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The Board of Stewards helps to educate the congregation, both adults and children, on personal discipleship and shared ministry as well as financial support of the church. To learn more about ways you can support our church with your time, talent or funds, contact our church office or any member on the Board of Stewards.
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The concept of "stewardship" comes from our belief that all we have comes to us from God who expects us to be stewards of the time, talent and money we have, sharing it with others. We know that with the current downswing of the economy, that it might be difficult to give financially to the church right now. Please know that we understand, and we encourage you to give in whatever way you are able. You may be able to share your knowledge by teaching Sunday School, or being a youth advisor, or your musical talent by singing in one of the choirs or playing an instrument, or you may be able to help keep the church grounds tidy. Whatever you can do, we will weather this bad economic storm together. If you feel the call to offer something of yourself, let us know.
Phil Drapeau, Moderator Board of Stewards
Beverly Milotz, Vice Moderator Board of Stewards
Class of 2010
Patricia Jones, Marianne McKeown,
Thomas McKeown,
Margaret Pagnucco, Eileen Shade,
Christopher Blaikie (Youth 1 Year)
Class of 2011
Kim Ammon, Phil Drapeau, Carol Flotte, Michelle Gavrila,
Carol Johnson, Robert Myers, Kerri VanWallaghen
Class of 2012
Irene Barazsu, Ruth Luke, Beverly Milotz
Please note that pledge envelopes are no longer displayed in the church hallway. If you were unable to pick up your envelopes, and still wish to do so, please call 313-383-0100, Ext. 0
ELECTRONIC GIVING
Electronic banking is here is now available at APPC. Anyone wishing to pay their pledge or other contributions to the church by electronic check can now do so over our new secure website (operated by the company that created our church software). You can make one time payments, or setup weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annual payment schedules.
Coming soon, you will be able to register and pay for camps over the same site. Anyone interested, can contact John in the office to receive you login and password. The only requirement is you must have a valid e-mail address registered in our program file. You may then visit this new website at https://webview.shelbyinc.com/01879, after you have your password and login. This new website includes a church directory, calendar, contributions, and contributions history pages.
John Clark
Financial Secretary
313-383-0100, Ext. 10
What is a pledge?
A pledge is an estimate of your giving for the coming year. It is not a contract; it is a statement of your intention. Periodically throughout the year, generally every three months, you will receive a statement from the church, reminding you of the amount of your pledge and showing your progress toward its completion. The Budget and Finance Committee of the Session uses the total annual pledged amount to formulate a budget for the upcoming year based on what people "think" they will be able to contribute to the church.
What happens if my circumstances change?
Just change your pledge . If it becomes evident during the year that your pledge was too optimistic, just let us know. Or if you win the lottery…
Other people have supported the church until now. Why should I get involved?
Allen Park Presbyterian has always been the kind of church that depends on the support of many, many people. There are not just a few wealthy individuals or families who keep things going. The work of the church needs all of us. If you’ve been a part of things at APPC, but have not yet made a financial pledge, now might be the right time.
I’ve never made a pledge before. How much am I supposed to pledge??
This is a very individual matter, but there are some good guidelines to follow. It helps to begin with an amount enough to be meaningful, but not so much that your are setting yourself up for failure. It is important at first to give a regular amount, paid either weekly, monthly, or yearly, that you can feel good about.
Many people find the concept of proportional giving to be meaningful part of their spiritual lives, returning to God a proportion of all God has entrusted to us. Proporional giving is the offering of a chosen percentage of our income.
The biblical guideline for proportional giving is a “tithe, of 10%. Most people begin more modestly, with 1% or 2% of their income, and strive to grow toward the levels of the 5% or 10% tithe. The important thing is to consider the proportion of our giving, and then to allow it to grow by a percent, or even .5% or .25% each year until we approach the greater giving goals.
Per Capita
The Presbyterian Covenant Community Fund
What is per capita?
Per capita funding is how Presbyterians mutually share the costs of coming together to discern the Spirit’s leading for the future.
It is how Presbyterians are trained to become better elders and ministers.
It is how Presbyterians discern God’s call in their lives.
It is how Presbyterians participate in the life of the wider church by serving on GA committees and commissions.
It is how Presbyterians participate in the life of the Church universal as we commit ourselves to work and live in fellowship with “all persons in every nation” (Book of Order, G-4.0101)
The Westminster Confession says, “all believers, are therefore, under obligation to sustain the ordinances of the Christian religion where they are already established, and to contribute by their prayers, gifts, and personal efforts to the extension of the Kingdom of God throughout the whole earth” (6.058).
Per capita is a fundamental way in which all of the nearly 11,000 congregations and governing bodies of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) are connected and participate in the work of the wider church.
Because it is rooted in the connectional and covenantal nature of the Presbyterian church, as affirmed by the ordination vows taken by elders and ministers of the Word and Sacrament, per capita could be called the Presbyterian Covenant Community Fund.
How does per capita affect APPC and its budget in plain English by Kerri VanWallaghen, Board of Stewards (Class of 2010)
Per capita is an amount that is accessed for every member in our congregation, including recent confirmation students, each year based upon membership.
For 2009, our apportionment is based upon 1,266 members x $22.68 for a total of $28,712.88. The Budget & Finance Committee budgets the approximate amount that comes into APPC each year: $8,000.00 leaving a balance due of about $20,000.00 that comes directly out of our General Fund. Ouch! So the bottom line is that we kindly ask each member to pay their own per capita so we have more money in our General Fund because we have to pay the entire per capita bill.
So if you want to help keep more money in our general fund, please consider using your per capita envelope for each member in your household.
To view a copy of the 2009 Per Capita Report, click here: 2009 POD Per Capita
Per capita brings Presbyterians together — literally!
Presbyterians are connected in many ways, including our church government. We believe we discern best what God is calling us to do when we gather as governing bodies, “seek[ing] together to find and represent the will of Christ” (Book of Order G-4.0301). Per capita dollars pay for the costs of holding a General Assembly — including paying for the travel, room and board of commissioners and advisory delegates, several of whom would not be able to afford these expenses on their own.
Per capita makes it possible for Presbyterians to govern ourselves the way we do.
Presbyterians have a form of government built upon shared power and mutual accountability as we seek together to find and represent the will of Christ. By providing the primary means through which commissioners and advisory delegates can gather to do their work, per capita dollars help to undergird our governance system.
Our Constitution provides a moral and theological compass that builds community and calls us to Christian faithfulness in gratitude to God.
Per capita makes possible our effort for visible unity of the church of Jesus Christ.
The PC(USA), as with other faith traditions and denominations, is but a small part of the one church of Jesus Christ. We affirm that God’s call is for the church to be one.
Per capita makes it possible for us to maintain our historical awareness.
Our historical heritage helps us make informed decisions for the future. The Presbyterian Historical Society is our national archives and historical research center. It collects, preserves and shares the history of the American Presbyterian and Reformed tradition.
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