STEWARDSHIP
Make your pledge to the Rehoboth Congregational Church for the 2022 year!
A LETTER FROM REV. SARAH
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Grace and peace, members and friends of the Rehoboth Congregational Church!
I am writing my stewardship letter this year with so much gratitude in my heart.
When we prepared last year’s budget, we were not sure what the year was going to look like – when we would be back in the building, what the logistics of being in-person would look like, or who would even be back when our doors opened again. We were hopeful, but also admittedly anxious of the unknown.
Our doors re-opened in June. We did attempt to move worship outdoors during the summer months, but quickly realized the logistics of setting up our audio and streaming equipment outside was simply too involved. And so, with excitement and great anticipation in our hearts, we gathered for worship in the sanctuary on June 13th for the first time in 15 months.
And it felt wonderful.
That morning, when I began to say those beloved words, “This is the day that the Lord has made,” and the church erupted in cheers, I started to cry. For 15 months, I preached in an empty sanctuary. For 15 months, you created your own worship spaces and welcomed me into your homes. For 15 months, I led unison prayers by myself and listened to Nathan sing alone. For 15 months, my Sunday morning greeting line happened in the comments on our livestream. For 15 months, I said that our church was not defined by a building – and it wasn’t, we certainly proved that!
But, at the same time, it meant so much to all of us to be back.
The summer felt like a much-needed slow and smooth transition back to in-person worship. Our attendance was steady, but felt manageable as we figured out how to incorporate our old elements of worship, while still engaging those worshiping online. We made slight adjustments as the weeks went on while, behind the scenes, preparing for Rally Day.
I have to be honest – I had no idea what to expect when the summer ended and our new program year began. I tried not to get my hopes up. I knew things had changed and that I had to be realistic about what that might mean.
And yet nothing prepared me for what happened on Rally Day; for that moment when I stood in front of a nearly-full (albeit masked!) church – or when I called the children up front for the children’s sermon and more than 40 kids piled onto the steps to the chancel.
In so many ways, it felt like resurrection – grace found in the most unexpected ways and places.
My dear friends, despite the unknowns of this year, we not only survived, but we are thriving – and for that I am so thankful.
Last year during stewardship season, there was a lot of shoulder shrugging and choruses of, “We just don’t know.” This year, it feels amazing to dream again – to look into the future and see the vision God has cast for us.
This year’s stewardship theme is, “The Breeze of God’s Grace,” which we came up with as a play on words from the new church management software we recently transitioned over to called Breeze. The goal of the software is to make managing your church a breeze, but it got us all thinking about what else is breezing through us right now. How is God breezing through our lives – both as individual Christians, but also as the church?
Typically during stewardship season, we wait until pledge forms have been received to start putting together next year’s budget and then we budget based on our projected income. This year, we decided to try something different; we started with a budget instead.
Last month we put together a draft budget for 2022 that we feel is realistic, but also lives into the vision God is casting for us as we enter this new season. To present a balanced budget, we set a goal of $145,000 in pledges. If you look at the charts on page four of the FAQ packet, you will see how that number fits in to the overall income side of our budget.
If you are curious how this goal compares to other year’s, pledges for our 2021 budget (during covid) totaled $130,000. Pledges for our 2020 budget totaled $150,000. Despite the fact that the challenges of the past 18 months have slowed the growth trajectory that our church had been on prior to covid, the enthusiastic response when we re-opened our building has made us cautiously optimistic that we will be able to get back on track this year.
So I invite you now to look through this year’s stewardship packet and then prayerfully consider your level of giving for 2022. Then, as the breeze of God’s grace moves through you, fill out your pledge form for next year.
This year’s pledge form includes a section for electronic giving – there is no separate form. If you use electronic giving or would like to sign up for the first time, please fill out that section of the pledge form. If you do not plan on using electronic giving, please indicate whether or not you would like weekly envelopes.
We kindly ask that you return your pledge form by Sunday, October 31st. If you would like to submit your pledge online, you can do so on our website: www.rehobothcongregational.org/pledge.
Whatever you give – and however you give – thank you. You were – and continue to be – my constant reminder that God’s grace is breezing through us.
With love and angeltude,
Rev. Sarah
I am writing my stewardship letter this year with so much gratitude in my heart.
When we prepared last year’s budget, we were not sure what the year was going to look like – when we would be back in the building, what the logistics of being in-person would look like, or who would even be back when our doors opened again. We were hopeful, but also admittedly anxious of the unknown.
Our doors re-opened in June. We did attempt to move worship outdoors during the summer months, but quickly realized the logistics of setting up our audio and streaming equipment outside was simply too involved. And so, with excitement and great anticipation in our hearts, we gathered for worship in the sanctuary on June 13th for the first time in 15 months.
And it felt wonderful.
That morning, when I began to say those beloved words, “This is the day that the Lord has made,” and the church erupted in cheers, I started to cry. For 15 months, I preached in an empty sanctuary. For 15 months, you created your own worship spaces and welcomed me into your homes. For 15 months, I led unison prayers by myself and listened to Nathan sing alone. For 15 months, my Sunday morning greeting line happened in the comments on our livestream. For 15 months, I said that our church was not defined by a building – and it wasn’t, we certainly proved that!
But, at the same time, it meant so much to all of us to be back.
The summer felt like a much-needed slow and smooth transition back to in-person worship. Our attendance was steady, but felt manageable as we figured out how to incorporate our old elements of worship, while still engaging those worshiping online. We made slight adjustments as the weeks went on while, behind the scenes, preparing for Rally Day.
I have to be honest – I had no idea what to expect when the summer ended and our new program year began. I tried not to get my hopes up. I knew things had changed and that I had to be realistic about what that might mean.
And yet nothing prepared me for what happened on Rally Day; for that moment when I stood in front of a nearly-full (albeit masked!) church – or when I called the children up front for the children’s sermon and more than 40 kids piled onto the steps to the chancel.
In so many ways, it felt like resurrection – grace found in the most unexpected ways and places.
My dear friends, despite the unknowns of this year, we not only survived, but we are thriving – and for that I am so thankful.
Last year during stewardship season, there was a lot of shoulder shrugging and choruses of, “We just don’t know.” This year, it feels amazing to dream again – to look into the future and see the vision God has cast for us.
This year’s stewardship theme is, “The Breeze of God’s Grace,” which we came up with as a play on words from the new church management software we recently transitioned over to called Breeze. The goal of the software is to make managing your church a breeze, but it got us all thinking about what else is breezing through us right now. How is God breezing through our lives – both as individual Christians, but also as the church?
Typically during stewardship season, we wait until pledge forms have been received to start putting together next year’s budget and then we budget based on our projected income. This year, we decided to try something different; we started with a budget instead.
Last month we put together a draft budget for 2022 that we feel is realistic, but also lives into the vision God is casting for us as we enter this new season. To present a balanced budget, we set a goal of $145,000 in pledges. If you look at the charts on page four of the FAQ packet, you will see how that number fits in to the overall income side of our budget.
If you are curious how this goal compares to other year’s, pledges for our 2021 budget (during covid) totaled $130,000. Pledges for our 2020 budget totaled $150,000. Despite the fact that the challenges of the past 18 months have slowed the growth trajectory that our church had been on prior to covid, the enthusiastic response when we re-opened our building has made us cautiously optimistic that we will be able to get back on track this year.
So I invite you now to look through this year’s stewardship packet and then prayerfully consider your level of giving for 2022. Then, as the breeze of God’s grace moves through you, fill out your pledge form for next year.
This year’s pledge form includes a section for electronic giving – there is no separate form. If you use electronic giving or would like to sign up for the first time, please fill out that section of the pledge form. If you do not plan on using electronic giving, please indicate whether or not you would like weekly envelopes.
We kindly ask that you return your pledge form by Sunday, October 31st. If you would like to submit your pledge online, you can do so on our website: www.rehobothcongregational.org/pledge.
Whatever you give – and however you give – thank you. You were – and continue to be – my constant reminder that God’s grace is breezing through us.
With love and angeltude,
Rev. Sarah
RCC MONEY FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Ever been curious how RCC raises and spends money?
Hopefully the answers to your questions can be found here!
Hopefully the answers to your questions can be found here!
FINANCIAL OFFICERS
While the Executive Board recommends a budget to the congregation for approval and oversees spending throughout the year, we do have Financial Officers that are responsible for handling the day-to-day fiscal responsibilities at the church.
Chief Financial Officer – Jeff Rutko – cfo@rehobothcongregational.org
The Chief Financial Officer oversees all our accounts, investments, and budgets. If you have any general questions about the budget or our finances, contact Jeff!
Financial Secretary – Holly DaSilva – financialsecretary@rehobothcongregational.org
The Financial Secretary is responsible for deposits. If you have any questions about the status of your pledge, setting up electronic giving or anything else regarding monetary donations to the church, contact Holly!
Treasurer – Jane Williams – treasurer@rehobothcongregational.org
The Treasurer is responsible for paying bills, submitting payroll, reimbursements and providing budget balances. If you have a question about reimbursement checks or your committee's budget balance, contact Jane!
While the Executive Board recommends a budget to the congregation for approval and oversees spending throughout the year, we do have Financial Officers that are responsible for handling the day-to-day fiscal responsibilities at the church.
Chief Financial Officer – Jeff Rutko – cfo@rehobothcongregational.org
The Chief Financial Officer oversees all our accounts, investments, and budgets. If you have any general questions about the budget or our finances, contact Jeff!
Financial Secretary – Holly DaSilva – financialsecretary@rehobothcongregational.org
The Financial Secretary is responsible for deposits. If you have any questions about the status of your pledge, setting up electronic giving or anything else regarding monetary donations to the church, contact Holly!
Treasurer – Jane Williams – treasurer@rehobothcongregational.org
The Treasurer is responsible for paying bills, submitting payroll, reimbursements and providing budget balances. If you have a question about reimbursement checks or your committee's budget balance, contact Jane!
INCOME FAQS
RCC must have bills, like any other business or household. Where does the money come from to pay those bills? Most of the necessary income for our operating expenses come from pledges through stewardship campaigns, just like this one! Approximately 70% of the income for our operating budget comes from pledges, gifts and other offerings from individuals and families. The rest of the income for our operating budget comes from miscellaneous donations, fundraising and the bazaar, building usage and investments. The proceeds from the sale of the parsonage in 2018 went into an investment fund and we receive a monthly allowance that provides half of Rev. Sarah’s housing allowance. The other half comes from money re-allocated from previously budgeted parsonage expenses. Please see pie charts below to see a breakdown of income and expenses by category.
What is RCC’s fiscal year? We operate on a January-December fiscal year. Budgets for the following year are prepared in the fall and voted on by our members at our annual meeting in December.
Does the church have an endowment that can help with some of its bills? Yes; the church does have an several investments that yield income annually. But, due to restrictions that were put in place when the money was donated, most of the income is not accessible for use in our operating budget. The money is used in other areas of the church – some examples include building projects, scholarships, mission donations and special music. We do get a small amount of money (approximately $10,000-$15,000 annually) that can be used in the operating budget from the Elsie Carpenter Endowment.
Does RCC receive financial support from a national or regional church or denomination? No; the national and regional United Church of Christ organizations provide certain non-financial resources to RCC, but no financial support. RCC pays a small amount to both national and regional United Church of Christ organizations to support their operations.
RCC must have bills, like any other business or household. Where does the money come from to pay those bills? Most of the necessary income for our operating expenses come from pledges through stewardship campaigns, just like this one! Approximately 70% of the income for our operating budget comes from pledges, gifts and other offerings from individuals and families. The rest of the income for our operating budget comes from miscellaneous donations, fundraising and the bazaar, building usage and investments. The proceeds from the sale of the parsonage in 2018 went into an investment fund and we receive a monthly allowance that provides half of Rev. Sarah’s housing allowance. The other half comes from money re-allocated from previously budgeted parsonage expenses. Please see pie charts below to see a breakdown of income and expenses by category.
What is RCC’s fiscal year? We operate on a January-December fiscal year. Budgets for the following year are prepared in the fall and voted on by our members at our annual meeting in December.
Does the church have an endowment that can help with some of its bills? Yes; the church does have an several investments that yield income annually. But, due to restrictions that were put in place when the money was donated, most of the income is not accessible for use in our operating budget. The money is used in other areas of the church – some examples include building projects, scholarships, mission donations and special music. We do get a small amount of money (approximately $10,000-$15,000 annually) that can be used in the operating budget from the Elsie Carpenter Endowment.
Does RCC receive financial support from a national or regional church or denomination? No; the national and regional United Church of Christ organizations provide certain non-financial resources to RCC, but no financial support. RCC pays a small amount to both national and regional United Church of Christ organizations to support their operations.
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COVID MONEY FAQs
What did the financial landscape of the church look like during covid? Thankfully, we were able to maintain a relatively steady pace throughout covid. Funds from the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) helped tremendously with cashflow. We received $31,157 in May of 2020 and an additional $32,444.48 in February of 2021. Our first round of PPP was forgiven and, as of October 2021, we have applied for a second round of forgiveness. In terms of our 2021 budget, we are pleased to be on track and in slightly better shape than we were at this time last year. We are grateful to everyone who has stayed current on their pledges and cautiously optimistic for the upcoming year.
Did our expenses go down during covid because we were not in the building? Slightly, but not enough to make a significant difference in our expenses. There is still a cost to maintain a building as big as ours, even without a lot of foot traffic. More importantly, a significant percentage of our operating budget – over 70% – is staff compensation and benefits.
What did the financial landscape of the church look like during covid? Thankfully, we were able to maintain a relatively steady pace throughout covid. Funds from the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) helped tremendously with cashflow. We received $31,157 in May of 2020 and an additional $32,444.48 in February of 2021. Our first round of PPP was forgiven and, as of October 2021, we have applied for a second round of forgiveness. In terms of our 2021 budget, we are pleased to be on track and in slightly better shape than we were at this time last year. We are grateful to everyone who has stayed current on their pledges and cautiously optimistic for the upcoming year.
Did our expenses go down during covid because we were not in the building? Slightly, but not enough to make a significant difference in our expenses. There is still a cost to maintain a building as big as ours, even without a lot of foot traffic. More importantly, a significant percentage of our operating budget – over 70% – is staff compensation and benefits.
PLEDGING FAQS
I donate on a regular basis. Why is it important that I pledge? Pledges are crucial to the budgeting process at our church. Over 50% of the income for our operating budget comes directly from income pledged during our stewardship campaign, so we need this number to be as accurate as possible.
Does my pledge amount or donation affect my standing at RCC? No; neither membership nor opportunities to serve are contingent on you pledging a certain amount.
How much should I pledge? Is there a specific amount required or recommended percentage of income? We ask members and friends to be generous with their pledges, considering the value of RCC and the importance of its mission, along with how much they can give. There is not a required amount or percentage of income.
Is my pledge an enforceable contract? What if I am uncertain about the future and am reluctant to pledge? Your pledge is not an enforceable contract. While we ask that all pledges reflect a real intent to donate, if you have a change in circumstance throughout the year, you can change your pledge at any time during the year by contacting Holly DaSilva, our Financial Secretary.
If I make a pledge, how often do I have to donate? It depends on what works best for you. Some people choose to make one payment annually and others donate weekly or monthly. If you would like weekly envelopes, please indicate that on your pledge form!
Can I submit a one-time gift or prepay my pledge (i.e. donate money before December 31, 2021 for tax or other reason but have it apply towards the 2022 budget)? Yes, but please fill out a pledge card so we will be directed to apply your donation towards the 2022 budget. For individual tax purposes, all checks mailed before the end of 2021 WILL be deposited before the year-end!
I donate on a regular basis. Why is it important that I pledge? Pledges are crucial to the budgeting process at our church. Over 50% of the income for our operating budget comes directly from income pledged during our stewardship campaign, so we need this number to be as accurate as possible.
Does my pledge amount or donation affect my standing at RCC? No; neither membership nor opportunities to serve are contingent on you pledging a certain amount.
How much should I pledge? Is there a specific amount required or recommended percentage of income? We ask members and friends to be generous with their pledges, considering the value of RCC and the importance of its mission, along with how much they can give. There is not a required amount or percentage of income.
Is my pledge an enforceable contract? What if I am uncertain about the future and am reluctant to pledge? Your pledge is not an enforceable contract. While we ask that all pledges reflect a real intent to donate, if you have a change in circumstance throughout the year, you can change your pledge at any time during the year by contacting Holly DaSilva, our Financial Secretary.
If I make a pledge, how often do I have to donate? It depends on what works best for you. Some people choose to make one payment annually and others donate weekly or monthly. If you would like weekly envelopes, please indicate that on your pledge form!
Can I submit a one-time gift or prepay my pledge (i.e. donate money before December 31, 2021 for tax or other reason but have it apply towards the 2022 budget)? Yes, but please fill out a pledge card so we will be directed to apply your donation towards the 2022 budget. For individual tax purposes, all checks mailed before the end of 2021 WILL be deposited before the year-end!
ELECTRONIC GIVING FAQS
I am so bad at writing checks! Is there any way I can set up automatic donations? Yes! Many of our members utilize and enjoy the convenience of electronic giving. In January of 2022, RCC will begin using Breeze to handle all its electronic donations. Breeze is a church management software that we transitioned to using this fall that includes an option for electronic giving (our previous church management software, Power Church, did not have that option, which is why we previously used a service called VANCO for electronic giving). With Breeze, your bank information is safe and secure. If you are interested in signing up for electronic giving, please fill out the necessary information on your pledge card and include a voided check when you submit it.
I already give electronically. Do I need to fill out a new electronic giving authorization form? Yes; sorry we know that’s a pain! But because we are making the transition to Breeze this year, we need updated authorization.
When will the money come out of my bank account? You tell us! When you fill out your pledge form, please indicate what day(s) of the month you would like your pledge withdrawn.
I am so bad at writing checks! Is there any way I can set up automatic donations? Yes! Many of our members utilize and enjoy the convenience of electronic giving. In January of 2022, RCC will begin using Breeze to handle all its electronic donations. Breeze is a church management software that we transitioned to using this fall that includes an option for electronic giving (our previous church management software, Power Church, did not have that option, which is why we previously used a service called VANCO for electronic giving). With Breeze, your bank information is safe and secure. If you are interested in signing up for electronic giving, please fill out the necessary information on your pledge card and include a voided check when you submit it.
I already give electronically. Do I need to fill out a new electronic giving authorization form? Yes; sorry we know that’s a pain! But because we are making the transition to Breeze this year, we need updated authorization.
When will the money come out of my bank account? You tell us! When you fill out your pledge form, please indicate what day(s) of the month you would like your pledge withdrawn.
READY TO PLEDGE FAQS
I am ready to pledge! What do I have to do next? Great! Either fill out the pledge form linked below or download a paper version here and mail is back to the church office (Rehoboth Congregational Church • P.O. Box 325 • Rehoboth, MA 02769) OR fill out this online pledge form which can be found by visiting our website: rehobothcongregational.org/pledge.
When are pledge forms due back? Please return pledge forms by Sunday, October 31, 2021.
I am ready to pledge! What do I have to do next? Great! Either fill out the pledge form linked below or download a paper version here and mail is back to the church office (Rehoboth Congregational Church • P.O. Box 325 • Rehoboth, MA 02769) OR fill out this online pledge form which can be found by visiting our website: rehobothcongregational.org/pledge.
When are pledge forms due back? Please return pledge forms by Sunday, October 31, 2021.
