Stewardship and Planned Giving

The Vestry Declaration on Stewardship

Below you will find a statement of our guiding principles of stewardship, developed by the Stewardship Committee, then revised and endorsed by the Vestry (our governing board) in 2011:

We, the vestry and wardens of St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Lancaster, endorse the following principles of good stewardship, pledge to implement them in our own stewardship, and recommend and encourage the membership to do likewise.

The principle of Biblical tithing: We endorse the principle that each household is called to pledge 10% of its total income to God through His church. We encourage each household to work toward that goal as they are able over time. (Malachi 3:10)

The principle of first fruits: We endorse the principle that giving to God through His church should be a household’s first priority. (Exodus 23:19)

The principle of budgetary planning: We endorse the principle that a household, as well as the church, needs to budget its income and expenses for responsible stewardship. We encourage each household to have its own budget, and to help the parish establish its annual budget with a timely pledge or non-binding indication of an annual gift. (Luke 14:28)

The principle of the three Ts: We endorse the principle that each individual returns to God, through His church, of his or her Time, Talent and Treasure. We encourage each individual to assess what those skills and gifts are, and offer a share of these to the church. (1 Peter 4:10)

We recognize that each individual and family is different, and may be unable to implement any or all of these principles during any given year. St. Thomas Church wishes to support individuals and families in trying financial circumstances, even as we encourage growth in giving.

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The Four Aspects of Stewardship

The St. Thomas Legacy Society

…providing for the work of Christ in the world.

In the Rite of Thanksgiving for a Child, the 1979 Book of Common Prayer directs the Minister of the Congregation "to instruct the people, from time to time, about the duty of Christian parents to make prudent provision for the well-being of their families, and of all persons to make wills, while they are in health, arranging for the disposal of their temporal goods, not neglecting, if they are able, to leave bequests for religious and charitable uses."  (p. 445)

Over the years, bequests and other planned gifts have proven to be a vital element in building the long-term financial health of St. Thomas.  The funds created by these gifts have allowed us to call a salaried youth minister, fund capital improvement projects, and provide for the ongoing care of the organ, just to name a few of the good works they have helped support.  Had the parish been compelled to depend solely on annual pledges, many of these projects and ministries would have gone unfunded.

The St. Thomas Legacy Society was created to provide a formal means of recognizing and encouraging such gifts to the parish.

You, too, can leave a lasting legacy to St. Thomas through any number of financial instruments, including some that begin to work while you are still living. 

Membership in the Legacy Society requires only a statement of intention by an individual or couple to provide some form of gift to the mission of St. Thomas at his or her death.  Most gifts can be made by putting the church in your will, but there are other options as well, such as naming St. Thomas as a beneficiary in a life insurance policy, retirement plan, or IRA account.

You may obtain additional information by contacting Mother Gina or Mr. Frank Fryburg through the parish office, both of whom can describe existing endowments in greater detail, as well as current and future needs of the parish, so that you may, if you wish, designate how your gift is to be used.