Give, and it will be given to you; good measure … will be put back into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back. Luke 6:38
All things are possible through Christ Jesus. We give of our time, talent and treasure in response to the abundance of the gifts we receive from God. We are called be faithful stewards of our time, talent, and resources.
The St. James’ family works together to carefully manage our finances, our property, and our ministries so that we can continue to serve each other and Christ in the world.
Financial Overview
Our operating budget is approximately $550,000. Over the past three years, our expenses have included:
- 25-35 percent of the budget for mortgage payments
- 35-40 percent on personnel
- 25-30 percent on operations, mission, and ministry. Some examples of expenses here include:
- One year of coffee and cookies after church: $3,300
- One year of music ministry (piano tunings, guest musicians and supplies): $7,400
- One year of supplies and trainings for Children’s Christian Formation programs: $3,000
- One year of supplies for the Welcome Table and New Members Ministry: $2,500
- One year of Neighbor-2-Neighbor direct assistance: $16,450
- One year of St James’ Episcopal School tuition assistance
(4 year old child, school + after-school enrichment): $8,340 - One time a year, 7-day mission trip for youth: $5,000
We are also blessed to name and honor the priceless gifts we receive of donated goods and services and leadership and expertise from our volunteers.
Going forward, we aim to increase our pledged income. This will allow for increased funding and growth for our ministries, for replenishing our savings, and for investments in growing the congregation. St. James’ is also applying for grants and other funding from a variety of outside sources to fortify our mission and ministry.
Guide to Giving
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:6-7
The Episcopal Church, in all but one of the General Conventions held between 1982 and 2006, has passed a resolution which included this language: “We affirm the tithe as the minimum standard of giving.”
“Tithe” comes from the Hebrew word for “tenth” and is the ancient practice of giving to God one-tenth of all one has. If you are wondering who thought that up, you might be surprised that we have a seldom told but very clear story that might answer that question:
Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house; and of all that you give me I will surely give one tenth to you.” Genesis 28:20-22
Tithing has been the norm for giving to God for hundreds of generations. That doesn’t make it easy. The average giving percentage in American churches is about 2 percent. Jumping immediately to 10 percent is beyond the grasp for most of us. For those looking for a way to work toward it, however, here are three steps to tithing:
- Become a First Fruits Giver. Whenever you receive money, give thanks by giving something back to God. Don’t worry about how much; just do this first, before all of your other spending.
- Become a Percentage Giver. No matter how large or small, decide what percent of your income you want to give to God … and begin doing it.
- Increase As You Are Able. Pray often. Talk it over with God so that God can help you decide when to take risks and when to play it safe.
Our giving helps us worship God more in our lives. It encourages our spiritual growth and trust in God, strengthens the ministry, outreach, and health of our congregation, and helps continue to mold us into a true Christian communities of faith, love, and grace.
Our giving also brings God’s wisdom to our finances, exercising a healthy spiritual discipline over them, and helps us to combat the destructive materialism and greed that destroy the lives of many.
