Simply Giving® is an automated giving program designed to help you conveniently and consistently contribute to a Lutheran congregation or institution or to pay tuition at a Lutheran school. Through Simply Giving®, your gifts or tuition payments are made through a pre-authorized withdrawal from your bank account or credit card. You determine the frequency of your automatic gift—weekly, semi-monthly or monthly—the option is yours. Your gift or payment is deposited into the recipient's bank account on the same day it is withdrawn from your account—at no cost to you or the recipient.
Simply Giving® benefits to you and to ...
Your congregation
Simply Giving® is a reliable, safe way to move your stewardship plan into action. It allows you to share your gifts through planned giving and activates your generosity into ongoing stewardship. Because your gift is given consistently, you won't need to play "catch-up" at year-end or worry about forgotten checkbooks or missed Sunday offerings.
But you're not the only one that benefits. Your congregation benefits from steady, more predictable revenues throughout the year, more efficient bookkeeping and greater confidence in meeting its financial commitments.
For me I’ve also found it’s something more, commitment. St. James has had this program for a number of years but I’ve always managed to avoid enrolling. I would use a number of reasons why, I like to write the check and put in the offering plate. In these economic times I can’t be sure how much money I will have to give. It’s just as convenient for me to write the check on Sunday. The truth is I was afraid, afraid of giving up the control. You see for some reason I thought my wife and I controlled the money in our house. What was made and how it was spent. What I failed to realize is our income was a gift from God. We decided to put it in his hands. I realize this program might not be for everybody but for us it’s been a blessing. We have made a commitment to God and St. James and have had no regrets. Life is not perfect, we still worry and feel guilty but not about forgetting our offering or how we’re going to catch up.
In January 2010 a new Simply Giving program endorsed by Thrivent Financial Bank will be introduced. What will be different? The only difference that you will notice is a new price structure. Currently all our fees are paid by Thrivent. Starting in January 2010 we will be responsible for paying our own transaction cost. These fees will be $0.20 per transaction. For our current enrollment our invoice total for the month of August would be $5.40 or approximately $65.00 per year. From an operational standpoint, nothing will be different. Vanco Services will continue to administer the program to ensure that your transition will be seamless. Individual donors already enrolled in the current Simply Giving program will not need to re-enroll.
Please consider Simply Giving as a giving option for you and your family. To participate, download and complete the following form and return it to the church office. Simply Giving® Individual Enrollment Form (PDF, 128K)
Jeff
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