Giving at Immanuel
“Immanuel is the most welcoming church we’ve ever attended. We’re awed by the authenticity of the congregation in their commitment to treating people and the planet, with respect and kindness.”
Contributing to Immanuel’s Financial Health
Immanuel operates successfully throughout the year due in part to its members’ and friends’ financial support. In fact, we are like a spiritual Co-op. We share in the stewardship of all things Immanuel, including its financial health. As Congregationalists, we know that we not only set the spiritual and theology structure for the church but rely on each other to commit our time, talents and treasures to keep the church vibrant.
Every year, Immanuel creates an operating budget and pays for it using:
Pledges -promises of donations by its members and friends
Supplemental income -such as rental income
Loose Plate Offerings – donations from members and visitors who do not pledge
Miscellaneous Donations to the Communion Fund, Flower Fund, Children’s Ministry, Music programming and Social Action priorities
A small withdrawal from the church endowment
Pledging
Pledging is a vital tool in the process of developing and managing a healthy church budget. It’s really similar to your home budget, where you need to understand your income before you can determine the affordability of your expenses such as housing and food. Pledges are promises to donate within a church year, with no pledge too small or too large for that matter. Some members tithe – giving 10% of their income, however Immanuel sees giving as more personal -situation based and less percentage-driven. Our annual pledge campaign is in the fall, but you can pledge for the year at any time – just contact the church office. Pledge fulfillment can be done via (requested) envelopes, checks, text giving, church website giving, bank issued checks/transfers or via donation of appreciated assets such as stocks.
Supplemental Income
We are fortunate to have a church campus containing rental properties. While these structures are historic and individually unique, they come with a maintenance cost, including attention to collecting rents, making repairs and general upkeep. The ongoing goal is to manage these properties to cover their costs in rental income and in some years, provide a small profit.
Loose Plate Offerings
This category of income represents non-pledged checks or cash given in the Worship Service Offertory or mailed into the church office.
Miscellaneous Donations
Throughout the year, members and friends provide donations over and above their weekly loose plate offering or pledged offering, to cover the costs of sanctuary flowers, homebound visit flowers, the Communion Fund, as well as programs such as offered by Christian Education and Social Action Mission groups.
Withdrawal from the Church Endowment
Webster’s Dictionary defines “endowment’ as “funds or property donated to an institution, individual or group to produce income”. A church’s endowment/investment portfolio, managed by the Board of Finance, becomes the foundation of its present and future financial health. A small withdrawal from the endowment is typical for the church budget each year, drawing from the interest and dividends and leaving the principal intact. And Church Council may judiciously draw from the endowment for large-scale investments in our infrastructure and staff.
Growing the endowment through our environmentally- appropriate investment plans is an ongoing focus. But so is adding to the endowment from its members and friends, by way of Planned Giving – bequeaths made at the time of their death. Click on the link to find out more.
“I am delighted to be in a Christian community that aspires to live, in love, the Micah invitation to worship God by being merciful, by working for justice, and by walking humbly with God.””
Ways to Give – Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly or Annually
Give by Cash – either in Immanuel-supplied envelopes or given anonymously in the collection plate.
Give by Check – in the collection plate or mailed to the church at 10 Woodland St., Hartford, CT 06105
Bank Issued funds – Most banks offer electronic bill payments as a service to your checking account. You can set up recurring donation checks to the church at no cost to you or Immanuel.
Online – Please be aware that there is a fee charged to the church for this service; if you are able, please consider a small addition to your gift to cover these fees.
Give by Text – If you’re already a text-savvy giver, here is Immanuel’s give-by-text phone number: 844-329-6509. If you’ve never given by text, you may link to a one-minute video that explains how. https://youtu.be/aYlpo_huD7Q There is a fee charged by our vendor for this service; if you are able, please consider a small addition to your gift to cover these fees.
