News from the Congregation, April 10, 2018
A Message from the Wardens
Almighty and Everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ’s Body may show forthin their lives what they profess by their faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Collect for the Second Sunday of Easter)
Dear Members and Friends of the Congregation of Saint Saviour,
Giving Is Easier Than Ever!
We are pleased to announce that giving has been made easier. You can now donate directly to the Congregation on-line using PayPal. Thanks to Kevin Delaigle, Stewardship chair, and the Reverend Deacon Steven Lee, our resident tech expert in chief, there is now a link on our home page and on a giving page at www.saintsaviour.org. Donations will be recorded in your membership record and reported back to you at the end of the year for tax purposes. On the Giving page you can also make a pledge using the on-line form. (A pledge is a way to let the Vestry know how much you plan to give in this calendar year).
An Overview of Stewardship
Here’s a review of how stewardship (giving) for our community works. There are, of course, no membership fees. However, to be a member who can vote, run for vestry, etc., it is expected that you will make a gift to the Congregation each year. For many people, that gift is made weekly in the context of the Divine Liturgy when the priest asks us to give of our life and labor to the Lord and the ushers pass the basket — a very familiar part of the church service. If that is how you wish to give, you will be sent a box of specially-marked envelopes at the start of each year which identify you to the treasurer as a member of the Congregation. Please let us know if you need such a box.
If this weekly action is not important to you, you can give by:
having your bank automatically send a check to the Congregation on a regular basis,
having the Diocese of New York electronically move funds from your account to the Congregation’s,
sending a check yourself, or now,
using PayPal on-line.
There is no set amount expected. Each person determines what is right for them. While the tradition in the church is to tithe (give 10% of income), that is not something everyone can do, or wishes to do. We just ask that you, as a member, give something to help us support the cathedral and run our congregation programs.
Giving to the Cathedral vs. Giving to the Congregation
New members (and quite a few long-timers, too) are frequently confused by our financial relationship to the Cathedral. Ultimately most of the money given to the Congregation goes to the Cathedral. We give $135,000 outright each year, and we pay for things like security, postage, and printing (of course, many of us also “give” in a very significant way through the countless hours volunteer time via the various guilds). By giving through the Congregation you are identifying yourself as a member of our worshipping community. We are able to use the money not sent to the Cathedral to support programs important to our community: feeding the hungry, education, advocacy for the poor, etc.
The Cathedral recognizes as “regents” anyone in the Congregation who pledges $1,000 or more to the Congregation. Regents are invited to a couple of special events each year.
Cathedral Community Cares (CCC) collection for April - Clothes
Thank you all who brought food for the Easter dinner at CCC Easter Sunday. It was a wonderful feast. Our weekly collection now continues with what Thomas Perry, the CCC manager, calls “spring cleaning,” which is basically a clothing drive for coats and sweaters. Donations should be clean and ready to wear. Leave as always at the table near the coffee set up. THANK YOU.
Young Adult Fellowship!
Young adults interested in meeting people from the resident Congregation of Saint Saviour are welcome to this monthly brunch that occurs on the third Sunday of each month. Gather by the coffee station after the 11:00AM service before heading out to a meal in the neighborhood.
Wishing you all a wonderful week—maybe spring will finally arrive!
Tim & Marsha
APRIL 10, 2018