Loose funds collected in the offering plate certainly are appreciated and help to support Shadow Rock! However, these loose funds in the plate are frequently an afterthought and only given on those Sundays that you attend services.

Your pledge allows the Financial Oversight Team and Shadow Rock Board plan for the ministries and programs for the upcoming year. It is very challenging to plan and operate the church on loose plate offerings.

Tithing means to contribute 10% of your income.

Proportional Giving asks us to give in proportion to our income and resources. It recognizes that giving is a journey and that tithing is a level of giving to work towards. Proportional giving requires us to make a conscious effort to determine an appropriate level of giving for today, and then to be open to allowing our giving to grow in the future.

Proportional giving is a way of gradually increasing your pledge commitment. First, calculate the percentage of income you gave to Shadow Rock UCC last year, using gross or net income, whichever seems a proper baseline to you. The goal is to increase each year until you reach the desired goal of giving 10% of yearly income to the church.

If your gifts to SRUCC last year totaled 2% of your income, plan to increase the amount to 2.5 or 3% for 2017. Just making the initial calculation is sometimes an eye-opener for people.

Of course! We understand a pledge is your best estimate of giving at the time it is submitted. If your situation changes during the year, you can change your pledge and giving at any time — either up or down. If you wish to change the amount of your pledge, contact Heidi Zinn or call the church office 602.993.0050 and request a new pledge card.

Sometimes it is difficult to know what your income and expenses will be in the year ahead. You might want to make your pledge based on a conservative estimate of your income for the next year. Think about what you would normally put in the offering plate on any given week and multiply it by 52 weeks as an estimate of your potential annual giving.

Pledges can be paid on a schedule that fits your circumstances. It could be weekly, monthly, quarterly, or even in a one-time lump sum. Offering envelopes are available at the church or can be mailed directly to your home for you to use when making a pledge payment by cash or check. Contact Heidi Zinn for more information about offering envelopes.

Your offering may be placed in the offering plate at any worship service or mailed to the church office if you are using a check. (Please do not mail cash.) You can use our online giving site to make contributions using a credit card**, or you could arrange for your bank to make automatic payments directly to Shadow Rock.

**Please remember, Shadow Rock incurs lower processing fees from contributions deducted directly from your Checking or Savings Account than Credit or Debit Cards.

Some people find it beneficial to make their pledge payment by transferring appreciated stock to Shadow Rock United Church of Christ. This may allow you to avoid paying capital gains tax on the stock and take a tax deduction for the full market value at the time of transfer. Contact your tax professional or the church office for more details.

Do not stay away! We’re grateful that you consider Shadow Rock your church home. Even if you can only give a very small amount, please calculate what it totals annually and commit to that by submitting an Estimate of Giving Pledge Card. No matter the size of the pledge, it makes a difference. It also helps the church to know your giving intent so we can plan more effectively.

One way to answer this question is to ask that you prayerfully reflect on the money and resources God has entrusted to your care and decide how much you feel you can give.

For those of you who want a more definitive answer, there is a guideline or what is called the “modern tithe” This guideline sets a goal of at least 10% (5% of income to your church and 5% to other worthy causes). Since it is possible that some people at SRUCC are not yet at this level of giving, we are suggesting that members and friends consider proportional giving.