Treasure (Financial Stewardship)
Funding the Mission
The gift of treasure includes all financial resources we earn by using our time and talents. While tithing is one method for financial giving, we ask each parishioner to put God first, trust in God, and give sacrificially.
There are many ways to give generously and in order to sustain the many functions of the parish, we encourage parishioners to consider giving generously through the tithe model of giving. The parish community has determined 5% of gross family income appropriate for the support of the parish and 5% of their gross income to charity. If you are unable to commit to this level of tithe, we ask that you prayerfully consider the amount you are able to give.
Annual Pledge Drive
Each year through our Annual Pledge Drive you have the opportunity to communicate your financial commitment. This process helps the finance committee plan each year for our numerous ministries and programs. The Annual Pledge Drive is held in December and all parish members are encouraged to consider giving 5% of their gross income to charity and 5% to their parish.
A Family Testimonial: The Importance of Giving
As a family, we strongly believe in the foundation on which the tithing model was built at St. Sebastian. The foundation includes these beliefs:
- One’s gift of treasure should be given joyfully and in thanksgiving for all the blessings the Lord has bestowed upon you rather than for what you are getting in return for your contribution.
- One’s treasure should be given somewhat sacrificially in that your family chooses to give back to the Lord rather than spending it on direct gain for yourselves.
- The community of St. Sebastian must act as a family and support all the missions and people within its walls.
- A Catholic education should be available to all who seek it regardless of economic background.
We are so very blessed in our lives. The Lord has given us our faith, wonderful children, families, extend communities and our health. We truly believe that we are called to share the blessings that have been bestowed on us with others through the generous gifts of our time, talent and treasure, without strings attached to any of these gifts.
We also believe that the community of St. Sebastian needs to operate as a family in order to stay the vibrant faith community that it is. We need to support all of our brothers and sisters who walk in the door at all stages and times of their life – from baptism until their funerals with varying levels of neediness. Some just need to attend a Sunday mass every week while others need ten years of our support while they send their children through the school.
We strongly believe in a Catholic education and want our children to know that the subject of their faith is just as important (and more!) than Science, Social Studies, Math and other classes. We want the gift of a Catholic Education available to all families, if they choose to accept it, regardless of whether they can afford it.
To that end, the foundation of the current funding model called “tithing” (especially for school families, though all parishioners are encouraged to consider tithing) fit perfectly with our beliefs.
The current model celebrates that we have a parish school where all children can attend and that the entire parish supports this school and recognizes the importance in raising children with their Catholic faith beliefs entwined in all they do. It celebrates that we must ALL support ALL missions of the parish at ALL times. It recognizes that generous giving to one’s parish is something that is a long-term commitment, not just something one does when they have children in the school or when you remember to bring your envelope to church. Your giving is not measurable to the benefits you personally are receiving, but are a celebration of the blessings the Lord has bestowed on you.
The five percent goal is a wonderful goal for all to have. We remember thinking we would never be able to reach it, but when our first born was one, we gave one percent. We continued to increase our giving by one percent each year until he walked into school the first day and we were at five percent. The goal made us stretch and really determine where our gift to the Lord fell on our priority list.
Five percent may not be for everyone. For some it is too much; for some, it can be more. We don’t even think of it as “tithing.” What it really is, is a conversation between you and the Lord and a recognition of the blessings you have received and the n a commitment of giving back to the Lord through the joyous and selfless giving of your treasure in order to support all aspects of the mission of our parish.
St. Sebastian School Foundation
The School Foundation Mission is to provide a lasting endowment to support the financial needs of the parish school. This support is intended to help the parish provide a quality Catholic education to all parishioners regardless of need. The St. Sebastian School Foundation is a separate legal entity from the parish. Its activities include: raising, administering, managing and distributing assets of the foundation.
“School of Excellence” Alumni Fund Drive
Established as an annual fund drive seeking alumni support for the on-going operating costs and continued excellence of the St. Sebastian elementary school.
Capital Campaign
The 2002 - 2005 Our Faith/Our Family/Our Future Capital Campaign goal is early retirement of the debt created by much needed renovations and improvements made to St. Sebastian school and church facilities since 1999.
Planned Giving
Many think of giving as weekly contributions to the church or annual gifts to charities which support the current operating budget of the institution. But there are other levels of contributing financially, such as major giving through capital and special campaigns and estate or planned giving through deferred or planned gifts. These are gifts which can be made over time or as a bequest. These include annuities, stocks and bonds, real estate, or life insurance policies which name organizations like St Sebastian Parish as beneficiary.