Why We Give
Why We Give
Jesus said, "Give all that you have away to the poor, then follow me." The man departed despondent because he was a wealthy man who did not want to part with his riches. Jesus told the disciples, "It is harder for a rich man to get to heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle."
A Message from our Offering Counters
At Eastertime, as at Christmas, there are a number of special offerings that parishioners wish to support. We ask that you please write a separate check for each purpose for which you are making a gift. For instance, if you are giving toward your 2013 pledge, the Easter offering, and One Great Hour of Sharing, you would write three checks, with the purpose noted on the memo line of each. This makes the monumental task of counting the offering much easier. Thank you!
The Easter Offering Will Support:
• Pastor's Emergency Fund. Families remain under severe economic pressure and face eviction and homelessness due to job loss or illness sustained by the breadwinner. We are working closely with other key players, including the interfaith community, Salvation Army, and Catholic Charities to achieve maximum impact.
• St. Phillip's United Methodist Church Soup Kitchen. This program serves as a lifeline to those in need and a gateway to positive change in Paterson. West Siders prepare a meal for the soup kitchen each month. The Soup Kitchen has recently added tutoring in a growing program dedicated to the scholastic improvement of the children as well.
• Social Services Association (SSA) of Ridgewood and Vicinity. Basic food essentials are provided to SSA's elderly and financially eligible clients. Housing assistance is also provided through emergency rent/mortgage and utility payments, when individuals have nowhere else to go.
• Center for Food Action (CFA). This organization reliably provides food to needy families in northern New Jersey to sustain them during difficult times when funds are scarce.
• Hurricane Sandy Relief. We have and will continue to send teams to Toms River to help storm victims rebuild their homes and lives after the devastation of Sandy.
• One Great Hour of Sharing. This offering provides help to the needy in the U.S. and around the world through the work of the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, the Presbyterian Hunger Program, and the Self-Development of People Program.
Year-to-Date Income and Expenses through February 28th
Total income to date $236,284.17
Total expenses to date 229,577.22
Positive cash flow 6,706.95
Per Capita
The 2013 Per Capita is $35 for each active member of the congregation. It supports the operation of the PCUSA at the Presbytery, Synod, and National level. There is a special envelope in each offering envelope box for this purpose, or you can simply write "Per Capita" on the memo line of your check. Thank you!
The Grace Filled Heart Gives
"The Grace Filled Heart Gives" was the theme of the recent Stewardship drive for 2012's operating budget. We give from the plenty with which God has blessed us...and in turn we are blessed with the joy of knowing we are supporting God's work in this place. The pledging of West Siders collectively determines the annual budget and the level to which various ministries be supported. It is never to late to make a pledge. See the link at the top of the How To Give page...or you can contact Carolyn Conetta for a pledge card at 201-652-1966, ext. 21, or by emailing her at carolyn@westside.org.
Our elders and trustees are concerned about our finances, but believe we have positive momentum as our ministries move forward. Let us together give what we can. Thank you for your generosity.
Budget Update: We ended the 2012 budget year with a $200,000 loss. Several have made special gifts to make up some of this gap. Our officers meet tomorrow night to discuss what steps need to be taken. Pray for West Side's financial health.
As Christians, our faith-based desire to help others can carry into the future and may be accomplished by a will, a trust, or a life income plan. You can specify the use or purpose of your gift, such as youth programs, mission work, or other areas of the church and ministry. Or your gift may be unrestricted, permitting the Church to use your gift where the need is greatest. For further information, see Keith Schnaars.
Special Offerings
During the course of the year, there are special offerings for designated purposes, usually related to mission.
- At Christmas, there is a Christmas Joy Offering, proceeds of which go to 4-5 mission projects or programs selected in advance by the Mission & Social Concerns Council. There is also a special offering for Family Promise, the interfaith program to provide housing for homeless families which West Side also provides housing for three times each year.
- At Easter there is an Easter Offering to support approximately 5 mission programs, plus the One Great Hour of Sharing which supports Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.
- On Pentecost, there is a special offering that goes to support programs for youth at risk.
- When there are specific needs, usually related to some natural disaster, there will be a special offering taken to support those specific relief efforts, such as following the earthquake in Haiti.
Pastor's Discretionary Fund
The Pastor's Discretionary Fund is used to help people who find themselves in need of emergency cash. Recently it has been used to help those who are being evicted from their homes. Just recently we helped a woman here in Ridgewood whose husband and daughter were in a car accident in Oklahoma City. She needed emergency help to travel there, so she could bring her husband and daughter home. Many of us have given thousands to this fund over the past year, and we have helped dozens of people. Thanks for your generosity.
The fund is currently out of money.
--Pastor Gareth Icenogle