Stewardship 2008

Stewardship FAQs

Why are Pledge Cards necessary?

I still make my contributions. The annual Stewardship Pledge Card is probably the most important tool in our budget planning process. The Pledge Cards that are returned represent the largest portion of our anticipated contributions. By knowing in advance what we can expect from a financial perspective, it allows church leadership to properly plan, prioritize, and execute the many programs and missions undertaken by the church.

What if my situation changes and I cannot meet my pledge?

There are very few people who have not been affected by the economic downturn in our country, and we certainly would not want your giving to become a hardship for you or your family. While we do rely on the generosity of your regular contributions, we understand if your personal situation changes. You can change your pledge at any time.

FUMC received Pledge Cards last year but still suffered a cash flow issue earlier this year, how come?

The Pledge Cards represent projected annual contributions which are not necessarily evenly dispersed over 12 months. We have a reputation of being a “December-giving” church with a large amount of contributions arriving at the end of the year. This is often because people receive end-of-quarter/end-of-year bonuses, which they share with the church. That, coupled with smaller and irregular attendance during the summer months, makes managing the cash flow challenging. You can help offset these issues with regular contributions throughout the year. You may want to consider electronic giving as an option for those times when you cannot attend or simply forget.

I like having something to put in the Collection Plate. What do I do if I use Electronic Giving?

The Stewardship Purpose Area is designing new collection cards that will be available in the pews. You can use these reusable cards to drop into the collection plate each week. Additionally, if you utilize electronic giving we can eliminate the weekly offering envelopes that we send you. This helps us reduce printing costs and helps our environment at the same time.

How do I know what percentile my giving falls into?

You can compare your 3rd quarter giving statement (scheduled to arrive in October) to the Giving Calculator on the web site (www.FairfaxUMC.org/Stewardship). Using the calculator allows you to determine giving amounts on a weekly, semi-monthly, monthly, or annual basis. If the 650+ households who are not currently giving would give just one dollar a day, it would result in over $240,000 of additional contributions.

I really cannot afford to increase my giving in 2009.

You would be surprised how much power rests within a dollar. If each of the current 600+ contributing households increased their respective giving by one dollar a day ($365 annually), it would mean over $200,000 in additional contributions. The combined power of our individual dollars can go a long way in our mission of becoming Disciples of Christ.

View our 'How we Give' chart