“Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7 – King James Version)

 

The New Century Version of the Bible says it a little differently: “Each of you should give as you have decided in your heart to give. You should not be sad when you give, and you should not give because you feel forced to give. God loves the person who gives happily.”

 

Stewardship is important to JMPC. Members cook, clean, work, play, teach, sing, and share their gifts in countless ways. We also support various ministries and missions beyond the walls of our sanctuary.

I am a big fan of National Public Radio. It is my favorite morning news source as I drive to a local cemetery to run my dogs. I also like the entertaining quiz shows and music. Happy to turn on and listen. Unless I turn on the radio and hear these dreaded words – pledge drive. And they do this twice a year. My response is to turn the channel. I listen to public radio because there are no commercials. I send in my annual contribution because I know they need it to stay on the air, not because they ask for it. Recently, the local NPR station had what they called “pledge lite”. It was a brief reminder to contribute with a list of the programs offered on the NPR station. It was the one time I did not turn to another station. As I understand it, the contribution drive was successful. People responded to the gentle reminder. They did not seem to need repeated ear attacks. “Pledge lite”. It made me think. Why not do that at church? Rather than a month-long series of sermons, testimonials and letters, why not a gentle reminder that the church needs funding to carry out its mission. Well, it is a strange year, no? Why not try a strange church funding campaign. That is what we will do. You will get an Estimate of Giving card in the mail along with the JMPC 2021 budget that we need to pay for. You can send the Estimate of Giving card back to the church or simply make yourself a mental note to contribute to the church finances on a regular basis. What do you think? Pledge lite? Something new in this new time. Will we respond?

Pastor Jeff

 

 

Donate through your financial institution. JMPC offers the possibility of contributing directly from your financial institution. See the instructions below.

 

Set up JMPC as a new payee:

Payee Name: John McMillan Presbyterian Church Address Line 1: 875 Clifton Road Address Line 2: Attn: EG Financial Secretary City: Bethel Park State: PA ZIP: 15102 Phone: 412 833-4704 Name on Account: “Name of Contributor” Account Number: “Envelope Number”

 

Set up your contribution schedule

Establish your contribution schedule according to your preferred frequency of contribution. Enter your periodic contribution amount. Specify your contribution start date.

Memo: If a check memo is offered, indicate “General Fund” in this field.

 

Note: Using this process your financial institution will send a physical check to JMPC. The contribution process by check will take up to 5 business days, so you may want to schedule your contributions earlier. For example, if you want your contribution to begin on the first Sunday of the year you should specify a start date of late December.

 

 

Q: Can I make contributions electronically if I do not use automatic payment through my bank or financial institution??

A: Yes. The first method described above (digital donations) uses your credit card or direct ACH from your financial institution

 

Q: If I elect to make electronic contributions to JMPC, will I still receive offering envelopes??

A: Yes, although we continually investigate ways to be “greener”.

 

Q: If I make electronic contributions, will I still receive quarterly Statements of Giving??

A: Yes. We encourage you to request email statements rather than paper if possible. This saves on printing and is also “greener”.

 

Q: What if I don’t feel comfortable with not having something to drop into the offering plate on Sundays??

A: You may mark “EG” on your offering envelope and drop it in the offering place as you normally would.

 

Q: Can I make special offerings online?

A: Yes. In addition to your recurring General Fund contributions, you can make one time contributions as well. Be sure to specify the name of the special offering (e.g. “Endowment Fund”) in the memo field of your contribution

 

Q: Can I make contributions to JMPC via a credit or debit card?

A: Yes. The first method described above (digital donations) uses your credit card or direct ACH from your financial institution.

Q: Can I donate in other ways to JMPC?

A: Several individuals have donated through investments, wills, and other methods to the Endowment and general funds of JMPC. Please contact a member of the Stewardship and Finance committee if you would like to learn more about this

 

Q: Is electronic giving as secure as using a check?

A: Yes, by following the procedures outlined above your contributions will continue to be treated as highly confidential. Your offerings are between you and God.

 

 

Transfer the stock to PNC Investments to the JMPC account number that will be provided upon request.

Send a note to the Financial Secretary (finsec@johnmcmillanpc.org) and Accountant (accountant@johnmcmillanpc.org) to notify them of the transaction.