Published December 13, 2024
by Tony Adams

When our Stewardship campaign came to a close on Sunday, November 24th, we were well behind in both the number and the dollar amount of pledges received. While the committee was successful in encouraging more people to pledge during their follow-on phone campaign, in my report to the congregation at the Annual Meeting, I stated that we were $23,514 short of our stated budget goal. And I suggested that, where possible, members consider amending their pledge to lessen the shortfall. Since that time, I can report that five parishioners have accepted the challenge to the tune of an additional $3,500. Bless you!


You’ve heard me say before that, unlike deer season, pledge season never closes. So, if you have not yet made your pledge… there is still time to do so. But please remember that the vestry MUST approve a budget when they meet in January. And decisions are then made based on the availability of projected funds. One BIG decision that will be made this year is “what salary can we afford to pay our new rector”?


Are you unsure how much to give to our parish. Well, don’t worry! While the typical pledge here at Resurrection is $2,700, and a tithe (10%) is always a good goal, NO PLEDGE AMOUNT IS TOO SMALL. Pledge cards are located in the narthex at the back of the church or area available from the church office on request.

Published November 1, 2024
by Tony Adams

With our Stewardship campaign now fully underway, many parishioners have asked me to remind them how they might make their 2025 pledge commitment and at the same time save on their taxes.

Have you reached that point in life when you are mandated to take a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) from your Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) or other tax deferred investment accounts? This often results in receiving income that one doesn’t necessarily need or want in any given year thereby pushing you up into a higher income tax bracket. The RMD age is 70½ for those born before July 1, 1949; 72 for those born between July 2, 1949, and Dec. 31, 1950; 73 for those born between Jan. 1, 1951, and Dec. 31, 1959; and 75 for those born on or after Jan. 1, 1960. When you do reach the age that the requirement kicks in, you can make a tax-free gift (your pledge) directly to the Church of the Resurrection.

How it works: · You must meet the RMD age requirement at the time of your gift. · You may gift any amount up to $100,000 directly from your account to our church. NOTE: the easiest way to do this is to have the check made out to the church but sent to you to put in the offertory plate. · The gift is not considered taxable income, so you benefit even if you do not itemize your tax deductions.

Of course, each family’s tax situation differs. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me for more information, or better yet, speak with your personal investment professional.

We all recognize Church of the Resurrection as a special place where our spiritual needs are met when we come together as a community of Christ’s disciples to worship and grow. Supporting this parish through an RMD is one way to help meet our financial needs. Please join me in making a pledge this year!

Published October 4, 2024
by Tony Adams

 What role does our parish play in serving the needs of the community?  A well written vision statement describes where an organization sees itself at a certain point in time. The Vestry and Stewardship Committee have envisioned the following for 2025.

Vision 

Church of the Resurrection is called to grow in the fruits of the Spirit in 2025 by engaging our community in service, worshipping together with joy, and committing to financially support our parish with pledged income at or above $298,500, sixty-five or more pledging units, and sufficient lay ministers in all vital parish ministries.

Goals

Goals are the measurable means by which a vision is achieved. The goals set forth for 2025 are as follows.

  • increase worship attendance by 10%
  • increase pledge income by 3.5%
  • increase pledge commitments by 4 NEW or RETURNING units
  • Increase parishioner participation in parish ministries by 10
  • start one new ministry in 2025

I believe that these goals can be summarized by the words GIVE – SERVE – ATTEND – and GROW.  Will they be a challenge given the fact that we will no longer have Mother Amy as our rector?  Absolutely!  But I know for certain that Christ dwells among us here at Resurrection and that by pooling the fruitful blessings God has given us, and sharing them with our neighbors in the community, we will be okay.

Please join me in making a joyful and generous pledge this year. Because EVERY PLEDGE MATTERS!