make a pledge

Pledged giving is a cornerstone of financial stability in the Episcopal Church. Our parish’s operating budget is funded primarily through pledged income, with support from rental income and other occasional gifts. Weekly plate offerings and other donations are essential and much appreciated, of course. But it’s pledged income – money that is promised in advance to the parish by parishioners and friends – that affords the parish a stable basis for projecting its annual budget and making future plans.

How much is an appropriate pledge? The precise answer is different for each of us, but the church has provided a traditional guideline based on scripture: the tithe. A tithe is 10% of our household net income. Tithing reminds us that all we own comes from God, and that we are simply giving back what he has already given us. Instead of making out a personal budget and giving to the church from what is left over, perhaps one could calculate 10% of net income, set it aside for the church, and then make one's own personal budget. This might seem painful–but it will be made up for by the satisfaction of knowing that we have put God and his ministry before our own needs and preferences. Not everyone can tithe, but many of us can move closer to that goal over time.