Stewardship Questions and Answers, Part 1

What is stewardship?

Stewardship is the keeping, tending, safeguarding, and giving back of the gifts which God has given to us.

Why give?

God created us to be givers. God created us with the ability to give gifts to other people and doing so brings us joy and gratitude.

Why should I pledge versus simply giving?

Pledging helps both the giver and the church. Pledging helps the giver be intentional about what they are giving and by giving the gift spiritual grounding. Pledging helps the church in the budgeting process and by having an estimate of how much the church can expect to receive during any given time period.

If we were all to tithe would it be enough? Does tithing keep the church "open"?

With an Average Sunday Attendance of 75, with a range of family incomes between $15,000 and $100,000 on a normal bell curve, we would far exceed our current budget requirements if everyone tithed. Yes, tithing does help to keep the church “open.” However, it is not the only way to keep the church open.

How much does our church need?

Our current budget is at approximately $232,000 a year.

How does tithing help our town/community?

St. John’s has extensively given back to the community of Franklin throughout it’s lifetime. We support different organizations throughout the area, we give through different outreach programs, and most of all, we feed the hungry every month.