Stewardship is far more than simply a matter of money.  Stewardship is the faithful use of all our lives, including our time, our talents, and yes, our money.  God blesses us, not so that we can revel in our blessings, but so that we can in turn be a blessing for others.  Our ministry at First Church is possible only because so many people give so generously and faithfully of all these, including their financial gifts to the church.

The biggest source of funding for our ministry is congregational giving which provides over 50% of the total amount needed each year to support the church’s ministry.   Your gift matters both because the church needs our tithes and offerings to thrive, and because giving helps each of us grow spiritually!

Annual Giving 2025: Sustaining Gratitude

Though we have traditionally held an Annual Giving drive in the fall, we’re changing to a “sustaining”stewardship model for 2025.

First Church is fortunate to have an extraordinarily generous congregation!  But over the past several years, giving has changed, and not only at First Church.  Fewer congregations conduct an annual stewardship campaign, and among congregations that ask congregants to pledge, about half of regularly participating adults made a pledge.  At First Church, the number of pledges we receive each year has decreased, but giving remains strong.

Our rationale is to create a model that reflects the ways that giving has changed.  In 2025 at the annual meeting of the congregation, we will present the annual report, which reviews all the work of the church that the annual giving supports.  Rather than presenting a budget where income from congregational giving is estimated based on a fall annual giving drive, we will present a budget with the congregational giving “goal” as the amount needed to maintain a balanced budget.  Other income sources for the operating budget include the “pre-set goal” draw on the endowment (3.5%).  In 2024, 56% of our budgeted income came from giving, about 43% came from investment income, and 1% from other sources.

We’re calling this model “sustaining giving” or “sustaining gratitude,” because stewardship is a continuous effort.  Our intention is to communicate how our giving is meeting the church’s needs on a consistent basis, to keep the congregation better informed.  We’re hoping that this model will provide a more transparent process, and will allow you to respond to the church’s needs in a meaningful way.

Those people who value pledging should continue to do so, or you may continue to give as you currently give.  We hope you will consider an increase in your giving as your circumstances allow. Whichever way you choose to give, please know that every gift matters!  We are so grateful for your ongoing support of First Church!

There are several ways to make a pledge, and several ways to give!  Pledge by returning a pledge card, or pledge online.  Pledge to give weekly, monthly, quarterly, or make a one-time gift.  It’s easier than ever to set up recurring gifts, view your giving history, and make changes at any time using Realm, our church software, which provides secure online pledging and giving options.