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FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
AUTOMATED
GIVING
Who are
Christian Stewards?
“Christian stewards receive God’s gifts gratefully, cultivate them
responsibly, share them lovingly in justice with others and return them
with increase to the Lord.”
What is
Automated Giving?
Automated
Giving is a direct debit program whereby your “ gift” is debited
automatically from your bank account or charged to your credit card.
What are the
advantages of using automated giving?
Using
automated giving makes it easy to fulfill stewardship commitments, even
when you can’t attend Mass. It is no longer necessary to bring cash or a
check to church. You also help the church to stabilize its budget and to
save money because it reduces printing, postage and deposit fees.
How does
automated giving work?
If you
select the banking option, your specified contribution will be
automatically transferred from your checking or savings account to the
church’s account. If you select the credit card option, your specified
contribution will be charged to your credit card and transferred to the
church’s account.
How much
does automated giving cost?
It cost you
nothing and saves you time.
What about
my envelopes?
You
will continue to receive envelopes from the church. The envelopes will
include a box you can check that indicates you have opted for automated
giving. If you choose to, you can drop these envelopes in the collection
basket on Sundays. You are not required to use these envelopes to receive
credit for your donations.
What about
special collections?
We will have
only one parish collection each week and one or two second collection each
month. The second collection leaves our parish and supports Diocesan
programs and the missions. You simply indicate on the authorization form
the amount you would like to contribute monthly to these worthy causes.
When will my
contributions be deducted?
Your
contribution will be deducted on the day you specify. If that date falls
on a holiday or weekend day, it will be processed the previous business
day. You never have to worry about forgetting an envelope or having cash
or a check handy.
If I do
not write checks, how do I keep my checkbook balanced?
Since your
contribution is made at a pre-established time, you simply record it in
your check register on the appropriate date.
Without a
cancelled check, how can I prove I made my contributions?
In
general banks are stopping the practice of mailing cancelled checks. So,
if you select the banking option, your monthly bank statement gives you an
itemized list of charges. The monthly statement is your proof of
contribution, or if you prefer you can request an annual record.
Is automated
giving risky?
Automated
giving is less risky than check contribution. It has a high
rate of accuracy.
What if I
change bank accounts or credit card companies?
Notify
us and we will give you a new authorization form to fill out.
What if I
try automated giving and don’t like it?
You can
cancel your authorization by notifying us at any time. But, once you’ve
enjoyed the convenience, time and money savings of automated giving, we
doubt you will want to go back to making contributions the way you did
before.
How do I
sign up for automated giving?
Complete the
authorization form
online or contact the Church’s
Ministry Office and a form will be sent to you. It is that easy.
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