $100 per week

8                   $101 - $200 per week

4                   over $200 per week