During the past five years, Calvary’s pledging has declined. Pledges by Calvary members numbered 326 in 2010, a 17% drop from 391 in 2006. Total dollars pledged decreased from $1,844,000 in 2006 to $1,720,000 in 2010.

Projected pledging for 2012, as of mid-December, is 364 pledges with a total dollar value of $1,650,000.

Our greatest challenge for stewardship is expanding our pledging base. Currently, Calvary has a disproportionate number of very generous pledges given by a small number of longtime members.

This formula is clearly not optimal for financial stability. Rather than depend on this small group of donors for funding, we need to effectively encourage pledging throughout the congregation. This task is difficult in a young congregation like ours, since people under 50 tend to be resistant to pledging.

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