The Most I’ve Ever Pledged

Rachel Norton, Director of Stewardship, Development, and Communications

I know we are all excited about entering this new chapter in Third Church history; I can almost feel the anticipation vibrating off the screen when I review the congregation’s giving and pledging in 2021.

Although Third Church, like most other mainline churches, has fewer households making pledges, those who do pledge demonstrate remarkable commitment to this community of faith. Almost 60% of pledging households increased their gift for 2022, and not by a paltry amount, either. These same households raised their promised contributions a whopping 16% on average! To me this shows that, in general, the people who are most active in the life of this church are ready to invest, substantially, in a vision for our future.

I had a conversation with a long-time member who more than doubled her pledge from last year to this. She told me:

On the Sunday that we had Advent Special Music, I went to worship, and then later that day I co-hosted a party at an upscale restaurant. Both parts of my day were wonderful, but that night it dawned on me that I had spent more money in one evening on that party than I had given to the church in a whole year! And that felt wrong to me, so I increased my pledge. This is the most I have ever pledged, but it feels good.

It feels good to me, too, to know that I’m contributing toward the future of Third Church. We had an ambitious pledge goal this year, to match our ambitious plans for new ministry. As of mid-January, those of us who have pledged have gotten us 94% of the way there!

If you have not made a pledge for 2022, and if you feel even the smallest stirring in your heart urging you to do so, please act on it! You can make your pledge using our secure online form, or by phone or email to Rachel Norton (585-271-6513 ext. 118). Every contribution, big or small, matters to Third Church, and matters to God.