Menu of Giving Opportunities 2025
Message from Pastor Jesse about Philanthropy
Hello Friends!
If there is one thing I know about philanthropy, it is . . .
Giving feels good! Don’t take my word for it. There have been numerous scientific studies done on this topic. Research shows that giving makes people feed happy. If there is another thing I know about our church family, it is . . .
We are a very giving congregation! I am reminded in 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 that we are called by God to be this way. “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Please join me in supporting this year’s Stewardship Campaign. Investing in your church community is one of the best charitable investments you can make.
Pastor Jesse
Why are you being asked to give? (ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE’S MILLIONS IN THE BANK)
When Paul Jehle passed away, he made his wishes very clear in written documents to the church and his friends. He was concerned about how an endowment fund could negatively impact church finances and the tithing of its members. With this in mind, Mr. Jehle and the Church Council placed donor restrictions on how trust funds can be used. 1. Funds cannot be used for operating expenses (e.g., salaries, utilities, supplies, cleaning services, general office, etc.) 2. Funds may be used for capital projects (e.g., building repairs) 3. Funds may be used for “mission grants“ to external causes and organizations aligned with the church’s mission, vision, and values. The misconception is that our congregation is flush with cash. In reality, we struggle to pay people and keep the lights on. This year, we will be doing something different. Rather than using funds from one of the other endowment funds -- FCC Trust -- to close our annual operating budget deficit, those funds will be used to match increased giving to the Stewardship Campaign. Please keep reading to learn more.
2025 Stewardship Campaign YOUR ANNUAL PLEDGE MAKES A DIFFERENCE It would be easy to think of your pledge to the Stewardship Campaign in unexciting ways (e.g., paying salaries, turning on the lights, securing insurance, etc.).
Your pledge is much more than just keeping the light on! Your gift/pledge to FCC’s annual Stewardship Campaign may help underwrite routing operating expenses. However, by doing so, YOU make a difference in people’s lives. Your gift helps Pastor Jesse provide counsel to those who have lost a love one. Your gift helps open our doors to those who need a meal provided by the Soup Kitchen program Your gift helps Pastor Jesse comfort those struggling with physical and mental health issues Your gift helps open our doors to families who need to access our food pantry or clothing closet. Your gift ensures religious education programming to available for our young congregation members.
Will you please consider making a monthly pledge to this year’s Stewardship Campaign? Your support make a huge difference!
2025 Stewardship Campaign HOW TO RAISE $200K? ONE PLEDGE AT A TIME
As the old joke goes, “How do you eat and elephant? One bite at a time!“ Sure, $200,000 sounds like a lot of money. However, when everyone chips in with a monthly pledge, we can achieve this fundraising goal and make a big difference. More importantly, monthly pledges -- both big and small -- are critically important to helping our congregation achieve our mission and live out our collective values. LIVE LOVE! Here is how we will achieve our 2025 Stewardship Campaign fundraising goal . . . # donors
monthly pledge amt
8
$417 or greater/mo.
16
$208 - $416/mo.
60
$84 - $207/mo.
53
$63 - $83/mo.
80
$21 - $62/mo.
2025 Stewardship Campaign YOUR INCREASED GIVING GETS MATCHED
The FCC Trust cannot keep funding our operating budget. At this rate, the fund will be depleted in just a few years. So, this year the FCC Trust will match your “increased giving” to the 2025 Stewardship Campaign.
Here is how it works . . . If you made a $50/month pledge last year and decided to increase your monthly pledge to $60, then that’s a $10/month increase, which works out to a $120 increase in charitable giving over your pledge last year. In this example, the FCC Trust would match every dollar of your increased giving with two dollars. This 2-to-1 match means your $120 increase would net another $240 towards next year’s operating budget. Here is an easy rule of thumb when determining the impact of increasing your monthly pledge to this year: Increase your monthly giving by $100/month and the FCC Trust will kick-in $200/month, which amounts to $2,400 for the year Increase your monthly giving by $50/month and the FCC Trust will kick-in $100/month, which amounts to $1,200 for the year If you don’t make a monthly pledge to the campaign and only give through the collection plate, then nothing gets matched
2025 Stewardship Campaign MONTHLY GIVING PLEDGE PAYMENT MADE EASY
e-Giving Credit Card Option Need more info
EFT Checking Account Option Need more info
2025 Special Collections YOUR ABOVE & BEYOND GIVING SUPPORTS INITIATIVES BEYOND OUR WALLS If you are someone who creates an annual charitable giving budget for all of your favorite causes and organizations, then you probably don’t appreciate being “nickel and dimed“ with unforeseen solicitations. There are five special collections for our wider United Church of Christ community. You may using your Stewardship Campaign pledge form to give to these collections in advance. Or you may wait until the month of that specific solicitation. The choice is yours.
UCC Offering: One Great Hour of Sharing One Great Hour of Sharing® is one of four special mission offerings of the United Church of Christ. This Lenten Offering supports the disaster, refugee, and development ministries of the United Church of Christ within Wider Church Ministries.
UCC Offering: Strengthen the Church The Strengthen the Church (STC) Offering reflects the shared commitment of people across the United Church of Christ to cooperatively build up the UCC. Conferences and the national setting equally share the gifts given by members and friends through their local congregations. The funds raised support leadership development, new churches, youth ministry, and innovation in existing congregations.
UCC Offering: Neighbors In Need Neighbors in Need (NIN) is a special mission offering of the United Church of Christ that supports ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States. Two-thirds of the offering is used by the UCC’s Justice and Witness Ministries to fund a wide array of local and national justice initiatives, advocacy efforts and direct service projects.
UCC Offering: Our Church’s Wider Mission (OCWM) OCWM funds go to UCC Associations, Conferences, and to the national and global church, and are invested in programs, resources, and tools needed to keep local churches strong, effective, and growing. OCWM helps provide pastoral placement and education for church leaders, worship materials and theological interpretation, resources and training for stewardship and fundraising, and so much more.
UCC Offering: Veterans Of The Cross/Christmas Fund The Christmas Fund has been caring for active and retired clergy and lay employees of the United Church of Christ for over 100 years, providing emergency grants, supplementation of small annuities and health premiums, and Christmas “Thank You” gift checks each December to our lower-income retirees.
2025 Pastor’s Discretionary Fund YOUR ABOVE & BEYOND GIVING SUPPORTS THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST We ask Pastor Jesse to help our congregation Live Love by extending our compassion to our neighbors who are in need. This is why the Pastor’s Discretionary Fund was created years ago. This special fund allows Pastor Jesse to help anyone who comes into our church asking for help. It is common for him to assist others periodically with: Medical bills Food Prescriptions
Public transportation Utility bill and more
Your monthly pledge to the Stewardship Campaign does NOT help fund the Pastor’s Discretionary Fund. In an effort to reduce the number of “requests for funding” from the pulpit on Sundays, you may use your pledge form to make a contribution that is “above and beyond” your monthly pledge to the Stewardship Campaign.
2025 Coffee Hour & Flowers Fund YOUR ABOVE & BEYOND GIVING SUPPORTS OUR WORSHIP SERVICES & FELLOWSHIP
Coffee Hour Sponsorship Fellowship after church is an important part of nurturing your spirit and building a strong congregation. In the past, we’ve had to cancel coffee hour because we did not have anyone to sponsor it. We have 52 coffee hours that need sponsoring in 2025. We would like to have every week accounted for before the beginning of the new calendar year. You may using your Stewardship Campaign pledge form to support fellowship and help avoid us asking for help every month.
Alter Flowers Sponsorship Having flowers on the Sunday alter is not a luxury; it is a necessity. Luther Burbank once said, “Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food, and medicine for the soul.” You may using your Stewardship Campaign pledge form to sponsor alter flowers and help avoid us asking for help every month.
Named Gift Opportunities GIFTS THAT COME WITH NAMING RIGHTS
Youth Education Sponsorship -- $7,500 On Sundays during service, babies will be cuddled, and toddlers (3-years-old) will be taught about the love of God through play, story and song.
Nursery Room Services A GIFT FROM
Your Name Here MAKES THIS PROGRAM POSSIBLE
The church’s Safe Conduct Policy necessitates having one appropriately trained childcare professional onsite paired with a volunteer in the nursery. Your 2025 Named Gift sponsorship will be used to support programming in the nursery and costs associated with Sunday School, youth programming, and other Faith Formation Ministry activities. A plaque with your name (or someone you wish to honor or memorialize) will be placed outside of the nursery or Sunday School room for calendar year 2025. It will also be included on the church website, in the FCC-E Weekly enewsletter and Sunday church bulletins, and at the church’s annual meeting.
Spring Concert Series Title Sponsorship -- $10,000 It has been a long-standing tradition of FCC to offer an annual Spring Concert Series during the Lenten season to the community. The 2025 Series features three amazing afternoons of musical performances.
Made possible by Your Name Here
Admission is free, but there will be a free-will offering. Your 2025 Named Gift title sponsorship will be used to underwrite expenses (e.g., musician fees, marketing, print materials, etc.) associated with offering this free event to the community. Your name or company’s name (or someone you wish to honor or memorialize) will be used in the title of the concert series and included on the cover of the program and all other marketing materials for calendar year 2025.
Named Gift Opportunities GIFTS THAT COME WITH NAMING RIGHTS
Music Sponsorship -- $12,000 FCC Chancel Choir sings at Sunday services from September to June. In addition to weekly rehearsals and Sunday mornings, the choir also sings for the Christmas Eve candlelight service. On Good Friday the choir presents a Lenten choral concert.
Music Program A GIFT FROM
Your Name Here MAKES THIS PROGRAM POSSIBLE
Once a month, FCC contracts with outside musicians to produce a contemporary worship service to help broaden the church’s appeal to a more diverse audience of prospective future members. Your 2025 Named Gift sponsorship will be used to underwrite expenses such as: Equipment Piano, organ, & handbell maintenance
Robe cleaning, repair, & acquisition Musician contract fees
Music licensing fees Portion of Music Director’s salary
A plaque with your name (or someone you wish to honor or memorialize) will be placed outside of the music room for calendar year 2025. It will also be included on the church website, in the FCC-E Weekly e-newsletter and Sunday church bulletins, and at the church’s annual meeting.
Memorial or Tribute Gifts Missing a friend or loved one? Proud of someone who is celebrating something special (e.g., graduation, confirmation, birthday, anniversary, etc.). You can memorialize or pay tribute to that individual with a gift to FCC. For more information, go to www.fcc-elgin.org/_________
In Memory of OR In Honor of
Next Steps: Complete Pledge Form IT’S AS EASY AS 1-2-3
Confirm your contact info
Make your gift/pledge selection
Make your payment selection
Turn the page over & sign
When you are done, please fold up the pledge form, place it in the return envelope, seal it, and turn it into your House Party host. They will turn everything into the church office.
Thank You! Your gift/pledge to the Stewardship Campaign helps support FCC’s volunteer leadership teams Church Council
Beth Claxton, Moderator [vacant], Vice Moderator Kurt Neumann, Treasurer Mary Underhill, Secretary Jennifer Green, Member At Large John Schlomann, Member At Large Janet Aldred, Member At Large Lorri Powell, Member At Large
Mission & Outreach Sharon Walsh Deb Leberecht Vicki Frederick Anna Cannone Pat Segel Dawn Schmied Veronica Noland Wendy Breitmayer Michael Montgomery
(Eco Group includes Paul Stocksdale, Jim Hinton, Bill Becker John & Lori Schultz)
Music
John Schulz Kathi Bernhard Sonia Solomonson Beth Mitchell Ben Brictson
Building & Grounds Paul Turk Don Patterson Rich Wagner Charlie Hall
Faith Formation Krista DeBolt Kaite Kamenjarin Charlotte Norman Khoa Ngo Gloria Helin Savannah Lile Gina Orazi
Finance
Mary Ellen Flaks Jeanne Rothlisberger Judy Leith Erik Anderson Shirley May Byrnes Sue Laude Pat Jocius, Memorials Bonnie Turk, Memorials
Worship & Hospitality Sandy Dalton Janet Banwart Marilyn Kauffman Kirsten Pedersen Lori Schultz Gloria Helin Debbie Helin-Wetzel
Governance
Dennis Leberecht Lyn Humbracht
Rep. to Assoc. & IL Conference Gina Orazi