Why Invest in the life mission and ministry of Trinity?
As Christians, we strive to follow Christ. Christ is our example of selfless giving. God created the world and all that is in it, and all that we have belongs to God. Therefore, we give back a portion of what we have been given to be used in God’s Kingdom work, encouraging others to grow in faith and to become followers of Christ. As a community of faith, we are ever discerning God’s will for us as a place of Christian worship and mission. Your investment keeps this work moving forward and enables us to be effective missionaries in our community and world.
Why Tithe and Pledge?
United Methodists practice tithing as set forth in the numerous biblical examples of God’s directive to Israel to offer their first fruits to God – 10% of their harvest yield – and that unmeasured blessings would be poured out. Therefore, our Book of Discipline states that we strive for tithing to be our “minimum goal of giving.”
At Trinity and in the whole of Christendom, we understand that pledging a tithe is a challenge, so we ask that you prayerfully consider a portion of your income to be given to the church for God’s Kingdom work. Starting somewhere is a starting point. Not everyone is able to tithe 10%, but perhaps you can tithe 2%, 5%, or even 20%. The point is that you spend time with your family and with God and prayerfully discern a projected gift. In John Wesley’s sermon “The Use of Money” he emphasizes three points: Gain all you can, save all you can, give all you can.
Trinity uses pledges to assist in annual budgeting. By making a pledge, you help Trinity project funding for our mission and ministry from year to year. In addition, pledging is a good way to teach your children and youth financial stewardship. We encourage pledge cards from children and youth to help them learn to invest and save.
Can I give without making a pledge?
Of course! Though we would encourage you to prayerfully make a pledge to assist Trinity in budgeting, you can freely give and mark your gift to therefore receive giving statements in the same way as those persons who pledge.
Can I give to certain causes or funds and not tithe / pledge?
Of course! You don’t have to tithe or pledge to invest in certain causes or special funds at Trinity. Though, we hope that you will invest in these numerous areas of need while prayerfully considering tithing / pledging as a part of your charitable giving. A directory of designated funds including our endowments are available from our Finance Office.
Oops! I pledged, but I cannot make my pledge. Can I change it?
Of course! You can change your pledge at any time. Again, pledging is a tool to help the church budget and manage our finances. All you need to do is contact our Finance Office and you can confidentially manage your charitable giving to Trinity at any time.
How can I give offerings to Trinity?
You can give offerings to Trinity though the weekly collection in the worship services via check or cash (giving envelopes are provided for record keeping), through the GIVE section on our website Give – Trinity United Methodist Church (tumct.org) , through the US Mail, through your brokerage firm or bank, through bequests, or by dropping off donations during office hours at the church office. If you intend to invest in Trinity in other ways, we will work with you to make it as easy as possible!
Giving from your IRA may save you money!
Do you have an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) and/or are you 70 years old (or getting close)?
If so, you can give to Trinity UMC and produce tax savings for you.
When you reach 70 ½ you are required to take at least a minimum amount each year from your IRA which is called a “required minimum distribution” or RMDs.
Since you didn’t pay tax on the money you put in to your IRA, you are required to pay income tax on it when money comes out. RMD’s can push some people into a higher tax bracket – this can be avoided. How? By making your tithes or offering directly from your IRA to Trinity, the tax benefit to you is your donated distribution is excluded from your taxable income. These are called “qualified charitable distributions,” or QCDs. So, consider making your tithe or offerings from your IRA and save on your income taxes.
