Stewardship: Financial Pledging at Hancock Church

Contributions from our members provide nearly all of the money for our annual operating budget. That budget determines the scope of our activities, including the size of our staff, our financial outreach, and all that constitutes our total mission and ministry. The congregation re-configures that budget annually, based on their interests, convictions and financial capabilities.

The Faith Promise Pledge
Each year we challenge every member to give thoughtful consideration to next year's financial needs at Hancock Church and what they expect to contribute towards it. They write only this figure on a pledge card and on a designated Faith Promise Sunday, deposit it in one of two specially created boxes. The total pledged determines the total budget accordingly.

Anonymity in Pledging
On a second card, which they deposit in a different box, members write their name(s), indicating that they have pledged. This system of two pledge cards allows the church to keep track of who has pledged and how much the whole congregation has pledged, but not what a particular individual or family's amount might be. See sample pledge card below.

Expectations for Pledging
Members of Hancock Church share the expectation that all members or friends of the church will make a pledge. This action is a re-affirmation of the covenant between each member and the rest of the Hancock Church community. However, the amount of your pledge is a matter to be decided within each family and with God. Every member/family pledging allow us to plan and budget from for the following year. What programs we continue, expand, or abandon is based solely on what the congregation can support.

Each pledge of whatever size is celebrated with thanks and perceived as a personal commitment to the entire church community.