2020 Annual Campaign for The RedeemerThe Unique Vocation of the Church

The singular purpose of the church is to be a witness to love—the kind of love that inspires and gives life, that “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” No other community, no other insti-tution, has this vocation or makes this claim or sees the world in this light.

Only the church.

Whenever someone asks, “Does anyone love me?” our reply is immediate, un-conditional, and clear. “Yes, more than you can know; more than you will ever be able to fully comprehend.”

To pledge is to make an investment in love, for the church and through the church on behalf of others. Through your generosity, The Redeemer can be not only sustained; it can become all the more effectively, the manifestation of God’s own inexhaustible love for all.

God’s highest transcen-dence belongs not to power, nor to wisdom, not even to eternity, but to love. For love alone is enough to put all eternity, all wisdom, and all power to work.

Jean Luc Marion

Revenue

62% - PledgesPledges are your word. They are a statement of personal belonging. They make a claim. They are also essential for the vitality and long-term health of the parish. Pledg-es make it possible for the church to responsibly build its ministries and programs according to the support it has been promised. The church as an institution can be temporarily sustained when other sources of revenue become primary; but it cannot thrive apart from the desire of parishioners to give of themselves joyfully, in recogni-tion of what their pledge contributes to the witness of the church.

100% ParticipationIn 2019, 74% of members made pledges. The average pledge was $2,779.An increase to 100% participation (adding 123 households), at the average ($2,779) would provide increased revenues of $341,817.

We cannot love by proxy, nor through a go-between. We can love only in person, only through our own commitment.*

Goals

Sources

Establishing a more balanced pledge baseIn 2019, the top 50% of pledges accounted for 84% of pledge revenues. This imbal-ance risks potential financial instability for the church if, due to a variety of causes, a few top pledges are lost or decreased. Increasing the value of pledges in the lower 50% to a level nearer the average would provide greater financial stability and a healthier balance of support across the whole congregations.

PerspectiveIf all planned 2019 expenditures had been funded through pledges alone, the average pledge would have had to have been $5,163. For members pledging below this level, their membership has been subsidized by the generosity of parishioners who pledge above this amount, as well as by parishioners of past generations who provided a sub-stantial endowment for the benefit of future parishioners. Such support is a manifesta-tion of love for strangers, those who we do not know and those who we cannot know. It is true gift.

26% - Endowment Draw The church’s endowment has accrued through several generations due to the personal commitment of parishioners to support The Redeemer beyond the time of their own ability to pledge. Through direct gifts and estate planning they have provided funding for operations and development well into the future. The endowment draw for 2020 is planned to be 4.25%.

12% - Fundraising, Rent, and Misc ContributionsA relatively small — though critical — portion of revenue comes through the annual Christmas Bazaar and other fundraising, the rent collected on church-owned proper-ties, community events hosted by the church, and miscellaneous gifts. This year, since the Parish House is under construction and one of our rental properties now houses the staff offices, we expect lower revenues within this category.

Expenses

65% - PersonnelThe church is a community above all else. It isn’t chiefly an institution or a business, whose work can be systematized and franchised. It’s a fellowship formed of the Gos-pel, characterized and shaped by the staff that both leads and serves. The clergy and support staff ensure that our ministries and programs are carried out with skill, cre-ativity, personal attentiveness and grace. Each year, rightly, the largest line item in the budget is for personnel. These compensation costs include salaries, medical insurance, payroll taxes, and pension and retirement contributions. For 2020, Personnel costs will cover 7 full-time employees, 5 part-time employees, and a pool of on-call staff to cover program needs. Total estimated costs for Personnel will be $1.1 million.

31% - Program and OutreachProgram costs cover the wide variety of materials and supplies needed for the activi-ties of the parish. For example, due to the continuing expansion of participants in the worship services, new robes and vestments are required for acolytes, vergers, healing and eucharistic ministers and choir members. New curriculums were acquired for the middle school classes and Confirmation, and we are expanding our financial sup-port for the flourishing Redeemer Youth Group (RYG).Approximately 18.4% of non-personnel related expenditures are dedicated for outreach purposes, which include grants made to organizations addressing poverty and other social needs, activity costs for parish outreach programs, and contributions made to the offices of the diocese for their operations and aid to struggling parishes.

4% - Capital Repairs and Building MaintenanceThe church and the campus are irreplaceable assets: gifts not only to the parish but to the broader community. Each year we spend between $40,000-$70,000 on build-ing and systems repair. Many of the costs are planned; some inevitably result from unexpected damage or breakdown. The Parish House is now undergoing extensive renovation through the Legacy into Promise campaign. Our other buildings and properties—the church, churchyard, rectory, and four lots with three structures on Pennswood Rd—are maintained through this line item.

By the NumbersPlanned Budgeted Expenditures for 2019 - $1,679,226The Projected Budget for 2020 - $1,723,898

Pledges 62%

Residential Rent 6%

Other 6%

Endowment 26%

Your pledge is our most important source of revenue.

We distinguish ourselves not so much by what we are and do, as by what we expect and the hope we sustain.*

* adptations from statements by Jean Luc Marion

Our Needs; Our Hope; Our Ask

Sustaining our ministries and presenceEach year our budget is subject to inflationary increases. A flat budget means a decrease in our operations. Pledges that remain the same year after year, in effect, reduce our ability to maintain our programs.The inflationary increase to our budget this year is: ........................................2.5%

Supporting our developmentThe generations before us gave to the church in such a way that The Redeemer could flourish. They gave with a commitment to growth and to the future health of the church, with the desire to see the church expand its reach to and for others. They gave with the trust that generosity begets generosity. A development pledge would be: .....................................................................5%

Preparing for a new futureThe church is now in a year of transition. Next Fall we will be moving into a new building within a reconfigured campus. This will open to us great potential for expanded programs and new opportunities, as a parish and within the broader community. It will be a major juncture in the history of The Redeemer and in our church life — in the pledge year 2020. We will be able to show what is possible when love abounds. You can help us build on this event by providing an abounding pledge: ............ 6%+

Why I PledgeThe concept of steward-ship predates the church as we know it–dates back to Genesis and the premise that mankind is the steward of all that God has provided us. Annual pledging is the life’s

blood of our operations; it supports our staff, our fellowship, and our program. This is why my family gives; and this is why I urge all our parishioners to join us this year in our annual stewardship campaign.

Mackie MacLean: Accounting Warden

I pledge because The Redeemer plays an im-portant foundational role in the lives of my family and it is my way of say-ing thank you. Further, our church serves a clear

need in our community that I want to see sustained and grown. In addition, The Re-deemer inspires me through its youth group and music programs.

Tracy Steele: Vestry Member

I pledge because I value The Redeemer as a community of multiple generations coming together to make a difference in the lives of others, striving to live

God’s vision.

Jacques Vauclain: Chair, Stewardship