St. David of Wales
Episcopal Church
“Through Christ let us continually offer unto God the sacrifice of praise, that is to say, the fruit of lips which confess his name. And to do good and to distribute forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”
Hebrews 13:15-16
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The Scripture's propensity to call our financial gifts a "sacrifice" is alarming because it implies that what we give back to God should come at a personal cost to us. In 2 Samuel 24, a plague befalls the people of Israel and over 70,000 Israelites die. David, the King of Israel, cries out to God to bring an end to the plague. God instructs David to build an altar and offer a sacrifice at the home of Araunah. But, when Araunah offers to pay for the supplies and provide the oxen for the sacrifice, David refuses. He tells Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God offerings that cost me nothing” (24:24).
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By calling our giving a sacrifice, the Scriptures are inviting us to give until we feel it—until our gifts to God are no longer a disposable expense for us, but something that comes as a tangible cost to us—because a sacrifice in the hands of God is something given, not given up. The things we sacrifice to God are not lost to us, they are transformed, even as they transform us, into an abiding and eternal treasure.
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Our Stewardship Incentive
Our plate and pledge income has grown by 62% over the past six years, but that growth has largely been swept up into the inflationary increases our world has seen recently. Staff salaries have not kept up with inflation and many of our ministry line items have been functioning on a shoestring for a long time. Add to that the costs to insure and maintain our new church, and the bottom line is that our budget needs to make a big leap to meet the demands of our growing parish.​
We’ve crunched the numbers and know that we need to increase our plate and pledge income by $60,000 in 2025 to $525,000—an increase of only $13%. If we are able to make that goal, then a small handful of generous donors have agreed to donate the stained glass window above the altar in our church.​
Not a week goes by that people do not offer to contribute toward the altar window—a few hundred here, a few thousand there. This incentive is a way to put those hundreds and thousands where they matter most right now: our annual budget. ​​
Stewardship Media
Fr. Paul offers an overview of "Pleasing Sacrifices" and discusses this year's special initiative to see a stained glass window installed over the altar. ​​
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Marc DeWitt, our Assistant Treasurer, discusses the importance of St. David's in his family's life and why he will be increasing his pledge in 2025.​​
2024 Ministry Highlights
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8 new Christians Baptized (incl. 1 in November)!​
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14 parishioners Confirmed or Received​!
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52 adults volunteered & 63 kids attended Vacation Bible School!​
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76 adults have participated in at least one small group!​
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6% increase in Sunday attendance!​​
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Our Church was consecrated by Bishop Sumner!​
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Fr. Odidi arrived as our Curate (assisting priest)!​
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898 snack packs distributed to homeless Dentonites!​
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Over $10,000 has gone to support missions efforts locally (Tom Swartz with FCA and our Snack Pack Ministry), nationally (seminarians at Nashotah House), and globally (nursing students in Uganda through the Kellerman Foundation)​​​!​​​
2024 Stewardship Statistics
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169 households attend St. David's
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74 households pledged (made a giving estimate) of $312,612 in 2024
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10% of our pledges for 2024 were made by first-time pledgers
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44% of households made a pledge in 2024
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The average pledge in 2024 was $4,224
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42 households gave $78,213 (though Sept. 2024) without making an pledge
What You Can Do
With so much on the line in 2025, we invite you to grow in Christlike discipleship by taking the next step in your stewardship journey:​
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1. Make a First-Time, 12-Month Commitment
Maybe you started attending St. David’s in the past year or were not ready to make a commitment for 2024. Join us in the work God is doing here by making a first-time pledge of your support for 2025. ​
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2. Become a Growing Giver
Help us meet the opportunities before us in 2025 by increasing your pledge. Specifically, we ask that you consider raising your pledge by 10-15% (a family who currently gives $450 per month to St. David’s would give $495 or $517 per month in 2025). ​
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3. Become a Tither
Step up to the Biblical standard of the tithe (Numbers 18:21) and offer 10% back to God in 2025.
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4. Go Over and Above
The generous person is someone who keeps on giving (Psalm 37:21). If you comfortably give a tithe, consider going over and above a tithe this next year.
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We ask that all pledges be submitted by November 10, 2024.
Submit Your Pledge
Please submit your pledge by November 10, 2024
Almighty God, whose loving hand hath given us all that we possess: Grant us grace that we may honor thee with our substance, and, remembering the account which we must one day give, may be faithful stewards of thy bounty, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.