Stewardship 2026: Abounding in Hope

Stewardship is an expression of gratitude and thankfulness for the blessings of life that come from God. God is love shared and love returned. Practically, it means making gifts of financial resources as well as time and abilities to support the mission and ministry of the parish.

The Episcopal Church operates on a pledging system rather than relying solely on the offering plate each Sunday. The pledges are gathered during the Fall “ Stewardship Season.”

Based upon the total pledged amount, the Vestry (elected lay leadership of the Church) and the Finance Committee (appointed by the Vestry to oversee the financial aspects of the Church) prepare a budget, decide staff raises, and generally plan the financial direction of the church for the following year. Your vestry does its best to operate the church on a sound financial basis, and knowing what the church can expect in income enhances the vestry’s ability to plan responsibly.

Absolutely not, Time and service given to others are critical components of stewardship. Our church can’t function without all three gifts of money, time, and service.

Yes! There are a number of ways to pay your pledge:

Plate, Cash, or Check: Parishioners can always put their pledge in the collection plate on Sunday. If you pay with cash, you should notify the office that you need envelopes so the cash can be properly recorded against your pledge. If you pay by check, this will automatically be subtracted from your pledge.

Automatic payments by check: Many parishioners set up their bill pay services to mail a check directly to the church at St. Andrews Church, P.O. Box 298, Ayer, MA 01432. This can be done in the frequency selected by the parishioner (e.g., weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.) These payments are recorded against the pledge record of the parishioner.

Donations of stock: Stock can be donated by making transfers into a parish account. E-mail our treasurer, Karyn Paglierani, at kpaglierani@standrewsayer.org if you need more information on this option.Online payments – St. Andrews is registered with Breeze, an online giving service. You can fill out your pledge online and set up automatic payments at whatever frequency you wish. There is a 3% fee to the church for gifts offered through a credit card, and only a 1% fee to the church for gifts offered directly from a bank account, so we prefer the latter. You may also pay the fee on behalf of the parish. You can find a link to set up your online pledge at:

https://www.standrewsayer.org/give

Because your annual stewardship pledge is used to fund St. Andrew’s general operating expenses, we can’t allow designated pledges that could potentially limit our ability to meet our expenses. Annual pledging is meant for the general use of the Vestry to pay staff, maintain the church, pay utilities, fund the church school, pay for coffee hour supplies and other events (such as the parish picnics, annual meetings, etc.), provide money for Mission, and run the office .Should you wish to give money in addition to your pledge for a specific purpose outside of operating expenses or other directed contributions outlined below, please speak first with the wardens, treasurer, and/or Rector.

Yes, quarterly statements are sent to parishioners outlining where they are in relation to their pledge. If you donate stock, you will receive a separate letter outlining the value of the stock on the day it was received.

If you are new to pledging, this can sound like a big commitment, but pledging is important at any level, and is not just for big donors. If you think you can afford $10/month, then pledge $120 for the year. If you think you can afford what it costs for a cup of coffee each day of the workweek ($18/week), pledge $936 for the year. If you can afford to pledge what you spend on your cable bill or streaming subscriptions ($200/month), pledge $2,400 for the year. If circumstances change (for better or for worse), you can also change your pledge if you need to mid-year.

The most important aspect of this question is a pastoral one. If you are having issues in your life, please contact Reverent Mia for help. If you are having financial difficulties and do not need or want pastoral help, please send an email to the church office (info@standrewsayer.org) outlining what the changes will be in your pledge for the current year. You do not need to explain; life circumstances can alter our ability to meet our pledge. This information will be kept in strictest confidence; however, telling us you cannot make your pledge will allow course correction for the budget if necessary.