Stewardship begins not with a campaign, strategy, or plan.  It is not rooted in the nuts and bolts of running a church. Stewardship begins with our awareness of God's abundance and our response. Being grateful and responsible stewards of the gifts we receive from God is at the heart of stewardship. It is about reaching out to build relationships and to serve God from a perspective of abundance instead of scarcity. 
 
Each Fall, St. John's solicits financial giving estimates/pledges for the coming year. They allow the church to more effectively plan and budget for the coming year. Whatever your commitment, it is important to return a card for our records and planning purposes.  You can always change it if your financial circumstances change.
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​As faithful Christians we contribute our treasure, our time, and our talents to serving others and sharing God’s love. 

A giving estimate/pledge is a commitment to give a certain amount of money to help St. John's community sustain and grow. You can always change it if your financial circumstances change.  You are welcome here, and your giving estimate helps us extend that welcome to others. Annual giving estimates/pledges and the Sunday offerings are the main source of funding for St. John's operating expenses.

Giving/pledging is about your relationship with God and St. John's. Giving to St. John's is different from financial contributions you might make to your alma mater or charitable organizations. A giving estimate/pledge acknowledges that everything we have comes from God. It allows you to share your many blessings while simultaneously furthering God’s mission of love and compassion in the world. This allows you an opportunity to put your faith in action and deepen your connection with God.

Practically speaking, a giving estimate/pledge lets you plan your charitable giving for the year and makes tax accounting easier. 

In addition, giving estimates/pledging benefits St. John's greatly. The church depends upon your financial contributions, in addition to your commitment and participation in other parish activities, to do its work and ministry. Making a giving estimate/pledge enables our vestry to better plan how to use our resources. The Vestry establishes an annual budget based upon the total amount pledged to the church. While regular non-pledged giving is important, a pledge helps the Vestry plan more accurately and better enables our ministries to thrive and grow.

Pledge cards will be mailed and available at the church. You may fill one out and return it to the church, either by mail; by placing it in the offering plate during worship services; or by delivering it to the Church office. You may also fill out a giving estimate/pledge form online if you prefer at this link.

Returning your pledge card represents your promise to make a financial contribution to St. John's. You may pay your pledge on any schedule that suits your needs: weekly, monthly, quarterly, or in one annual payment. 

​Direct Giving
You can support the ministry of St. John's by placing
cash or checks in the offering plate during Sunday services, or by mailing checks, made out to “St. John's Episcopal Church” to St. John's Episcopal Church, 134 North Broad Street, Lancaster, Ohio 43130. 

Automatic Giving Through Your Bank
Schedule your monthly pledge via the online bill pay services at your bank. You can add St. John's as an account and schedule automated payments. Please contact your bank directly for more information. Be sure to give the mailing address to the bank: St. John's Episcopal Church, 134 North Broad Street, Lancaster, Ohio 43130

Online Through REALM
This link will take you to our convenient online giving page where you can schedule bank drafts from your account or pay by credit card. We have partnered with Realm to provide a safe and secure online giving option for our parishioners. 

Stock, Securities, IRA Accounts and Donor Advised Funds
You can receive tax benefits with a gift of appreciated stock. For more information, call your personal financial advisor.  The St. John's Episcopal Church gift account is at Stifel. Please direct your broker to furnish your name so the church can give you proper credit.
 
If you are 70-1⁄2 and have a traditional IRA, an IRA charitable transfer may be a good choice. You may transfer up to $100,000 annually directly from your IRA tax-free. For details, consult your financial advisor or call our office. St. John's can provide you a sample letter to send to the plan administrator.
 
If you have a donor advised fund (DAF), you recommend grants to charity from your DAF. Please let us know that you will use your DAF to makes gifts unless you wish to remain anonymous.
 
Matching Gifts
Check with your employer. Some employers match contributions to charitable organizations. This benefit may double your gift.
St. John's Episcopal Church, Lancaster, Ohio, 43130
Federal Tax ID: 31-4379626