Faith Direct
Quick Link to the Faith Direct Web Site
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October 2007
Dear Parishioners,
Two weeks ago I spoke at all the Sunday Eucharists about the financial peril our parish finds itself in. We have all but exhausted our financial reserves in both meeting our ordinary expenses as well as replacing the heating system and several of the air conditioning units in the Church (both of which expired long before their time). Presently, we have had to secure a commercial loan in order to replace the sixty year old boiler in the Rectory. In analyzing our financial position, it has become clear that the main challenge we face is maintaining a stable weekly level of support. Long weekends, bad weather, and vacations all have their effect on weekly attendance and the resulting Sunday collections. In most cases, we do not make-up for these losses. As a result, on many weekends, we are several thousand dollars short of our needed income to meet our obligations of salaries and expenses. Multiplied by 52 weeks a year, this loss has built up over the last couple of years to an annual deficit. We have looked at several ways of facing this question. With the recommendation of the Diocese, we would like to propose an approach that we think will not increase your burden as well as support our parish and its mission. This program is called, Faith Direct . Through Faith Direct, you can make your weekly contributions to St. John's via automatic payment from your checking account or credit card-just as you may do now with your mortgage payment, cable bill, and other regular expenses. Faith Direct offers us a secure way for you to send, and our parish to receive, your regular contributions. This program will provide you with a personalized "offertory card" that you can choose to place in the collection basket as a visible sign of your support. Faith Direct will also provide an itemized statement of your gifts at the end of the year for tax purposes. With the hope that you are interested, Please complete an enrollment form on this new way to support our parish family for our weekly collections. Please give this prayerful consideration. Your support is a tremendous help in allowing us to meet our operating expenses and in supporting the mission of St. John the Baptist. You might also want to visit the Faith Direct website, www.faithdirect.net for more information and can enroll on line securely by using our parish code NY67 if you choose. I pray that you realize how important your gifts to St. John the Baptist Church are, and will continue to be, and how much I appreciate your generosity.
Sincerely in Christ,
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