**Stewardship - Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Why are we asked to give our time and money to Trinity?
Q2: Do members of Trinity have to pledge?
Q3: What’s the difference between monetary pledges and gifts?
Q4: Can pledges be modified once made?
Q5: Don’t we get money from the Diocese?
Q6: Don’t we have an Endowment?
Q7: How much money are we expected to pledge? How much should I/we pledge?
Q8: What was the average pledge at Trinity Wrentham in 2010?
Q9: Don’t we just raise money through fundraisers like the Christmas Fair and Time and Talent Auctions?

Q1 Why are we asked to give our time and money to Trinity?

A1 From a spiritual perspective, God calls upon us to be generous and joyful givers of our time, talents and treasure, to support His church. Giving to support missions we believe in gives us joy, and makes us feel more connected to our parish.

From a practical viewpoint, stewardship is a shared responsibility and duty that we undertake to care for and maintain our parish and its missions. It is the combined energy and financial support of about 120 active families and individual members that make possible all that we are and do as a parish. Pledges and gifts make up nearly 90% of our income.

Q2 Do members of Trinity have to pledge?

A2 Members of the Episcopal Church in good standing are expected to support their parish through generous pledges of their time and talent (through volunteering) and treasure (through financial pledges).

You don’t have to pledge to attend services and participate in parish life, but you are expected to support your fair share of our parish expenses and operating costs, in proportion to your income and resources.

Q3 What’s the difference between monetary pledges and gifts?

A3 Pledges indicate your intended financial donation to the parish for the coming year. They convey a level of commitment that strengthens our bonds with the parish, and they are needed by the Wardens and Vestry for planning ahead responsibly. Gifts, while welcome and appreciated, usually cannot be foreseen or relied on for planning purposes.

Q4 Can pledges be modified once made?

A4 Yes, you can modify your pledge if necessary during the pledge year. They are not legal contracts! So you can pledge generously, with faith and optimism for the coming year, without fretting about unforeseen setbacks.

Q5 Don’t we get money from the Diocese?

A5 No, we don’t – it’s the other way around! Unlike some churches (e.g. Roman Catholic), we are not funded from the top down. In fact, we are charged an annual assessment that we pay to the Diocese to support the missions and operations of the whole Episcopal Church throughout the world. Your pledges or gifts go to our parish, not the Diocese, but we fund the Diocese through this assessment .

Q6 Don’t we have an Endowment?

A6 We do have several small endowment funds. However, adding significant funds to our endowment cannot be anticipated, much less scheduled. Therefore, it is critical that we not drain our endowment to meet operating expenses. On the contrary, we should seek to build it up so that it may be used for larger objectives of the parish.

Q7 How much money are we expected to pledge? How much should I/we pledge?

A7 This is a very personal decision, but there are guiding principles. The Biblical tithe of 10% of gross income is a worthy goal. In modern times most find this goal to be a significant challenge. Instead, you might consider a half-tithe (5%) or quarter-tithe (2.5%).

At Trinity , we suggest an initial goal of 2% of income, and encourage you to move up in increments of 1% of income towards a full (or fuller) tithe.

The national average annual pledge in the Episcopal Church is $2,500 (or $48 per week). We ask that you consider making this your goal for 2012.

Q8 What was the average pledge at Trinity Wrentham in 2011?

A8 For 2011 we received 82 pledges and gifts totaling $162,000. The average annual pledge was $1,975 ($38 per week). The distribution of pledges ranged from under $100 to over $5,000 per year.  The average pledge in the Episcopal Church annually is approximately $2,500 per year.

At Trinity Wrentham, our numbers have grown over the last year. For that reason, our Stewardship goal is to have 110 families pledge in 2012 (28 more than 2011). If we maintain our average pledge of $1,975 per year we would then have $217,250 in pledge income for 2012; enough to meet our obligations.

Q9 Don’t we just raise money through fundraisers like the Christmas Fair and Time and Talent Auctions?

A9 Fundraisers like these are special events that we have come to depend on. These types of events are a wonderful opportunity for the community to come together. But, ideally, we’d prefer to designate the funds from our fundraisers to special projects that help support our parish’s mission, rather than depend on them to meet our operating expenses. Fundraiser income simply cannot be depended on to meet the expenses of our operating budget.

Pledges supply the vital operating funds needed to support our annual recurring expenses (salaries and benefits, maintenance, Worship and Music, Christian Learning, Outreach, etc). If you have to choose between these two types of appeals, you should give first priority to your annual stewardship pledge.