Dear Friends and Fellow Parishioners,
Our theme for this year’s stewardship campaign is “Make Me a Channel of Your Peace,” drawing from the prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi. As our parish enters its 193rd year, we at Ascension seek to share God’s love with the world around us, to grow our parish both in numbers and in faith, and to deepen our own prayer and gratitude. We live in times that cry out for justice and peace, and we want to rise to the challenge. To do that, we need your commitment of time, talent and treasure.
If you have never pledged to Ascension before, why not start this year? Your pledge of any amount means that we can count on your contribution to our financial life, and you may find that it deepens your sense of connection to the community. If you are already a pledger, we hope that you will consider an increase of 10%, or whatever you can afford. Over the past several years we have made considerable progress in increasing our pledge income, and we need to continue this positive trend so that we can ensure that we are here for generations to come. Those who have gone before us have left us a strong foundation, and we too must do our part. Our pledge goal for 2020 is $400,000 — a demanding goal, but, we believe, a doable one!
We hope the information below will answer your questions about how your pledge works to make our parish stronger, as well as sharing some of the wide diversity and vibrant energy of life at Ascension.
Please note the important dates and activities in our Stewardship Campaign:
- the Commissioning of Canvassers on October 27,
- the annual Harvest dinner on Thursday, November 14
- and the Blessing of the Pledges at the 11 a.m. service on Sunday, November 24.
Your Stewardship Committee and clergy welcome questions at any time about the parish, the campaign, and your pledge. We thank you in advance for your continued commitment to Church of the Ascension. With your help, our church will continue to be a channel of God’s peace in 2020.
Your sisters and brothers in Christ,
The Ascension Stewardship Committee
Eric Achacoso, Peter Clark, David Lehmann, Rachel Sedor
Pledge Your Support Now
The Church of the Ascension has been serving downtown New York City as a vibrant center for worship and exploration of faith for over 179 years. Through our outreach programs, community activities, and vibrant welcome to all, we both give and receive.
In order to maintain and grow our activities, we rely on all our members, through your participation, talents, and financial support. Please pledge your support to Ascension now.
Why does Ascension need my pledge?
Planning for next year’s worship, music, educational and service programs, outreach, and activities requires prayerful and responsible budgeting. The faithful participation and support from every one of us is essential in order to provide the gifts of time, talent, and treasure for the work of spreading the Gospel.
How is our pledge money spent?
Our regular worship and inspirational space command a large portion of our budget, from payroll to building maintenance and repairs. At the same time, we aim to increase the amount we commit to outreach, community activities and spiritual development. Only your annual pledge will allow us to achieve that goal!
*1% due to rounding. Expenses do not include Food Pantry and other activities covered by the Ascension Outreach Inc. budget.
How much should I give?
Ascension’s programs depend on the level of support from annual pledges, so the more we give, the better we can support and grow our ministries for a vibrant future. And while we are fortunate to have a landmark architectural gem to worship in, the upkeep on beautiful old buildings is expensive!
The following chart shows how Ascension members contribute and may give you context for deciding on your pledge amount.
| Pledges for 2019 by Size | Number of Pledges (versus 2018) | Amount | Percent of Total Dollars Pledged | Average Pledge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOTALS | 103 (111) | $357,215 | 100 | |
| $10,001 or more | 4 (3) | $132,392 | 37.06 | $33,098 |
| $5,001 to $10,000 | 13 (13) | $87,956 | 24.62 | $6,766 |
| $2,501 to $5,000 | 21 (21) | $70,102 | 19.62 | $3,338 |
| $1,501 to $2,500 | 16 (19) | $33,280 | 9.32 | $2,080 |
| $1,001 to $1,500 | 11 (12) | $13,840 | 3.87 | $1,258 |
| $501 to $1,000 | 15 (17) | $12,070 | 3.38 | $805 |
| $500 or less | 23 (26) | $7,575 | 2.13 | $329 |
I’ve never pledged before, how does it work?
We especially need new pledges, so thank you in advance for joining us in helping support Ascension. Just fill out the pledge card form at the top of this page, or print one out and either send it by mail or put it in the collection plate. You may request a box of numbered envelopes that you can use to place your weekly offering in the collection plate so that your gift is credited to your pledge. If you wish to make automatic contributions, the online form has an option for you to check and our bookkeeper will call you. Or, if you print out a pledge form, you can provide credit card or debit card information on it. Your donation will be charged automatically on a monthly or quarterly basis.
