Dear Grace Church Family,

 

It is that time of year, Stewardship Season. While it is not an official "Season" on the Church calendar, it is celebrated every year near the end of Pentecost and before Advent. The liturgical color is probably Green.

 

During this season we celebrate the gifts we have received and given in the Grace Community:

• the programs offered and participated in -- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and our wonderful music ministries;
• the Community events we've shared with our neighbors -- the Easter Egg Hunt, the Summer Picnic, and the Thanksgiving Dinner; and
• the many other opportunities we have had to meet and greet the face of God in others.

All of these blessings are made possible by gifts that we make to the general operating budget. We have much to celebrate this year in that pledges received exceeded the budget set by the Finance Committee. Thank you and thanks be to God.

 

Now, we ask that you once again carefully and prayerfully consider what you and/or your family can pledge to the operating budget of Grace for 2015. I like to believe that we at Grace strive to live out a life of Abundance in Christ.

 

And along those same lines, we ask that you also consider a pledge in 2015 to the Legacy of Grace, the fund that supports our capital needs. There is much work to be done to continue to repair the fabric of the building. In November we will celebrate the 135th Birthday of Grace! Our beautiful building is a blessing and a responsibility. Please help us to ensure that Grace will be here to minister to the needs of Oak Park for at least another 135 years.

 

Below you'll find links to the online pledge form. Please consider both the operating budget and Legacy fund. We ask that you return your pledges by Sunday, November 9.  

 

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me. 

 

Yours in Christ,

 

Cherryl Holt
for the Stewardship Team 

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

How much should I give? That answer, of course, is completely up to you. As you think about your pledge for 2015, 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.

The amount we budgeted for pledge income amounted to 66% (or $262,700) of our 2014 budget. Pledges actually made totaled $284,134. We believe we can, and need to reach - and even exceed - our 2015 budgeted amount.  

• Outreach ministries
• Salaries for Shawn, Douglas, Dennis, and Nick (our priest, administrator, musician and director of lifelong Christian formation)
• Sunday and weekday services
• Music for the Choirs
• Robes for Chalice Bearers and The Choir
• Vestments for Acolytes
• Heat and Light
• Salary for Mother Alice with our Partner Parish in the Sudan
• Certificates for Baptism
• Sitters for the Nursery
• Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Materials
• Meeting Rooms for all Ministries
• Stephen Ministry Training
• Wine for Communion
• Telephone
• Internet & Website 
• Snow Removal
• Lawn Cutting
• Food and Supplies for PADS guests
• Adult and Youth Formation
• Space for several 12-Step groups, concerts, movies 

Of course, a list cannot begin to convey the difference these ministries have made in the lives of the Grace community and the community at large.

 

Grace has been a vital part of the community of Oak Park for 135 years.  Your pledge dollars support these very worthy activities that take place every day and every week at Grace Church. There's more that we want to accomplish in 2015. Your pledge dollars will help us realize these goals, and ensure we can carry Grace and its mission securely into the next 135 years. 

On Sunday, November 9, 2014 we will bless all of the pledges. You will be invited to bring your pledge and regular offering forward and they will be blessed.  Thanks for your generosity.

• Do you bank online? Simply set up an automatic weekly, monthly, quarterly or yearly check from your account.

• Write a check and place it in the offering plate or mail to Grace to the attention of Douglas VanHouten.

• Pay using our secure online payment service, PayPal. If you use your PayPal balance or bank account balance, Grace incurs no fees to accept the funds. If you use your credit card, Grace incurs a nominal fee of 2.2%.

Our Donation page is at this link.