Ways to Give
Financial Support
When it comes to the financial support of our church family, the biblical ideal is a tithe—or 10%—of one’s income.
Our Catholic Church leaders suggest giving 5% to church and 5% to charity.
Most Catholics who tithe reach this ideal gradually. In this area of stewardship, one of the most important steps to consider is to become an “intentional giver”—as opposed to a “loose change giver.” An intentional giver is one who has the willing diligence to look at his/her annual income and prayerfully and intentionally decide what percentage should be set aside for the support of the church and for charity.
Time
Time is a very precious gift. Amidst our busy lives, it can feel as if we don’t have enough time in the day. Therefore, devoting some of your time to support our parish is an even more precious gift! To give your time, check out the “Get Involved” tab to view all opportunities.
Talent
Whether we know it or not, all of us have been blessed with various talents that we can develop and use wisely to bless the communities we belong to. To find out ways you can share your talent with your church family, contact our Parish Office by emailing info@sjwest.org or calling 410-848-4744.
Treasure
There are over 2,300 verses in the Bible about money, possessions and the right use of them. Why is this? Perhaps it’s because God knows our propensity to misuse money or allow it to distract us from keeping our eyes on Him. We count on the support of our parishioners to keep our faith formation active and our church facilities safe and up to date. Please consider taking the next step and increasing your financial gift.
Five reasons to be an intentional giver
1. God expects us to be generous even if our financial resources are not much. The poor widow who tithes in the Temple (Mark 12:41-44) provides an example of how Jesus implores our generosity.
2. If we have been blessed in our circumstances, we should reflect our thankfulness through material generosity.
3. Consistent financial giving is the best medicine for our human tendencies toward greed.
4. Generous financial giving helps make us a little more like our good and generous God.
5. It feels good to experience the joy of giving.