OPPORTUNITIES FOR GIVING
Christian Stewardship at its core
is the heartfelt belief that all we have is a blessing from
God - every breath we take, every loved one, every freedom,
every talent and ability, every material possession and every
natural element in our environment. Though we will inevitably
face challenges and hardships during our lifetime, those who
maintain a steward's perspective find peace and contentment in
what they have rather in what they do not have. Appreciating
how gifted they are by God, Christian Stewards are freed up to
give of themselves in proportion to their many blessings.
Today more than ever there is a
great need to strengthen our parishes as they, in turn, serve
as a vital source of support to the communities. The heartbeat
of our Church can be found in our parishes. The parish is the
single most important unit of the Church. We as a parish have
been blessed by the Lord in so many ways. It begins with
our Eucharistic celebration and extends to our community of
faith.
Finances are obviously very important to support our ministry,
and we appreciate the generous support we receive from our
parishioners. As Catholics, we recognize that all we have
– our time, our talents, our resources, even our very lives
– are gifts from God. We are called to be good stewards
of all these gifts, investing them wisely and generously for the
sake of God’s Kingdom. We know that our Lord’s promise
is to “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all
these things shall be yours as well.”
As a faithful contributor all your
life, you understand the importance of ongoing support. Our
parishes rely on the generosity of parishioners who give
through the offertory or support schools through tuition.
Regular, planned, sacrificial giving provides resources needed
for our parish to fulfill its stated mission. Your
sustaining gifts provide for worship services, pastoral,
educational, and administrative staff, as well as community
outreach initiatives, providing for the poor and needy of our
parish and community. In addition to cash collections at
weekly Mass, we provide a number of options for annual giving:
WEEKLY ENVELOPES-
Plan your gift as part of your
monthly budget and elect to use weekly envelopes.
Simply email our support staff and request offertory
envelopes to be sent to you. Email parish@stjohn-frederick.org.
ELECTRONIC
TRANSFERS-
The most convenient way to
make your annual giving commitment is by electronic
transfer of funds to your parish. Elect to have
your monthly gift automatically deducted from your
designated checking or saving accounts. Click HERE
to display the sign-up form. Print and complete
the form, sign it, send a copy of your voided check or
deposit ticket and mail it to:
St. John the Evangelist
Catholic Church
112 E. Second Street
Frederick, Md. 21701
You can also drop it
in a sealed envelope in the offertory collection
basket on Saturday/Sunday or take it to the
Parish Office. Changes to your electronic
transfer simply require filling in the form with
the revised information and submitting again.
For more information about electronic fund
transfer, click on the link under
"Stewardship".
If you have
questions or suggestions about annual giving
commitments and options, please send an
email to the Finance Committee at parish@stjohn-frederick.org.
Regular, predictable giving
provides a critical foundation for the Pastor, the Finance
Committee, and the Staff to build upon in carrying out the
mission of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church!
Together we will make it happen!!
Electronic Funds Transfer
FAQ
Q. What is EFT?
EFT stands for Electronic Funds Transfer. It is an automated transfer program that allows you to make contributions without writing checks.
Q. How is my electronic gift deducted from my checking/savings account?
Once you authorize the transfer from either one of your accounts, your specified contribution is electronically transferred from the account to the church’s account. If the account you are withdrawing from is your checking account, you will need to include a voided check with the authorization form. If using your savings account, please include a deposit slip.
Q. When would this automatic contribution be taken from my account?
You have two options:
1. Monthly from checking or savings accounts deducted on the 5th of every month.
2. Monthly from checking or savings accounts deducted on the 20th of every month.
Q. How can I keep a record of the amount I have contributed?
Since your contribution is made on a pre-established day, you simply record it in your check register on the appropriate day. Your bank statement will include an itemized list of electronic transfers deducted from your account. St. John’s will continue to provide you with an annual contribution record for your taxes.
Q. Are electronic contributions risky?
Absolutely not! An electronic contribution is safer than writing a check! An electronic funds transfer cannot be lost, stolen, or destroyed in the mail. Traditional paper checks not only have account information on them, but also names, addresses, and in some instances, even phone numbers and social security numbers. Parishioners do not have to worry about bringing a check or having cash in their wallet at each service. The Federal Reserve regulates all EFT transactions.
Q. What if I change banks or want to change the amount of my contribution?
You can change your EFT giving choices at any time by notifying the Parish Office at (301) 662-8288 or by email to
parish@stjohn-frederick.org
. Cancellations are processed within five business days. So you need to be sure to cancel at lease five days before the 5th or the 20th of the month depending on what date you have chosen. You can change the amount twice in any calendar year.
Q. Is there any charge to me from my bank to give electronically?
No. It cost you nothing and it saves you time!
Q. If I use a joint bank account, do both parties have to sign the form?
No. As long as only one signature is required for withdrawals from the account, only one person needs to sign the Electronic Giving Form. If two signatures are required for all checks and withdrawals, then both parties must sign the application.
Q. Are second collections going to be available to be given electronically?
Yes, we NOW can do THREE SECOND COLLECTIONS THROUGH EFT – Debt Reduction, Maintenance, and School Collection. See the new form attached. The rest of the Second Collections are so diverse and the amount parishioners give to each of these collections is so individualized, that we cannot accommodate there yet.
DOWNLOAD
THE AUTHORIZATION FORM HERE
IRA TRANSFERS
Time is running for the Pension Protection Act of 2006. The law includes a charitable giving provision that permits tax-free distributions from IRAs-known as the charitable IRA rollover but only until December 31, 2007.
You may find this a sensible option for making a gift to St John’s. This provision provides an exclusion from gross income for certain distributions of up to $100,000 from an individual retirement account (traditional or Roth), which would otherwise be considered taxable income. To qualify, the charitable gift must be made to a tax-exempt organization like St. John’s.
If you have saved tax-deferred income in an IRA and must begin taking required minimum distributions from that account(s) at age 701⁄2, you’ll pay income tax on that amount. By making a gift to charity from your IRA in an amount equal to or more than the required minimum distribution for that year, you can accomplish your charitable goals and reduce your tax liability.
Please note the following requirements:
• You must be 701⁄2 years of age.
• Tax benefits apply to gifts up to $100,000 for tax-year 2007.
• The provision expires December 31, 2007.
• The amount must be in the form of an outright gift.
You can download form letters and instructions from the St. John’s website or contact the St. John’s Development committee for further information.
Email parish@stjohn-frederick.org
for the paperwork to start your transfer.
TIME
& TALENT
Do
you have a special talent or would you like to volunteer some of
your time? St. John's is always in need of people to serve on
our many wonderful ministries. Contact the Parish Office to see
how you can help.
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