Giving at St. George's

Online Giving

We have made giving to the church even easier, for your convenience we offer online giving. 

Please click the “Give Online” button below. You’ll have the option to give one-time or to setup a recurring donation in any amount, for the frequency and duration you choose. You can indicate at “Checkout” to which ministry you are giving.

Or you can give using PayPal. Please click the yellow Donate button to give using PayPal.

Stewardship 2023-2024

St. George's Episcopal Church
2425 S. Germantown Road
Germantown, Tennessee 38138
(901) 754-7282
https://stgchurch.org

October 2023
Dear friends in Christ,
Last year, the Vestry revised our mission statement to clearly state our belief all of God’s children are
worthy and deserving of God’s unconditional love and welcome here at St. George’s Church. It
reflects our prayer that, with God’s help, we will always create an inviting spiritual home where all
our parish family feels welcome to experience Christ’s transformative love and forgiveness. All of our
parish family is part of the tapestry that makes us one body in Christ here at St. George’s, and we
sincerely thank you for all of the ways that you have shared of yourself and helped make this place a
beacon of God’s light in our community.
In this season when our parish family is re-committing to God and to one another, we hope you,
too, will continue your commitment to growing in this place – in regular attendance at worship, in
becoming part of our rich and varied ministries, and in exploring ways to serve one another and our
community. From our worship and music ministries, to the many opportunities for learning, to the
many ways we roll up our sleeves and serve our neighbors, the opportunities to grow with us are
many.
Included in this packet is a ministry booklet with a photo log from the past year – inviting you to
take a fresh new look at the ways that we do grow together here. We have emerged from the
pandemic discerning new ways to engage to do God’s work in this place and in our world, and to
employ all of the gifts with which we have been entrusted to help make ministry thrive here. We can
help make the world a more peaceful, health-filled, and love-filled place.
That work, of course, requires our ongoing financial support. We thank you for all of the ways in
which you have supported ministry here at St. George’s in the past – for, indeed, without that
support, our ability to serve our community would be far more limited. In so many ways, St.
George’s has marked important milestones after the pandemic years. Families have returned to
worship each Sunday, baptisms welcome blessed additions to our parish family, opportunities for
learning and service have continued, and fellowship opportunities abound.
In a world in which many, many things compete for our time, our attention and our dollars, we
know that commitment is always a big ask. This year’s financial “ask” is a very important one.
In addition to our ongoing operational budget requirements, the staff and Vestry have managed a
growing list of property repairs and projects. St. George’s has worked to be a good steward of the
resources entrusted to us – and has reserved funds for repairs and building improvements. But, the
need now exceeds the dollars set aside over the last three years. The projects fall into three major
categories:
• Campus security, with a new locking system and additional cameras.
• Repairs to the flat portion of the roof, to stop the frequent leaks in the Gallery and classrooms.
• Replacement of some of our sanctuary lighting fixtures and control panels that can no longer
be repaired.

We will communicate much more about the upgrades to the door locking and camera systems as
that work is completed this fall. We are investigating the addition of gates to provide better
protection for the Preschool. With work on the roof now completed, we will get bids to replace
damaged carpeting and paint.
The budget for the three projects exceeds $400,000.These expenses are above and beyond our
normal operating budget. We are committed to employing good financial stewardship – and we are
grateful for the parish family’s support of a maintenance reserve that allows us to handle repairs as
needs arise. Having already received commitments of more than $65,000 for current
maintenance, we are left to raise $150,000 beyond the contribution from our maintenance
reserve and deferred revenues to move forward. This will also insure the maintenance reserve will
be funded for the next round of building repairs required to keep our campus ready for our many
ministries.
Our campus repairs will maintain and enhance a facility that has served this congregation and its
community at this current location since 2007. Paying major expenses as they arise fits within a
responsible tradition of stewardship for all those whose lives are enriched by our physical and
spiritual presence here.
Both our campus maintenance and ongoing budgetary requirements demand our attention – as we
recognize that our normal operating budget must continue to fund our parish operation, music,
children’s/family ministry, and our many other ministries here. To meet expected operating
expenses next year, the Stewardship goal is a 3.5% increase in annual pledges.
We pray that over the next weeks you will give your own prayerful consideration to the ways in
which you can support our church. Please know that all gifts of time, talent and treasure are valued
and needed to support our work here.
For 89 years, we have served this community faithfully. Now, we are called not only to continue
our ministry, but also to invest in those things which will allow us to serve our community well
into the future. Please find the enclosed pledge card(s) to be returned by October 22 (You may
also make your pledge of time, talent and treasure online by visiting
https://stgchurch.org/giving/.). Please contact any of us with questions about the capital or
operating budgets.

Faithfully,

Dorothy+ Taylor Key
Senior Warden

Perry Pennington
Junior Warden

Jim Vogel
Treasurer

Charlotte Albertson
Clerk

2024 Pledge Form


Stewardship: Feeding The Hungry, Housing the Homeless
Stewardship: Refuge
Worship Ministry
Cooking Teams
Worship Music Gifts
Team Read Coaches
Preschool Stewardship

Kroger Community Rewards®

Kroger Community Rewards

Giving More Back to the Community!
And there are other ways to give to St. George’s! St George’s participates in the Kroger Community Rewards program. Eileen Fields, Parish Administrator for Operations and Finance or a member of the Stewardship Program can sign you up for the program if you have not used it before. Give to the church with out spending an extra penny! St. George’s receives a percentage from the monthly sales to participants so you are earning benefits for St. George’s as you do your weekly marketing and make gas purchases.

Each time you shop at Kroger, they will contribute 3-5% to St. George’s on all your grocery and gas purchases if you select St. George’s Episcopal Church as the designated organization for your Kroger account’s Community Support! You election must be renewed annually for contributions to St. George’s to continue. Check the bottom of your Kroger receipt to see if you have selected St. George’s as your designated organization for community support. If you haven’t selected St. George’s, go to www.kroger.com and select Community Rewards, then sign in or open an account.  To register St. George’s for your Community Reward use New Number #HG578 or put in the church name and then enroll to establish or renew your donation to St. George’s.  Click here to enroll on-line.

Please contact Mother Dorothy at 901-754-7282 dorothy@stgeorgesgemantown.org, or Eileen Fields at 901-754-7282 or efields@stgeorgesgermantown.org if you have any questions.

St. George's Memorials

In addition to St. George’s Endowment Trust, there are a number of other ways in which Memorial or Honoraria Gifts can be made to St. George’s in memory of deceased persons or to honor family, friends or others on special occasions. Checks should be made out to St. George’s Episcopal Church with the designated fund listed in the memo line and accompanied by a note or name(s) of the persons in memorium or to be honored, on the envelope if a special gift envelope is used.

Gifts can be made to:

General Memorial Fund— for designated or undesignated gifts
Organ Memorial Fund— for maintenance of the organ
Music Memorial Fund— for sheet music, musical instruments or accessories
Sanctifica Fund— for sheet music or other expenses of the Sanctifica Wind Ensemble
Friends of Music— for St. George’s Concert series and musician recognition activities
Altar Guild Memorial Fund— for designated or undesignated gifts for purchase of linens, communion vessels or other altar guild items
Flower Guild Fund— for weekly or holiday floral displays
Daughters of the King Fund— for local expenses or donations to the national DOK funds
Rector’s Outreach Discretionary Fund— gifts to support ministries that assist vulnerable persons with shelter, food, education and medical care.

Special Gift Offerings are solicited at Christmas and Easter for Flowers and Musicians. Individuals and families are encouraged to give to the Sunday floral displays on occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, death anniversaries or other dates or events the giver wishes to commemorate. For single commemorations a gift of $50 is suggested, but any gift amounts are welcomed.

Music Memorials & Gifts

If you wish to give to the music program, but you are unsure about the fund to which you wish to contribute then here is a list with details for each Music Memorial and Gift Giving program available. Gifts to any of these funds may be made on-line here, designate desired fund in the Additional Information field.

Music Memorial Fund
This fund supports the purchase of durable items for the music program, such as instruments, music, folders, stands. While gifts may be given in memory of a loved one, they may also be used to honor someone. Music given in memory/honor of someone will have a label on it to that effect, so that we will always think of your loved one when we use the music.

Exultemus Fund
Sometimes Exultemus needs supplies or equipment that is not covered in the music operating budget.

Friends of Music
This fund supports music outreach in the form of concerts offered free of charge to parish and community. Funds are used for performance fees, publicity, program printing and hosting receptions. Gifts are freely given by parishioners and those who attend concerts.

Music Operating Expenses
This budgeted item funds regular maintenance of the music program, such as postage, publicity, printing, licenses, instrument maintenance, and music supplies.

Organ Memorial Fund
This is a long-term fund for future expansion of the organ.

Special Offerings
At Christmas and Easter there is an opportunity to help provide guest instrumentalists for special liturgies. This is a large expense (typically about $1,500 per feast day and the music budget does not cover all of it) and your generous support has enabled some wonderful seasonal music. Please contact the church office for more information.

Great Oaks Legacy Society Endowment Fund

The Endowment Trust has now begun to make meaningful contributions to the operation of the Church and the trustees look forward to being able to do even more in 2018. If you have not already done so, please consider including St. George’s Endowment Trust in your estate planning and in your planned giving as a part of our covenant with the future of St. George’s.