Stewardship FAQs

It is a means by which we can strengthen and deepen our faith.  As Christians, we believe that all that we have and all that we are comes from God.  So it makes sense that we are stewards of these precious gifts.  Being good stewards brings us closer to God.

Sounds easy enough, but how do we do it? By giving of ourselves.

At St. Luke’s, we have a long history of being an active and generous congregation.  Each of us contributes to the life of the parish by attending services.  But we contribute in many other ways that feed our souls while helping our parish to thrive, from singing in the choir or ushering to serving at coffee hour or teaching Sunday School.

We have also committed to more outreach, from trips to the Dominican Republic to contributing more money and volunteer hours to Habitat for Humanity to partnering with St. George’s in Central Falls.

Making a financial commitment to the church in the form of a pledge rounds out our stewardship obligation by giving back to God and providing the financial foundation for all that St. Luke’s does.

It is an annual commitment made in good faith to give an amount of money to the church in regular installments (weekly, monthly, quarterly or annually), chosen by you.

First and foremost, it is a spiritual practice.  As Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."  Pledging enforces our connection to God through our support of God's house.  It is our duty to support our church; this is how we live out good stewardship.

On a practical level, there is no "membership fee" at church.  Instead, we are asked to join in the voluntary practice of pledging.  Our pledges help St. Luke's to organize its mission and ministries for the coming year when preparing the budget.

For 2008, there were 244 pledges, totaling $416,374.  The average pledge was $1,709.19 and the median pledge was $1,040. Here's the breakdown of pledges in 2008:

Amount	Pledges
$1 to $600	86
$601 to $1,000	27
$1,001 to $2,000	72
$2,001 to $3,000	22
$3,001 to $4,000	12
$4,001 to $6,000	16
$6,001 to $10,000	7
Over $10,000	2

That is entirely up to you.  Jesus asked for total giving, sacrificial giving—-he gave up everything, even his life.  Thankfully, the Church does not require such sacrifice.  You keep what you need.  But you are asked to give God a gift from your heart, a symbol of your close relationship with God.

In ancient Israel, the tithe, 10 percent of a person’s income, was the rule.  It is still the standard of the Episcopal Church.  Because of taxes and other charitable giving, some people suggest that 5 percent, a "modern tithe," is appropriate. 

Decide what is right for you slowly and steadily.  If this is your first pledge, pick an amount that you can comfortably meet.  Get some successful experience making and fulfilling a pledge.  Note what portion or percentage of your income your pledge represents.  If you already pledge, try to increase that percentage.