How much do you give at church?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We give $100 a week via ACH. That's about standard at our Episcopal Church (I served on stewardship for many years and could see pledge amounts but not tied to any names). There are some giving less and some giving more. I don't see many pledges less than $2K a year.

Also Episcopal and also have insight into this. I also have not seen many pledges under 2k. I'll add that most of them at our church were between 2k and 5k. And this was a well off congregation so people are not pledging anywhere near 10 percent.

Still, between 2k and 5k seems like a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Right now I give cash, maybe $20 every time we go.

If you went every week this would work out to about $86/mo which is .65% of your HHI.

For reference, 1% of your HHI would be $133/mo, 2% would be $267/mo, and 5% would be $667/mo. I think churches that expect 10% tend to be both conservative and in low COL areas. I think 1-2% is closer to the norm in more mainstream churches in high COL areas. If you want another reference, look up synagogue fees near you. Where we are (DMV) they can be $2-300/mo not including religious school.

Churches prefer that once you decide on your number, you pledge annually so they can predict their income and budget accordingly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not all churches stress tithing.
Don't feel pressured.
Decide what the church attendance means to you and what portion of your charitable budget you want to allocate.
$20 is $1000 a year. That's not insubstantial.

Yes, it is, for a family that has an income of 160k per year. Many people in the DMV who have incomes of less than that spend that much on Starbucks.

For a casual churchgoer it's plenty. If the family commits to the community then they can pledge. I note that listing pledge amounts is gentle extortion btw. I give all our charitable contributions to be listed anonymously. Plus our HHI is about $250-300K and we give about 1% to charity. We are cheapasses in life leaving our estate to charity.

[Anonymous]

I note that listing pledge amounts is gentle extortion btw.

It's really, really not. Pledges are a planning tool. Most non-Catholic churches do not get any diocesan support, and in fact usually have to donate (sometimes tithe) to the diocese.

Pledges allow churches to know whether they can hire in the upcoming year (or at least maintain current staff); whether they can tackle that big maintenance project they've probably been putting off for a few years; whether they can increase their missions work in their community or around the world. Our church estimates that, based on our current membership, that it costs about $4K per family to have the staff and buildings that we have. Some people can contribute more, offsetting the people who can contribute less. $4-5K annually is normal, and a small percentage of income in this area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I note that listing pledge amounts is gentle extortion btw.

It's really, really not. Pledges are a planning tool. Most non-Catholic churches do not get any diocesan support, and in fact usually have to donate (sometimes tithe) to the diocese.

Pledges allow churches to know whether they can hire in the upcoming year (or at least maintain current staff); whether they can tackle that big maintenance project they've probably been putting off for a few years; whether they can increase their missions work in their community or around the world. Our church estimates that, based on our current membership, that it costs about $4K per family to have the staff and buildings that we have. Some people can contribute more, offsetting the people who can contribute less. $4-5K annually is normal, and a small percentage of income in this area.

+1, people really need to understand that there's no one paying the bills but the congregation. And, since the church is member-run, both expenses and income should be made known to the members.

I agree that $20 in the plate is plenty if you're visiting, or going a couple times a year. But if you're a regular, and especially if your kid is in Sunday school, I think you have an obligation to both give and volunteer. The church does not run on $20 per week per family.

[Anonymous]

I said LISTING pledges not asking for them. Asking, setting expectations is different than listing names and amounts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I said LISTING pledges not asking for them. Asking, setting expectations is different than listing names and amounts.

Listing amounts (not names) is how you set expectations.

It's easy to ignore the church saying "2% please" but it's way more persuasive to see a list showing that 40% of the congregation gives 2% or more.

[Anonymous]

We give ~$2000 for Mass deductions - ~$25 for Sunday Mass, Holy Days and extra collections automatically and then kids through cash the basket. We attend the parish K8 and donate twice as much to the school. Once DC are through we will transfer school donations back to parish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not all churches stress tithing.
Don't feel pressured.
Decide what the church attendance means to you and what portion of your charitable budget you want to allocate.
$20 is $1000 a year. That's not insubstantial.

Yes, it is, for a family that has an income of 160k per year. Many people in the DMV who have incomes of less than that spend that much on Starbucks.

For a casual churchgoer it's plenty. If the family commits to the community then they can pledge. I note that listing pledge amounts is gentle extortion btw. I give all our charitable contributions to be listed anonymously. Plus our HHI is about $250-300K and we give about 1% to charity. We are cheapasses in life leaving our estate to charity.

I can see why you do so anonymously. To say your are "cheapasses" is putting it lightly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I note that listing pledge amounts is gentle extortion btw.

It's really, really not. Pledges are a planning tool. Most non-Catholic churches do not get any diocesan support, and in fact usually have to donate (sometimes tithe) to the diocese.

Pledges allow churches to know whether they can hire in the upcoming year (or at least maintain current staff); whether they can tackle that big maintenance project they've probably been putting off for a few years; whether they can increase their missions work in their community or around the world. Our church estimates that, based on our current membership, that it costs about $4K per family to have the staff and buildings that we have. Some people can contribute more, offsetting the people who can contribute less. $4-5K annually is normal, and a small percentage of income in this area.

+1, people really need to understand that there's no one paying the bills but the congregation. And, since the church is member-run, both expenses and income should be made known to the members.

I agree that $20 in the plate is plenty if you're visiting, or going a couple times a year. But if you're a regular, and especially if your kid is in Sunday school, I think you have an obligation to both give and volunteer. The church does not run on $20 per week per family.

This.

We have families with very large incomes who come every week and have their children in Sunday School and youth group who give very little. They want all of the benefits while contributing nothing. A church is a community. The building, the bulletins, the maintenance on the historic organ that you like photographing and posting, that wonderful Sunday School program ... these things cost money. And at least in my church the people coming on Sunday are the only ones paying for it. Big surprise, those who are not pledging but expect every benefit (don't get me started on the mommies that show up to the summer party with their cameras, all set to post) are also the ones who have not volunteered a minute of their time. They think the flowers magically appear on the altar, and the organ magically gets fixed, and the finances are magically taken care of, and the Sunday School programing appears out of thin air...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I said LISTING pledges not asking for them. Asking, setting expectations is different than listing names and amounts.

What church is listing names and amounts?

I'm on the finance committee at my church and I see amounts but never the names associated with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not all churches stress tithing.
Don't feel pressured.
Decide what the church attendance means to you and what portion of your charitable budget you want to allocate.
$20 is $1000 a year. That's not insubstantial.

Yes, it is, for a family that has an income of 160k per year. Many people in the DMV who have incomes of less than that spend that much on Starbucks.

For a casual churchgoer it's plenty. If the family commits to the community then they can pledge. I note that listing pledge amounts is gentle extortion btw. I give all our charitable contributions to be listed anonymously. Plus our HHI is about $250-300K and we give about 1% to charity. We are cheapasses in life leaving our estate to charity.

I can see why you do so anonymously. To say your are "cheapasses" is putting it lightly.

Yeah but we don't go to churches, use their schools or social functions or listen to those organs thst cost so much to maintain. We mail some checks off to bird sanctuaries, coral preservation groups, medical research. And cat shelters.

[Anonymous]

Our church just released how many families donate how much per week (no names, data collected in bands) and I was shocked in a bad way to discover that our family is in the top quartile of the parish in terms of donation and that about half our families don't donate at all. I don't think we are in the top quartile by income.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I note that listing pledge amounts is gentle extortion btw.

It's really, really not. Pledges are a planning tool. Most non-Catholic churches do not get any diocesan support, and in fact usually have to donate (sometimes tithe) to the diocese.

Pledges allow churches to know whether they can hire in the upcoming year (or at least maintain current staff); whether they can tackle that big maintenance project they've probably been putting off for a few years; whether they can increase their missions work in their community or around the world. Our church estimates that, based on our current membership, that it costs about $4K per family to have the staff and buildings that we have. Some people can contribute more, offsetting the people who can contribute less. $4-5K annually is normal, and a small percentage of income in this area.

+1, people really need to understand that there's no one paying the bills but the congregation. And, since the church is member-run, both expenses and income should be made known to the members.

I agree that $20 in the plate is plenty if you're visiting, or going a couple times a year. But if you're a regular, and especially if your kid is in Sunday school, I think you have an obligation to both give and volunteer. The church does not run on $20 per week per family.

This.

We have families with very large incomes who come every week and have their children in Sunday School and youth group who give very little. They want all of the benefits while contributing nothing. A church is a community. The building, the bulletins, the maintenance on the historic organ that you like photographing and posting, that wonderful Sunday School program ... these things cost money. And at least in my church the people coming on Sunday are the only ones paying for it. Big surprise, those who are not pledging but expect every benefit (don't get me started on the mommies that show up to the summer party with their cameras, all set to post) are also the ones who have not volunteered a minute of their time. They think the flowers magically appear on the altar, and the organ magically gets fixed, and the finances are magically taken care of, and the Sunday School programing appears out of thin air...

People like you are why I don’t go to church. How “Christian” and judgmental of you.

[Anonymous]

Tithe means 10%. That is what you are supposed to give.