2000
- THE PLEDGE SYSTEM
“We offer unto Thee,
o Lord, Thine own of Thine own,on behalf of all, and for all”
First of all
we wish to thank you very much for your generous contributions you have sent to
the Holy Trinity Romanian Orthodox Church throughout 1999. We pray that the
Almighty Lord rewards you hundredfold.
Attached, you
are cordially invited to accept this package with some 53 weekly envelopes, one
per each Sunday, marked individually, from Jan.1 through december 31, 2000.
Hereinafter,
we will try to once-again explain to you our “Pledging Program”, to the
fullness of our ability:
Since 3 years
ago, our parish replaced the customery
“parish membership system” (which was a set annual amount of donation to
the church by each member of the parish) with a voluntary weekly donation by
all the members and supporters of the church, as they will individually find
proper to pledge.
Because we, as faithful, should return back to God, some portion of what He
blessed us with, as a thanksgiving for everything He provides for us: good
health, spiritual and material prosperity, our family, our children and
grand-children, a place of work or a happy retirement, protection in the
uncertain society we live in, blessings upon our children and grand-children at
school, in marriage and the place of work, etc., etc.
Because it has been proven as the way of the future for THE CHURCH. The
majority of American Churches, Catholic
and Protestant alike, fulfil their budget almost exclusively by the “pledge
participation” of their membership.
Because it was unequivocally proven that, in order to contemplate the
building of a new church, we have to get first hand knowledge who is
participating, and with what amount, towards the building project, to budget
for it.
Herewith below are some of many other reasons which the Parish General
Assembly carefully considered at the January 30th- 2000
Meeting, reafirming unanimously ints committment in favour of the “pledging
method” vs “membership”:
·
By the
“pledging method”, the church extends
real help, especially to the retired members, whose monthly revenue is
very limited, thus easier affording to make a weekly donation of some $2.00-$5.00/per week in place of an
annual lump-sum of $ 100.00 or more, which is quite a substantial expense that
could seriously affect their limited budget;
·
By
bringing to church the weekly pledge
donation, the faithful offer back to God: “Thine
own of Thine own, on behalf of all, and for all”, as we pray during the
most essential moments of the Divine Eucharist. In the Old Country, the
faithful get in line in front of the Holy Altar, presenting to the Lord their
weekly “offering”: a candle, a
dyptic-list of all the living and the departed to be remembered, a prosphora
(prescura), and their monitory donation. We should do like-wise here in
America.
·
By the weekly pledge, the faithful always
remember the commandment of God to offer Him, at least once a week, on Sunday,
together with “ourselves” (our participation in the service) also our material
blessings, according to our financial abilities and love for His Holy House
(the Church).
·
Those of us
who, for blessed reasons, can not attend the Church Services on a regular basis
could at least, by contributing to the church through our weekly “pledge”,
offer our “thanksgiving” to God our Creator, Governor and Sustainer of All.
Even if we do not go to Church that Sunday, we could send our offering pledge
by mail, or bring it to church the following Sunday when we attend;
·
Remembering
to send our pledge to Church on a
weekly or monthly basis, we always aknowledge, like an intimate
confession directly to God, the role our Lord Jesus Christ and His Church have
deep in our souls, hearts, and our daily lives.
·
Involving the
whole family in taking care of the “Church’s administrative business” by
contributing on the weekly basis, we teach our children and grandchildren their
present moral duty, if they are over 18 years of age, and their financial
obligations towards their church. If we do not teach them now, by our actions,
deeds and example, they will never learn; they will never have any interest in
the church. Otherwise, there will be no Church there for them when they will
really need it.
·
By your
enrollment in the pledging system, our church could establish a more accurate
budget, knowing how to budget realistically for different programs, especially
those the church has its divine calling for (Sunday School, youth and adult
religious education, spiritual retreats, special services during Lents, seminars
with guest speakers, consistent religious services, held in both Romanian and
English Languages, counselling for marriage, baptismal instructions, etc.), the
implimentation of “spiritual endeavors”
throughout the current year.
·
By the
“pledging experience” of 2000, the church will have a clearer image if our
community is able financially to support the building of the over 3.5 million
dollars project, proposed for the Sunland location.
Surely, there
are many other reasons in favour of this endeavor.
It is my anticipation that
the New Pledge Committee will be made out primarely of women of the council,
therefore, in the next 3-4 weeks you will be contacted by your area
representative, a council-woman, further explaining to you how the system
works, ready to help you with the understanding of this new council endeavor.
Please have patience with her when she will call you.
If for any
objective reasons you can not attend the church, on a regular basis, then,
please send your pledge donation to church on a monthly basis, in the
self-addressed envelope herewith enclosed. Your account, which is the Pledge
Package Number, will be credited monthly. If you need additional self-addressed
envelopes, please let us know. Call the parish office (323/255-8583), leave
your name, and Pledging Number/which is in the upper-right hand corner, and the
quantity of the self-addressed envelopes you are in need of, and we will send
them to you within one week.
You are
reminded that all your donations to the church through the “Pledging Program”,
are Tax-deductible and you are urged to use this status for your tax-purposes.
In the spirit
of the Episcopate Constitution, all the members of your family (18 years of age
and older) should pledge individually.
Thanking you
in anticipation for your cooperation and generous donations;
Remaining
your’s faithfully,
Very Rev. Fr. Constantin
Alecse,
Parish Priest (on behalf of the parish Council)