The Annual Giving Appeal, usually referred to as the “stewardship campaign,” or just “stewardship,” is the fundraising effort that supports the yearly mission, ministries, and programs of the church. Christian stewardship is always based on gratitude: our understanding that all we have is a gift from God, left in our care for a short time. As good stewards, we acknowledge that resources are a responsibility; what we have in abundance was meant to be invested in the good of our community and our world.

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Above all, an annual pledge is a spiritual commitment to God; as faithful stewards, we return a portion of what we have received in abundance back to the Giver.  We invite every member of St. James, and our online community, to prayerfully consider making a pledge of financial support. The amount of your pledge is a personal decision; a gift of any size is an expression of faith in God’s provision.  Church members are asked to make an annual financial pledge to support and to sustain our mission and programs. Giving may then be fulfilled throughout the year in intervals of the donor’s choosing—one-time, quarterly, monthly, or weekly, for example. Your pledge and giving allows the church leadership to manage, plan, and budget effectively, with the confidence that program and operational needs will be met. 

The church’s fiscal year is the calendar year; thus we seek to have all payments received by December 31. The easiest way to fulfill your giving is online, where we accept payments via credit card, Zelle, PayPal, Venmo, and Cash App.  Other common methods of giving include check, bank transfer, or a gift of securities. If you are age 72 or over, direct donation from an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) is also an attractive option, as the distribution is not treated as taxable income. 

Giving is a personal decision, to be prayerfully discerned. The spiritual practice of giving to the church is grounded in the biblical standard of the tithe, which emphasizes the concepts of proportional giving back to God as a first priority. We invite you to consider your household income and place St. James, Newport, at the top of your giving priorities. All financial contributions of any amount are welcome and will be kept confidential. You might also think about growing your giving to the church over time and as a reflection of your spiritual growth. 

The average annual pledge at St. James in 2023 was just over $6,575. This is higher than the national average of $3,200 due to demographics, commitment to stewardship, and enthusiasm to support our active ministry and community activity. We currently have about 103 households that give an annual pledge to St. James. 

The annual budget for St. James for 2023 was just over $980,000. The largest source of income is parishioner giving. The Annual Appeal alone funds around 73% of the operating budget. It is by far the largest source of programmatic support and we hope that all parishioners will participate. The annual budget for 2025 is $1,054,744 as a result of enhanced worship ministry efforts, outreach, hospitality, the ongoing maintenance of our building and grounds, and of course, inflation. 

St. James, Newport Beach, is a parish church of the Diocese of Los Angeles, under the authority of the bishop, and we do not receive any diocesan financial support. Dioceses are in turn part of the national church structure (where dioceses support the national church). We are fully self-supporting. We contribute an annual 12% assessment to the Diocese of Los Angeles, based on our income level, to fund our common life together, provide for diocesan resources for the church, and for outreach to missions and ministries of the diocese.

The Annual Appeal seeks to fund the church's annual operating budget to enable our common life and outreach in the community. If you would like to discuss a special gift to support a specific program, please contact the stewardship team leader, Scott Garrepy. 

Yes, the church receives some matching gifts, and this is an area we would like to grow. Corporate matching gifts are an excellent way to provide further support for the mission of St. James, as many companies will match charitable contributions made by their employees. Please check with your human resources department for guidance as to how the process works. If your employer hesitates to match contributions to religious organizations, your annual pledge payment may be made to the St. James Faith Lab, our community outreach partner with St. James. 

Mr. Scott Garrepy will be happy to speak with you. He may be reached via our stewardship email. Thank you!

MAKE A LASTING IMPACT WITH ST. JAMES THE GREAT

St. James the Great is an important part of many of our lives. It touches our souls and enriches our lives as well as the community around us. You can help ensure that St. James, its legacy, and its impact lives on, serving our community for future generations. Including St. James as part of your personal legacy says a lot about you and your values.

As active benefactors of the investment of the time, talent, and treasure from all those that preceded us here, we can do the same for those that will follow us. The land, the building, and the entire ministry of our parish community were all made possible by people who invested and shared some of their resources so that others can benefit. Here are some simple ways you can help make a brighter future for St. James and create your personal family legacy beyond your lifetime by giving from your estate.

Giving Through Your Estate

Bequests are a simple and easy way to include St. James in your estate plans. It’s not simply for the wealthy folks. It’s a meaningful way for everyone to help others. Including St. James as a beneficiary in your will or trust is a great way to have a lasting impact on the life of this church as well as the community around us. Large or small, your bequest gift will make an important contribution to the strength and mission of the future of St. James beyond your lifetime.

There are several basic ways you can include St. James in your will:

• You can make a gift of a specific dollar amount. For example, you can specify a gift of $50,000, or any amount, from your estate proceeds.
• You can make a gift of specific items. For example, you give 1,000 shares of XYZ Corporation stock.
• You can make a gift that will be made only if specific conditions are met. For example, you give $50,000 after the passing of the second spouse.
• You can make a gift that will be made from the remainder of your estate—as a percentage—once all other bequests, debts, and taxes are paid. For example, you can include St. James as the beneficiary of 25% of your estate.

Bequest Alternatives and Additional Tax-Efficient Gifting Possibilities

There are other ways you can also make an impact on St. James beyond your lifetime:

• Retirement Assets: One of the easiest and fastest ways to include St. James in your legacy plans is naming St. James as a beneficiary for your 401(k) or other retirement plan, IRA accounts, or tax-sheltered annuity. This can normally be done online or with your financial professional in minutes.
• Tax-Efficient Gifting: If you name St. James as the beneficiary of some of or all of your IRA or retirement accounts, it allows for tax-efficient legacy giving by avoiding income taxes on your pre-tax IRAs and retirement accounts as you are leaving it to a non-profit entity.
• Life Insurance: This is a valuable asset for making a charitable gift. It can be made without diminishing other investments or assets earmarked for family members. It also leverages up your initial investments, multiplying the benefit. You can either give the policy to St. James or designate St. James as a beneficiary of your policy.
• Donor Advised Fund (DAF): This is an increasingly popular way to make a charitable gift. If you have a DAF, you can make the tax-deductible charitable donation now and gift it to St. James on the timeline of your choosing. You can also create a succession plan to recommend St. James receive all or a portion of the fund value upon your passing or continue giving through your successor advisor from the DAF. You can also specify a distribution to St. James upon future termination of the fund.

If St. James is Included In Your Estate Plans Already

If you have St. James as part of your estate or legacy planning, we want to know (although it is not required)! Knowing we’re included allows us to have a conversation with you now about your intentions for the gift, whether specific or general. Email stewardship@stjamesnewport.org and we will arrange a time to talk with you.

If You Don’t Have a Will or a Trust

Did you know more than 50% of Americans pass away without any estate planning? If you don’t currently have a will or a trust, it can be a very costly, lengthy, and public process to go through probate. We can help you understand whether a trust or a will may be more appropriate for you, what the differences are, and help you find an appropriate estate planning professional. There are also quick, easy, no-cost online resources for creating a will or trust that will ensure that you get to determine where your estate gets distributed instead of the state and probate courts making those determinations. Freewill.com will help you set up a legally binding will in about 20 minutes for free. It is typically best to consult a professional for guidance and assistance.

To Learn More

If you are interested in learning more about how you can create a lasting legacy with St. James through your estate planning, please contact Scott Garrepy at stewardship@stjamesnewport.org.