Stewardship Q&A

What is Stewardship?
To be a steward is to exercise good care over things with which you have been entrusted. Christian stewardship is the grateful and responsible use of God’s gifts in the light of God’s purpose as revealed in Jesus Christ. Christian stewards, empowered by the Holy Spirit, commit themselves to conscious, purposeful decisions. In the church, stewardship has many dimensions. These dimensions include expressing your loving care by offering your Prayers, Presence, Gifts, and Service.

Why am I being asked to make a commitment?
FUMC is a vibrant and growing church and all the wonderful things that it does for its congregation and the community requires significant expenditures. Every autumn, the member-led Finance Committee develops a budget for the upcoming year for approval. During the budget making process, the plans and goals for the year are balanced against the expected income. Your commitment is the most important building block of the budget – at FUMC, pledges account for about 85% of the budgeted operating income. Your commitment is important! Please fill out and return your commitment card. For most people the act of commitment means that they are willing to make sacrifices for their church, because the church is an important priority in their lives. Some people who do not commit still give sacrificially. Some people who do not commit simply give the church some of the money that they have left over. God calls us to give more than leftovers. It can be tough to make regular disciplined gifts to the church. Yet it is a glorious act. If this is a struggle for you, ask church friends who have faced this struggle what it was like when they first made a gift to the church that required a significant sacrifice.

Am I required to make a commitment?

Making a financial commitment to FUMC is a personal choice and is completely voluntary. However, by making a commitment for the coming year, you are fostering an attitude of putting your spiritual life on an elevated level of importance. You may feel that your situation makes it impossible to commit to a specific level of giving. On the other hand, commitments are vital to FUMC because we depend on them to plan for the future.

Can I change my pledge if my circumstances change?

Yes! Your pledge is a contract between you and God and is held in confidence at the church. It is not a binding contract between you and the church. If you need to change your pledge amount at any time, contact the church financial office. The church leaders will then make modifications to the budget as needed. If you have an unexpectedly good financial year, consider making a special year-end gift to the church.

Children and Youth pledges

We strongly encourage children and youth to participate in the annual stewardship drive. They should give some thought to how they will share their prayers, presence, gifts and service with the church. Many parents already give their young children coins or small bills to place in the offering plate to teach them that it is important to support the church with our financial gifts. We encourage you to take the next step and teach your older children the importance of making a pledge. Explain to your children that their pledges have influence over the budget of our church