Ways to Give
Pledging
What is a pledge? Pledging to your church is a promise to give. It can be a regular weekly or monthly amount, or the promise of a total sum for the year. A pledge is not a binding contract, it’s your statement of intent to give. Every pledge helps!
Why should I pledge? Pledging helps the Finance Committee and the Vestry when creating the budget. Knowing what people plan to give is a huge help in this process. It also allows you to make an intentional decision about your yearly giving to the church. Please note, neither your name nor your individual pledge amount is shared with the committees, only the total of all pledges.
How do I pledge? Each fall, our stewardship committee, currently lead by Donald Lewis, will coordinate our annual giving campaign. Pledges can be made during that time by completing a pledge card or by clicking here. You can also make a pledge by contacting the Office Manager any time of the year.
How can I pay my pledge? You can make your payments when it’s most convenient to you – weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly or at any time that works with your budget. Payments can be cash, checks, stock donations, text giving or by making one time or recurring online gifts with credit or debit cards.
What if something happens and I can’t complete my pledge? Though a pledge is a commitment and should be taken seriously, we completely understand that sometimes life changes and a pledge cannot be fulfilled. If something happens and you need to change your pledge amount during the year, please let our Office Manager know and they’ll make the change for you. You will never receive collection calls if you are unable to make your pledge.
Online Giving
Our Online Giving feature provides electronic payment processing for convenient “anytime and anywhere”, one-time or recurring charitable contributions. It is simple, fast and secure. Online giving is a safe and easy way to support the ministries of St. John’s Episcopal Church. You can access our online giving by clicking here.
Creating an account will make future gifting quite simple. You can easily make pledge payments anytime, such as when you are not able to attend services, are traveling or simply prefer to do so from the convenience of your home. Immediately after submitting your contribution, you will receive an e-mail verifying your contribution.
The site will also allow you to view the complete history of your contributions. Additionally, the church will continue to send year-end contribution statements to your address on file for tax purposes.
Text giving
For pledge payments text : StJohnsBangor Pledge $25 to 73256 to give to Pledge Payment using your text messaging. (Any amount can be given, $25 is just the example.) Standard text message rates do apply
For non-pledge payments text : StJohnsBangor Donation $25 to 73256 to give to Undesignated Contributions using your text messaging. (Any amount can be given, $25 is just the example.) Standard text message rates do apply
Stock Donation
In order to ensure that we receive your gift of investment securities successfully and that you receive proper credit, please share our letter of instruction, available at the Parish Office, with your investment broker or firm. Please ask them to include your name and indicate that your gift is for St. John’s Episcopal Church.
If your broker or investment firm has any questions, please ask them to contact our investment firm (Bar Harbor Trust Services) at 207-667-6404.
Delivery Instructions for the Sending Firm:
Please note that Bar Harbor Trust Services is not ACAT eligible. Securities must be delivered via Depository Trust Company (DTC).
Prior to the transfer of securities, please contact Bar Harbor Trust Services at 207-667-6404 to notify them of the pending transfer. Please provide them with the donor name, recipient name (St. John’s Episcopal Church), security description, and approximate value. This information will allow them to notify us of the transfer and process and credit the gift successfully.
Planned Giving
Leaving a Legacy…
How can each of us make something enduring and that can last 175 years? By leaving a will that includes bequests for religious and charitable purposes.
The loving act of making a will along with many other pledges of time, talent and money have provided the St. Johns parish with a community of faith and worship for a very long time. Every individual should take steps to make a will to provide for their families and loved ones. You can tailor your will to meet many goals such as satisfying final debts and providing for support and education of young family members.
A will can also make a statement about your life and your values. A gift to the church via your will is a lasting and powerful way to assist your community of faith.