Stewardship Philosophy

People sometimes feel conflicted when it comes to money and the Church. On the one hand, our culture sends powerful messages that beckon us to worship money and wealth. On the other hand, many hold the notion that money is the root of all evil. Some even feel discussions about money are out of place in the church.

A healthy theology of giving understands that money is a neutral medium of exchange that can be and is used in a variety of ways. Christians are called to a life of stewardship of our time, talents and treasure as we intentionally make choices that reflect our primary values. Our values are rooted in our relationship with God in Jesus Christ.

We understand life and the resources to thrive as God’s gifts, and seek to make our faith in God tangible by giving joyfully to the mission and ministry of God in the world. The prayerful giving of time, talent and treasure toward the mission of the Body of Christ is a deliberate choice that necessarily impacts our lives.

St. Andrew’s is pleased to offer Tithe.ly to parishioners who wish to pay their pledge or make a donation through a secure, Online giving application. Tithe.ly has the highest possible security rating available in the electronic payment processing industry.

Here’s what you need to know:

‣         You may make one-time payments or you may set up automated, recurring payments.

‣         You may pay with VISA, Mastercard, American Express, or Discover credit/debit cards or you may pay with an e-check through your bank account.

‣         You may include the Tithe.ly service fee with your donation.

You can access Tithe.ly on your Apple or Android phone or tablet by downloading the Tithe.ly app from either the iTunes App Store for your Apple devices or from Google Play for your Android devices.

The Tithe.ly service is not free. St. Andrew’s hopes you will choose to include an additional 3% ($1.50 for each $50.00 donated) so that ALL the funds St. Andrew’s receives are available to support our various ministries. 

Ready to give right now? Click on the “Give Now” image above.

Other ways to give:

Mail

Checks may be mailed to the parish office.   We prefer no cash at this time.  The parish mailing address is PO Box 234, Newcastle, ME 04553.

Electronic Transfer

Do you pay your bills with internet banking? St Andrew’s will gladly receive donations via an internet bank account, which can automatically be sent weekly or monthly. If you would like to designate your gift for a specific ministry/need, please ensure that you add this memo to the electronic check.

Stock Gifts

Thank you for considering a gift of stock. Please contact the parish office or email us for instructions.

Annual Giving

Each fall the parish conducts a pledge drive through which we urge all members to make a financial commitment – a pledge – to the mission and ministry of the parish for the coming year. Each year’s Statement of Mission (operating budget) is developed based on anticipated pledge income.

On one level, pledging is an important help to the parish leaders; they can plan well for the coming year when they have accurate income information. But on a deeper level, pledging is a spiritual discipline for each of us, because it represents a real commitment of faith: a clear, tangible step toward making stewardship a deliberate act and a way of life.