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. 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 2022 was just over $5,700. This is higher than the national average of $2,700 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 2022 was just under $900,000. The largest source of income is parishioner giving. The Annual Appeal alone funds 65.7% 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 2023 is $972,160 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 mission 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. Although some Episcopal mission churches may receive diocesan funds if they need them, 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, Ann Tomlinson.

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. 

The Rev. Canon Cindy Evans Voorhees, Vicar, will be happy to speak with you. She may be reached in the church office at 949.675.0210, or at revcindy@stjamesnewport.org. Thank you!