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Questions and Answers About The Saint Basil of Ostrog Stewardship Program
Q. Do I have to make a Stewardship Pledge to come to St. Basils?
A. No! All are welcome and encouraged to come and participate in the parish life at the church.
Q. What is the Stewardship Program?
A. Stewardship is a simple, fair and systematic Christian plan to operate and finance our church. It places the responsibility of supporting our church where it belongs - on every member. Each of us are asked to make a commitment of Time, Talents and Treasures to help our church sustain its ministries and grow into the future.
Q. Why is Stewardship a good system of church support? How is it different from "dues?"
A. Stewardship views church support as a matter of personal choice and focuses on what each person is willing to sacrifice for the Lord. If we all had the same income and talents, this would be the same amount for each individual, but since this is not the case, we each must give proportionately according to our ability. Since God calls each of us to be faithful over what He has given us, Stewardship provides a means of meeting the needs of our church with personal dignity and fairness to all.
Q. What is a Stewardship Pledge?
A. Your Stewardship Pledge is a statement of intention made in good faith to give of your time, talents and monetary donations to support the ministries and operation of God's Holy Church. It is made at the beginning of each calendar year by filling out both sides of a Stewardship Pledge Card: the "Treasures" half indicates a financial commitment; the "Time and Talents" half indicates your interest in volunteering your time and efforts in various areas of church life.
Q. What should my Stewardship Pledge be?
A. In I Corinthians 16.1-2, St. Paul encourages us to lay aside contributions regularly to meet the needs of God's work in an amount that is in proportion to the blessings that we have received. This means that the amount of our commitment is based on each member's means, conscience and faith. Your Stewardship Commitment is a reflection of your love for God and the Church and will express your commitment to ensure and promote the future of our Church.
For example, here is an overview of weekly amounts based on income levels:
| Weekly Donation |
Yearly Pledge |
Pledge |
as a % of |
Household |
Income |
| |
|
$25,000 |
$50,000 |
$75,000 |
$100,000 |
| $ 10 |
$ 520 |
2 % |
1 % |
0.7 % |
0.5 % |
| $ 20 |
$ 1,040 |
4 % |
2 % |
1 % |
1.0 % |
| $ 30 |
$ 1,560 |
6 % |
3 % |
2 % |
1.6 % |
| $ 40 |
$ 2,080 |
8 % |
4 % |
3 % |
2.6 % |
| $ 50 |
$ 2,600 |
10 % |
5 % |
3 % |
2.6 % |
| $ 60 |
$ 3,120 |
12 % |
6 % |
4 % |
3 % |
| $ 70 |
$ 3,640 |
15 % |
7 % |
5 % |
3.6 % |
| $ 80 |
$ 4,160 |
17 % |
8 % |
6 % |
4.2 % |
| $ 90 |
$ 4,680 |
19% |
9% |
6% |
4.7% |
| $ 100 |
$ 5,200 |
21% |
10% |
7% |
5.2% |
Q. Why can't we have bingo to raise money?
A. The responsibility for maintaining and growing God's Holy Temple should come from the generosity of the parishioners through a systematic method of giving. We should not rely on others to pay our bills for us.
Q. Who should make a Stewardship Pledge?
A. Pledging family includes a husband, wife and children who are either under 18 or who are not self-supporting. Everyone 18 years old and over who is self-supporting should take on the responsibility of supporting the church and make a pledge.
Q. How should I fulfill my financial commitment?
A. In the manner that suits you best. The church will provide you with Stewardship envelopes, which you may bring to church and place in the donation basket. You may also mail your offerings to the church office. Offerings can be made weekly, monthly, quarterly, semiannually or annually, depending on your situation. Weekly or monthly offerings, however, are recommended for two reasons: first, it helps us develop a good practice of regular contributions, and second, it provides the church with a more balanced cash flow throughout the year. Your Stewardship Pledge can be automatically deducted from your checking account through our secure PayPal online payment.
Q. I give money at Slava and picnics, will that count towards my Stewardship Pledge?
A. Social functions such as banquets or picnics and donation of church items like altar boy robes, will be counted as part of your Stewardship Pledge. However, it is up to the parishioner to provide the Church with a clear indication of who made the donation. The best way to do this is to put all donations in an envelope with your name clearly written on the outside.
Q. What is not included in my Stewardship Pledge?
A. Your commitment does not include additional offerings such as candles and special offerings requested at different times for specific charities or projects, such as the brick project.
Q. Will my financial Stewardship Pledge be confidential?
A. Yes! The amount of your personal pledge is only available to three people: your priest, the Stewardship Committee Chairperson and the data entry person who will enter your pledge and donations into the computer. Although aggregate figures will be published to chart the annual progress of the Stewardship Program, your name and individual pledge will not be published unless it is a donation of a church item in memory of a loved one.
Q. Can the church accept shares of stock as a donation?
A. Absolutely! The church can accept shares of publicly traded stock as a donation. These donations also save you from paying capital gains taxes and they are tax deductible. Please see someone from the Stewardship Committee if you wish to donate stock.
Q. Are donations tax deductible?
A. All donations to St. Basil of Ostrog are deductible to the full extent of the law.
Q. How will my pledge and contributions be recorded?
A. Your pledge and contributions will be entered into a computer-based parish management system. Your will receive statements at the middle and end of the calendar year reflecting all your contributions to that point.
Q. What about my Time and Talents pledge? How will it be used?
A. When your Time and Talents Pledge is received, the areas you have indicated will be entered into the computer in your record. When, for example, the Golf Committee begins its work, a list of all those people who offered to help will be provided to the committee so that they can be contacted. The same goes for all areas listed on this card.
Q. What happens if a personal or financial crisis keeps me from fulfilling my pledge? What happens if I move?
A. Remember, your pledge is a statement of intentions and not a contract. If you encounter a personal crisis, a time of financial need, or if you move out of the area, you may decrease your pledge at any time by confidentially contacting your priest. You may, of course, raise your pledge at any time, too!
Q. After so many years in this country, why has the Church adopted this "new" program of Stewardship?
A. In reality, Stewardship is not a "new" program, but something that has been a part of the Orthodox Church for centuries. In the "old country," people would offer whatever they could to support the Church and their offerings were accepted equally. It was not until the new parishes in America began trying new means of support that the "dues" system was introduced into Orthodoxy. Now that so many of the parishes in our Metropolitanate and the entire Serbian Orthodox Church in North America, are establishing Stewardship programs, the Church is not introducing something new, but returning to her roots of allowing the people to support her from their hearts with whatever they can offer.
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