Community stewardship is an integral part of the parish at the Church of St. Andrew.
Stewardship is about what we do every day with what we have. At its heart, it expresses our own personal values, the priorities in our lives, and our relationship to God. We invite all parishioners of the Church of Saint Andrew to take this journey of spiritual growth.
As Christians stewards, the deepest and truest response we can make to all that has come to us through God's grace is one of profound gratitude, and flowing from that gratitude, generosity. What each of us does with the 24 hours we are given every day, and with the varied talents and financial resources, says a lot about who we are and what we value. We are called to use these gifts of time, talent and money for the good of others and for the good of God's work in our world.
The Church of Saint Andrew is also a gift that has been entrusted to us. This beautiful building, historic cemetery, the Parish Hall, the Rectory, and the legacy of those who came before us are not ours to keep. Rather, they are ours to care for, to strengthen and preserve for the future generations. Hundreds of parishioners respond as stewards by giving their time and talent to make possible the vibrant life we experience together. Financial support is also an essential element in our stewardship of the Church of Saint Andrew.
GIVING OF OUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Annual Gift:
Our annual giving effort every Fall Season is an organized reminder to ourselves that we are called to give generously to make possible the ministries of the Church of Saint Andrew. We are not called to respond casually not to give what is left over at the end of the year. We are asked to consider our gift for the year in the context of God's presence in our lives and in proportion to our annual income, asking ourselves, "What will we give back to God for the gift of life and for the gift of this Church of Saint Andrew?"
Capital Gift:
One of the greatest blessings of the Church of Saint Andrew - and one that we are called to preserve for future generations - is our magnificent Church, built in 1872, and our Cemetery, which dates back nearly 300 years. In the Fall of 2004 we will begin the pledging process for Capital Campaign by asking parishioners to make pledges payable over a three or five year period. Our goal is $750,000 which will be used to first, restore the steeple, and secondly, to preserve and improve our cemetery, buildings and grounds. The second phase of the Capital Campaign will focus on increasing the endowment and to support outreach to the borough of Staten Island. Over the next few months you will be hearing more about this plan. We welcome and encourage everyone's participation.
Planned Gift:
Through the Church of Saint Andrew's Planned Giving program, we seek to sustain our witness beyond our lives and to carry on the great heritage and mission in perpetuity. Through instruments such as trust and bequests, parishioners may commit defined assets to the church at a specific, future date, realizing significant tax benefits. A goal of the Planned Giving Program is to create an environment in which parishioners become more comfortable with issues relating to end of life. Several workshops are offered throughout the year about Planned Giving.
