Giving to First Presbyterian Church
Through your financial support and hands on ministry, thousands of lives have been positively impacted in Charleston and beyond! During this Stewardship season, we ask that you continue your generous giving and prayerfully consider increasing your pledge so that we may help even more of God’s children.
First Presbyterian Church. Today, Tomorrow, and Forever. This is our time!
A “pledge” is an estimate of your giving for the coming year which helps the church fund everything we do as a church from paying staff salaries to supporting our mission partners, our education programs, our music programs and facilities. Spiritually, a pledge is your response to God’s abundance in our lives. It is a sign of commitment to God and a statement of gratitude for all things good in our lives.
Planned giving, also called legacy giving, consists of any gifts that you choose to make to the church through your financial or estate plans. They’re typically deferred, meaning the funds will not be disbursed until after the donor passes away. You can deepen your tie to the church while creating a lasting family legacy, which not only benefits you and your family, but also strengthens the entire congregation. It also enables you to tap into helpful tax benefits.
If you want to give to a specific cause within First Presby, such as the Memorial Fund in honor of a loved one that passed, a mission that the church is doing like our weekend food bags to Chandler Academy students or to show some love to our Children’s Ministry, we have way to give online and choose a fund from a dropdown menu.
PLEDGING
Please click on the blue button above that says “Digital 2025 Pledge Card” to fill out the pledge form and click “Submit”. If you have any questions, please call the church office (304) 343-8961. Thank you for your time and generosity.
IMPORTANT: If you have already turned in a physical paper pledge card, please DO NOT fill out the digital pledge card.
Q: What is a Pledge?
A “pledge” is an estimate of your giving for the coming year which helps the church fund everything we do as a church from paying staff salaries to supporting our mission partners, our education programs, our music programs and facilities.
Spiritually, a pledge is your response to God’s abundance in our lives. It is a sign of commitment to God and a statement of gratitude for all things good in our lives.
“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25
Q: Do we need to Pledge? Why can’t we just place our offering in the plate every Sunday?
Predictable giving makes planning for the year much easier on the church. Weekly, non-pledges offerings only amount to about 7% of our annual budget, Trustee money makes up about 33% and our pledges provides the majority of the budget at 60%. Every pledge matters and every pledge counts!
“When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.” Matthew 5:42
Q: I am new to this church, am I supposed to pledge as well?
We ask everyone who considers First Presby their spiritual home to make a pledge of some kind, whether that is financially or sharing their times and talents by volunteering for various events or programs. Pledging in those ways can help you feel more connected to the church and more importantly to God.
“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” Hebrews 13:16
Q: How much should I pledge?
Every pledge matters, regardless of the amount. The average pledge is about $1,200 a year or about $100 a month. With that said, we are all in a different place, so start with prayer and reflect on the blessings in your life.
“Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.” Proverbs 22:9
Did you know that individuals who have made a planned, or legacy, gift to their church are fulfilling God’s mission in multiple ways? They deepen their ties to their church while creating a lasting family legacy, which not only benefits them and their family, but also strengthens their entire congregation. It also enables them to tap into helpful tax benefits.
Studies show up to 95% of individuals with wills do not have any charitable bequests. Why? Often, it’s due to intimidation with the process or the feeling that such a gift is only for the very wealthy, which isn’t true. If through prayer, you feel God is directing you toward remembering First Presby in your personal estate plan, do not let a lack of knowledge result in no action. Should you want to talk a bit prior to meeting with your financial professional, our First Presby navigators, Becky Ceperley, Dave Nolan, Pat Schumann, Bob Welty or Rick Vorhees stand ready to have a confidential conversation! If you would like to talk to any of these navigators or to our Financial Manager, Jenny Pitchford, please don’t hesitate to call the church office. (304) 343-8961
Watch the video below and let’s talk about the benefits of Planned Giving at First Presby soon!
CONTRIBUTIONS
At First Presby you may give in person, through the mail or online by way of the button above. When you click the image above, you will be directed to our new system Realm. You will then click “Give Online” and will be taken to a form where you enter in the amount, use the drop down “Fund” menu to choose your designation. Next, you can choose to give once or multiple times, the date and your email address. It is as simple as that!
It is only through your generous gifts that we are able to share the gospel and touch the lives of many here and around the world. Thank you.