Stewardship by the Numbers
The vestry is preparing to adopt a budget for 2025, which, along with the 2024 financial reports, will be presented at the Annual Meeting at 10:00 a.m. on January 26. I hope you will come and listen to those reports and ask any questions that you have about our church’s financial health. Before that, however, I would like to share some of the things I have noticed about this year’s annual giving campaign and what they mean for the year ahead of us.
First, I can tell that we are a generous parish. So far, 338 households have turned in an estimate of giving card for 2025. Together, those represent over $1.2 million of contributions to St. Paul’s for the coming year, which the vestry will use to fund the church’s budget. Collectively, that represents a significant commitment to God’s work in and through St. Paul’s. Thank you!
Sometimes I hear from folks who are surprised that a church as old and prominent as ours depends so heavily on annual giving. Other institutions rely upon their endowments to fund most of their operations. While St. Paul’s benefits greatly from those who have contributed to our endowment over the years, it currently funds only about 10% of our operations. I hope that future contributions to the endowment will increase our ability to pursue bold ministries down the road, but St. Paul’s will always depend upon your present-day generosity for the work we carry out each year.
Second, I can tell that we are a growing parish. The number of households that have turned in an estimate of giving card is up this year—from 322 to 338. At a time when our average Sunday attendance has still not returned to pre-pandemic levels, it is significant that the number of families who are active in the life of our congregation has increased.
Despite that growth, you may be surprised to know that there are 53 households who turned in a card last year who have not yet turned one in this year. Some of those individuals have died or moved away. A few may be frustrated with our parish or with my leadership. (I hope they will reach out to me or to a member of the vestry to let us know how we can do a better job.) But I am pretty sure that most of them just have not gotten around to turning something in for this year.
If all 53 of those families turned in a giving card for the same amount as last year, it would add an additional $173,000 to the budget. That is more than enough to fund a third full-time priest, which we need if we are going to continue to grow. That is more than enough to double our properties budget, which would allow us to tackle some deferred maintenance issues. That is more than enough to triple our local outreach budget, including Community Meals and contributions to CEO and 7Hills.
Some of us use electronic giving or bill pay, which automatically send our contributions to St. Paul’s, but, if you have not turned in an estimate of giving card, the vestry cannot anticipate that gift. Even if you have given the same amount every month for five years, we will not assume that you will continue to give that gift unless you tell us. If you plan to give to our church but have not turned in a card, please do so here.
Third, I can tell that some of us are feeling confident in our finances while others are experiencing financial pressure. This year, 105 people have increased their commitment for a total positive impact on the budget of almost $80,000. At the same time, 35 people have decreased their commitment for a negative impact of $70,000. On the whole, the result is positive, but hidden within the aggregate increase are stories of job loss, medical bills, inflation, and general hardship. As the body of Christ, if one member suffers, we all suffer together. It is imperative, therefore, that we remember that, even when the stock market is up, there are people among us who need our help.
Finally, I want to remind you how we talk about stewardship at St. Paul’s. Instead of presenting a draft budget to the parish and telling you how much our giving will need to increase in order to fund our mission priorities for the coming year, we ask you to give the first 10% of your income back to God. Then, the vestry takes whatever you indicate you will give and develops a budget around your generosity. I believe with all my heart that, when we are faithful stewards of what God has given us, God will take what we offer and bear fruit in our lives.
I can tell you that my priorities for the coming year include hiring a third full-time priest, continuing to take care of our buildings and grounds, expanding our opportunities for formation and spiritual practice, deepening our commitment to local outreach and racial justice, and developing a robust college ministry at St. Martin’s. Those are in addition to maintaining or expanding our excellence in music, worship, parish life, and pastoral care. Those priorities do not come with a specific price tag, but they do represent a growth—in our ministries and in our giving. If any of them is to become a reality, it will require an increase in our generosity.
I am grateful to serve in a parish as generous and as committed to God’s work as St. Paul’s. Thank you to everyone who contributes to make the ministries of our church possible. If you plan to give to St. Paul’s in the coming year and have not shared that estimate of giving with us yet, please do so today. The vestry will meet next Sunday to adopt our budget, and we need to hear from you in order to take your generosity into account. As always, if you have any questions about our church’s operations, financial health, or vision for ministry, please let me or any member of the vestry know. It is a privilege to be a part of this church, and I look forward to what the future holds for us.
Yours faithfully,
Evan D. Garner
