Four Ways to Give Financially
There are four principal ways to give financially to Grace Church, and we appreciate your generosity in giving in the ways you prayerfully discern. Here are the four ways in order of importance to our mission:
1) Your Pledge during the Annual Stewardship Campaign. The total amount of pledges given during a stewardship campaign is what is used to fund our annual operating budget. This is money we are wholly (or more appropriately “Holy”) dependent on to pay salaries, bills and fund our ministries.
We want to make fulfilling your pledge as easy as possible. The easiest way for the Parish to accept pledges is through a monthly deduction from your bank account. The office can help you set that up with your bank. However, we will gladly accept pledges that come through checks or monthly charges to your credit card. Those over 70.5 who choose to take their pledge out of their annual Required Minimum Distributions (RMD), can reduce their taxable income. Pledges can also be fulfilled with gifts of stock.
The offering plate donations that aren’t part of fulfilling a pledge (called “loose plate'') collected by the ushers every Sunday also go into the operating budget. We are very appreciative of these donations, but they are not a dependable source for budgeting as they can vary widely from year to year. The first Sunday of the month “loose plate” donations fund the Rector’s Discretionary Fund, which is used at the Rector’s discretion generally to help the poor (see # 4 below).
2) The Legacy of Grace Endowment Fund. The purpose of the endowment fund is to help maintain the ministry of Grace Church for generations to come. Unlike your annual pledge to the operating fund which pays for day-to-day ministries, donations to the endowment are not spent. They are invested in equities and fixed income securities that are managed by a professional advisory team. The parish can only spend the interest and earnings produced by those investments each year, so your donation has the ability to keep giving year after year. Giving to the endowment fund can take many forms that reduce your tax burden including proceeds from an IRA, 401K, donated stock certificates, real estate, life insurance, and/or a bequest in your will. There are three sub-funds to choose from under the umbrella of the Legacy of Grace Endowment Fund:
3) The Memorial, Honor & Thanksgiving Fund. This fund is designed to remember and honor the people in our lives who are important to us and to give thanks for our many blessings. The vestry prayerfully discerns the best way to spend these monies according to current needs that acknowledges the trust placed in us to spend this money wisely. These funds have been used to benefit Grace “above and beyond” our operating needs, for example, funding the labyrinth.
4) The Rector’s Discretionary Fund. This fund is primarily used by the rector to help people in need, although it can be used to address immediate and unpredictable needs in the larger community and the church. “Loose plate” donations on the first Sunday of the month are a primary means of funding this account.
These are the four ways to give financially, but there are many more ways to give to Grace Church. Gifts of your time and your talent are just as essential and are invaluable to the growth and health of our church and our community.
There are four principal ways to give financially to Grace Church, and we appreciate your generosity in giving in the ways you prayerfully discern. Here are the four ways in order of importance to our mission:
1) Your Pledge during the Annual Stewardship Campaign. The total amount of pledges given during a stewardship campaign is what is used to fund our annual operating budget. This is money we are wholly (or more appropriately “Holy”) dependent on to pay salaries, bills and fund our ministries.
We want to make fulfilling your pledge as easy as possible. The easiest way for the Parish to accept pledges is through a monthly deduction from your bank account. The office can help you set that up with your bank. However, we will gladly accept pledges that come through checks or monthly charges to your credit card. Those over 70.5 who choose to take their pledge out of their annual Required Minimum Distributions (RMD), can reduce their taxable income. Pledges can also be fulfilled with gifts of stock.
The offering plate donations that aren’t part of fulfilling a pledge (called “loose plate'') collected by the ushers every Sunday also go into the operating budget. We are very appreciative of these donations, but they are not a dependable source for budgeting as they can vary widely from year to year. The first Sunday of the month “loose plate” donations fund the Rector’s Discretionary Fund, which is used at the Rector’s discretion generally to help the poor (see # 4 below).
2) The Legacy of Grace Endowment Fund. The purpose of the endowment fund is to help maintain the ministry of Grace Church for generations to come. Unlike your annual pledge to the operating fund which pays for day-to-day ministries, donations to the endowment are not spent. They are invested in equities and fixed income securities that are managed by a professional advisory team. The parish can only spend the interest and earnings produced by those investments each year, so your donation has the ability to keep giving year after year. Giving to the endowment fund can take many forms that reduce your tax burden including proceeds from an IRA, 401K, donated stock certificates, real estate, life insurance, and/or a bequest in your will. There are three sub-funds to choose from under the umbrella of the Legacy of Grace Endowment Fund:
- The General Fund helps pay for whatever ministry needs the vestry discerns, which could be anything from responding to natural disasters to unforeseen maintenance expenses. This fund affords the greatest flexibility in meeting current needs.
- The Capital Improvement Fund maintains and enhances our property’s sustainability, utility and beauty as this is the foundation of our day-to-day ministries.
- The Outreach Fund benefits those in need, often distributed through non-profit ministry partners.
3) The Memorial, Honor & Thanksgiving Fund. This fund is designed to remember and honor the people in our lives who are important to us and to give thanks for our many blessings. The vestry prayerfully discerns the best way to spend these monies according to current needs that acknowledges the trust placed in us to spend this money wisely. These funds have been used to benefit Grace “above and beyond” our operating needs, for example, funding the labyrinth.
4) The Rector’s Discretionary Fund. This fund is primarily used by the rector to help people in need, although it can be used to address immediate and unpredictable needs in the larger community and the church. “Loose plate” donations on the first Sunday of the month are a primary means of funding this account.
These are the four ways to give financially, but there are many more ways to give to Grace Church. Gifts of your time and your talent are just as essential and are invaluable to the growth and health of our church and our community.
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Worship Times
Sunday 8:00am in person and live stream 9:15am Education Hour for all ages 10:30am in person Taizé Service - 1st Sundays @ 7:00 pm Wednesday 12:00 pm Eucharist + Healing Service |
Grace Church in the Mountains
394 N. Haywood Street, Waynesville, North Carolina 28786 • Phone: (828) 456-6029 Email: [email protected]
394 N. Haywood Street, Waynesville, North Carolina 28786 • Phone: (828) 456-6029 Email: [email protected]
