Pledging and Purpose

Why should I pledge?

Over the past several months we have heard from our stewardship chair about our "Stewardship Campaign", alternately called "Every Member Canvass". As the topic of pledging has come up on Sundays, a few of you have asked me questions about pledging and why you and your family should pledge for the 2009 church year. Some of you have wondered why a pledge is so important versus simply giving to the church on a regular basis.

The purpose of pledging is two-fold. First, the practical. The church bases its budget on the pledges it receives. Therefore, the church needs to know how much you and your family intend to give in the coming year so it can plan its budget accordingly. The vestry and finance committee have been working diligently on balancing our budget, quite a task given the fact that we are facing a substantial deficit. You can help alleviate some of this strain by filling out a pledge card and dropping it in the offertory plate.

Second, the theological. As Christians we pledge to the church because we recognize that everything we have is given us by the grace of God. While we work hard in our daily lives, we would have nothing were it not for the love of God. Therefore, we pledge to God the first fruits of our labor. By pledging, you commit to return some of God's gifts in the coming year - you make it a priority. If you do not pledge but simply intend to give, there is no commitment, no promise, no priority. Therefore, the first gift we offer to God in return is the acknowledgment that all we have is by his grace and it is our intention and pledge to return some of those gifts.

It should also be said that no pledge is too small. You might think, "Well, we can only afford to give the church $200 in the coming year. Compared to what other people give, I'm sure it isn't that important and doesn't make that much of a difference." First, the point is not to make a difference. The point is to return some of your life and labor to the Lord. Second, it helps the church leadership to know every pledge, every amount intended for the budget.

I hope this helps answer some of your questions and helps clarify the purpose and importance of pledging to the church.