Christ Episcopal Church Stewardship programs

A letter from your Stewardship Committee

Please click here to see the Stewardship Committee's letter to the parish about this year's annual giving programs and special guest speaker.
If you experience difficulty opening this link the text is provided below the pledge card article.

For a copy of the pledge card, please see below


Please return pledge card or otherwise communicate pledge to church by Sunday, November 6th. Please make your pledge known by any of the following: mail pledge card to Christ Church, 114 W. Boscawen Street, Winchester, VA 22601.  You can also place the pledge card in the collection plate on Sunday mornings or hand deliver pledge card to church office.  If you wish to submit your pledge to the church via email, please provide the information requested on the pledge card and return to gsmith@christchurchwinchester.org [use this specific address to assure confidentiality]

Invitation letter

Stewardship Mission Prayer:

"Ever living God, whose will it is that all should come to you through your Son Jesus Christ: Inspire our witness to him, that all may know the power of his forgiveness and the hope of his resurrection; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

The One Percent Solution:

Our Mission:

 "A few seeds make a small harvest, but a lot of seeds make a big harvest"   ---a 1% increase in gifting from each of us can do amazing things  -  one more "seed" from each of us -

Dear Friend of Christ Church,

Please join the stewardship committee and the Vestry for a potluck styled dinner on Thursday, October 27, at 6pm, in the Tilford Room to learn about “The One Percent Solution.”

“Why do we give money to the church?” a child asks her mother, who is filling Sunday’s offering envelope. How will the mother answer her daughter’s question? How do we answer this question for ourselves? Do we say that we give to help pay the church’s bills? Do we say that we give because of all the good things the church does such as teaching children, standing for the best things in the  community, fostering happiness and human welfare, providing help, friendship, and caring for people  in need?

If we ask people to give in order to get, people might conclude that God is an entity whose favor we can purchase. If we ask people to give out of obedience to a divine command to tithe, God might become an angry judge who demands and enforces. If we ask people to give out of gratitude, people might understand God to be the source of everything we are and all we have, and that God lovingly provides for us.

The key stewardship question for each of us becomes: “Why should I give to the church?” Our clergy or the stewardship chair cannot answer this question for us. We must supply our own answer. What  we can say is giving out of love, gratitude and thanksgiving are all answers consistent with the view of Christian understanding that God is the God of grace. A grace we receive as an unearned and  unmerited gift from our creator. Our confirmation of this is the gift of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

 As a growing and caring congregation, your annual gifting has supported many programs and ministries:

Outreach

  • CCAP donations to help our area's homeless and low-income families with food, clothing, school supplies, etc.
  • Salvation Army dinners plus donations to their general fund,
  • Stop Hunger Now program – in one day, meals were assembled by our congregation that help to feed 15,000 people!
  • Donations to International Justice Mission and to the Episcopal Church Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society,      
  • The Collection of gifts for needy children through the Salvation Army at Christmas,
  • Support of local AA programs,
  • National Christian service (as administered by our Diocese),
  • Support of local organizations such as the Evans Home, Laurel Center (for abused women and their children), Healthy Families, Free Medical Clinic, Migrant agencies (Frederick C. Fruit Growers), Blue Ridge Hospice, Meals on Wheels, Powhatan Sports Camp and many more.
  • Other important programs in our parish life where your gifts contribute significantly are:  Prayer Shawl Ministry, OWLS, Men’s Group, and the Treasure Box.

Your gifts also help fund:   

Youth Programs    

  • Sunday school,
  • Annual Vacation Bible School hosted with Grace Lutheran,
  • Youth Choirs like Alleluia Singers,
  • Support of the International Heifer Project,
  • Gleaning project,
  • Teen programs,
  • Sunday Youth Group,
  • SINGG

Pastoral Care

  • Parish Nurse Ministry,
  • Services at Westminster Canterbury,
  • Our Annual Community Health Fair.
  • Visits and meals to the sick.
  • Health Education. 

Worship

  • Women’s Spirituality Group/ prayer group
  • Communion and program to offer Communion to shut-ins each week,
  • Special Needs Services,
  • Blessing of the Animals Service,
  • Baptisms!
  • Shrine Mont retreat and worship service,
  • Altar Guild,
  • Adult and Youth Choirs…and our newly formed hand bell choir,

Properties:

  • Responsible for maintaining our house of worship and historic properties.

New programs planned for 2011-2012

  • Meal delivery service for families or individuals in our parish (due to illness, injury, family crisis)
  • Christmas Care Packages for our men and women serving in the military
  • As well as new opportunities in Christian formation, worship and youth ministries.

Regardless of our reasons, when we give to the church we are living out the gospel today that was  given to us two thousand years ago. So it is that we give to God in response to all that God has given us, and work done in, the world. In other words, we give in response to the gospel.

The clergy and stewardship committee of Christ Church ask that you include in your celebration of the gospel and your life in the Kingdom of God your loving support of your church home. We asking for a 1% increase in your gift for calendar 2012 above your 2011 level—thus, the 1% solution.  That’s It! Please return your enclosed pledge card by All Saints Sunday---November 6th.

 In closing, let us all remember this prayer of giving:--"Lord, give us the habit of prayer, study, fellowship, and giving.  Help us to grow in love and grace.  May we offer ourselves and our lives as living sacrifice to you?  Amen"   - Helen Forshaw, Trinity Episcopal church, Easton, PA  

Blessings,

 Chris Ferguson, Chris Francis, Ann Hinkle, Kathy Nerangis, Marty Tabaka