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We are nearing the end of our annual pledge campaign, having focused on tending our St. Thomas garden with our financial resources by watering, feeding and caring for the growth of our community.
Our annual budget can be summarized as follows:
· Compensation 61%
· Building Expenses 15%
· Administrative Expenses 14%
· Other Expenses 10%
(including clergy, congregation and worship expenses, Diocesan commitments, and outreach)
At first glance, it's easy to notice the large portion of our budget that goes to salaries and buildings. Looking a little deeper, though, we can see that those two things directly enable us to exercise and grow our ministry. The salary funds for Christian education pay for the staff to teach our children every Sunday and make St. Thomas a community for the whole family. Funds for buildings and maintenance not only take care of our worship space but also support the work of all the groups who use our building. Administration funds allow us to have an administrator who keeps everything working smoothly. Clergy funds enable us to pay a full-time (sometimes more than full-time!) priest to not only lead inspiring worship and support the congregation’s pastoral needs throughout the year, but also to lead us in ministry outside the church walls and to bring an Episcopal Christian perspective to community and social justice issues.
Terri has figured out how to maximize the value of our building with rental income to supplement our pledges. She has become a leader in the social justice work in Denver. She has led the St. Thomas community out of the past turbulence into the loving community we are today and, for that, we are filled with gratitude. Certainly, Terri is the epitome of leading with love.
We are called to water, feed and nurture this community to ensure a continued fulltime rector for St. Thomas and to expand our programs that support families. Our financial contributions will sustain our community and allow us to grow as a thriving, loving oasis as we seek justice and mercy in our world.
As of this week, we have received 37 pledges that total $160,000. This represents 44% of our active members. There are six new pledges and eight members have increased their pledges. To those who have pledged, we sincerely thank you!
If you have not already pledged, we ask you to do so by May 17.
· If you already pledge, please consider an increase.
· If you already give but aren’t pledging, consider a pledge so we can count on it when budgeting.
· While we are looking for 100% participation in pledging, if you can’t pledge, know that we value whatever you can give regardless of the amount.
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