Why We Give
The stewardship of our finances is a tremendous—and often overlooked—area of our lives where we can faithfully proclaim the gospel. Giving strengthens our devotion to Christ and frees us to live open-handedly with the gifts God gives us. We trust in Him and His provision instead of our perceived self-sufficiency. As people of faith, we give faithfully and generously. The Bible makes clear that we are to honor God in all things, giving cheerfully of the resources He has entrusted to us. We call this kind of giving “stewardship” (Proverbs 3:9; 2 Corinthians 9:7). Stewardship by definition means “the responsible overseeing and protection of something considered worth caring for and preserving.” We support this concept of stewardship by offering you several ways to give.
Year End Giving
In the Liturgy of Christmas, we hear these words from St. Paul to Titus: “Beloved, the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared!” (3:4). In the newborn Christ, we see all the kindness and generous love of our God! Through your ongoing support of St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church and School, you dear parishioner, are making it possible for many in our community and beyond to see “the kindness and generous love of God”. Thank you for considering a year-end gift to support our many ministries!
The easiest way to give is through Realm, our secure online community. You can give one time, or set up a recurring donation and designate which fund you would like to give to (example: Sunday Collection). If you are currently signed up for Give+, please close your account and sign up for Realm Giving. If you have questions, please contact mbrennan@spagr.org. You can also Text SPAGR $(put amount you wish to give) to 73256 to give to Sunday Collection using your text messaging on your phone. Standard text message rates do apply.
Annual – Catholic Services Appeal (CSA)
The CSA and private donations are the only ways that programs and ministries at the diocesan level are funded. Your gift helps to support more than 20 programs including seminarian and deacon formation, Catholic school education, cultural ministries, respect life ministry, Catholic Charities, faith formation of our youth and young adults, and communications including TV Mass and FAITH Grand Rapids magazine. Please join us once again in supporting the efforts of our annual Catholic Services Appeal. This appeal is our yearly opportunity to practice stewardship and prayerfully reflect on the blessings that sacrificial giving can bring about in our lives personally and in service to our larger community.
Gifts of stocks, bonds or other securities
Gifts of appreciated stocks, bonds or other securities will receive a tax deduction based on the value of the security on the date of the gift. With long-term appreciated securities (those held longer than 12 months), you will receive a charitable income tax deduction for the full fair-market value of your gift and avoid paying capital gains tax on the appreciation. Please contact the Parish Office to make arrangements.
Gift of Planned Giving
Including St. Paul the Apostle in your estate planning is a powerful act of philanthropy, one that serves as a testament to your belief in the importance of our mission. Bequests and life insurance transfers are among the planned gift options that can be beneficial to the parish, school and the donor. Please contact the Parish Office to make arrangements.
Gift in Memoriam
Give in memory or in honor of a loved one. When you honor the life of someone with a memorial gift to St. Paul the Apostle, you further their legacy by choosing to helping the parish to evangelize in our community and/or support all families seeking a Catholic education for their children.
Amazon Smile “Easy Giving”
AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon with the same products, prices, and shopping features as Amazon.com. The difference is that when you shop on AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to St. Paul the Apostle. Every item available for purchase on www.amazon.com is also available on AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com) at the same price. You will see eligible products marked “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation” on their product detail pages. Simply click on the shop now button below and start shopping. All eligible purchases you make at smile.amazon.com will result in a donation to St. Paul the Apostle Church and School.
