Grace Episcopal Church
Sheboygan,
Wisconsin
Grace
Notes
21
December 2017
The
U.S. House and Senate have now passed a bill which provides for comprehensive
changes in our tax laws, and this bill should pass into law this week. Amidst the hue and cry of various news and
opinion commentators about what the changes in tax law will mean for Americans,
one thing is reasonably clear. If you
are a tax payer who files an itemized return, unless your income is high, you
will be very tempted to just use the new standard deduction, and not itemize. What does this mean for how you plan to give
to the Church?
Charitable
deductions to churches and to charitable organizations will remain deductible
(and to the same extent) under the new tax law.
However, with the standard deduction for a married couple filing jointly
now rising to $24,000, how you plan for charitable giving will depend on the
amount of your donation and the amount of other deductible expenses (e.g., interest paid on a home mortgage;
medical expenses exceeding 7.5% of your adjusted gross income). If we assume that you are taxpayer who has
filed itemized returns, and if we assume that your gift to the Church has been
in an amount that is “middle of the pack” in giving, you may end up passing on
itemization, and file using the standard deduction. If you do this, how will this affect your
giving to the Church?
Ask
yourself: Is my donation to the life and
ministry of the Church given to the glory of God and in fulfillment of Jesus’
commission to me, or am I giving in order to manage the extent of my commitment
to Caesar? How tax law changes should
not affect how we seek to follow God’s commands to offer our first fruits, and
to “render unto God the things that are God’s”.
I
will go out on a limb and be so gauche as to talk about money. If you are really worried about tax
deductions, give before 31 December! But
if how and whether you give is independent of what Caesar demands in tribute,
then keep your giving to God separate from tax considerations.
I
am by no means a wealthy man. I have,
however, consistently pledged to the parish at a level of 10% of my before-tax
income. I take the biblical standard of
a tithe literally, and I believe that first fruits must be “first”, before any
calculation of what Caesar is owed.
While I am not wealthy, I can share that it has been both my experience
and that shared with me by others that those who tithe will never want. The offering of first fruits to God is
pleasing to Him.
As
you decide how to give, what to give, and when, pray about how God will direct
your giving and life. Seek His
will. Seek in all things to please God
before Caesar.
Deacons’
Discretionary Funds: Please give generously to the newly-ordained
deacons, Paul Aparicio and Roberta (Bobbi) Kraft, to be ordained on Saturday,
12/16. You can give in the collection at the ordination at the cathedral,
or you can give at the parish. If you wish to give at the parish, either
make a donation separately, or in the Sunday collection in a marked
envelope. If you wish to give to the discretionary fund for one or both
deacons, mark this on the envelope or check. (You need to include your
name and address with any cash donation, if you want credit for tax
purposes.) If you want to give directly to the benefit of the deacon (as
a purse), this is encouraged, but not tax-deductible.
Don’t forget
stewardship! Plan
on giving: Pray
now about the priorities God sets before you, and take the next step up in
giving.
- Giving—offering to God—is not
optional. It is commanded by God that we offer Him our first
fruits. The biblical standard for giving is the tithe. If you
tithe you will never be poor! The offering to God is pleasing to
Him.
- All things are God’s, not only
because He creates them but because He redeems them. The only thing
that creatures can claim as their own is evil.
- Stewardship extends to every
aspect of life and work in the world. Giving money to the Church is
but one aspect of how we relate to our Creator.
- The giving of alms means
literally “to do acts of mercy” (Mtt. 6.2 in the original Greek). A
merciful heart is pleasing to God.
- God commands His people to
express their faith and love in active works of mercy (Jas. 2.15-17; 1 Jn.
3.17-18).
- The alternative to giving always
involves the words “me” and “mine”. Substitute the word “God’s”!
Grace abounds: Please thank:
§
Ellen
and Andrea Aparicio, Steve and Polly Schmeiser, and Mary Snyder for the Sunday
coffee hours, with cleanup by Julie Davidson.
Call for
Contributions: If
you have a spiritual reflection to share, or want to point your fellow
worshipers toward a resource, submit your contributions to Fr. Karl (by email)
by Wednesday in the week of publication.
Don’t forget
“Something Extra for Grace”:
Supplemental giving envelopes can be found in pews. If you want to give
something extra, please use an envelope to ensure that you are
credited. Please prayerfully consider a year end gift.
Music this Week:
The Fourth Sunday of Advent
Music Director: R. Benjamin Dobey
Prelude Chorale
Prelude on Now be thou welcome, Jesus,
dear Savior
Flor
Peeters
Entrance 72
“Hark! The glad sound! The Savior comes” Richmond
Offertory 56
“O come, O come, Emmanuel” Veni
Emmanuel
Communion 60 “Creator
of the stars of night” Conditor
alme siderum
Closing 436
“Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates” Truro
Postlude Prelude
on Venez Divin Messie Dom Paul Benoit
Parish Notices:
§ Sunday
School: There is no
Christian Formation on Sunday, December 24th or the following Sunday, January 31st.
Christian Formation for adults and children will resume Sunday, January 7,
2018.
§ Father
Karl Schaffenburg is travelling: between
the dates of December 26 and January 2nd. During this time, the
Church and office will be closed. In case of an emergency, please contact Mthr.
Michele Whitford (920-918-1230) or Paul Aparicio (920-912-6009).
§ The
First Sunday after Christmas Day: Father
Ambelang will be here and our regular Mass schedule will resume.
§ Book
Study on Redemptive Compassion: In
January, we will begin a group study of the book Redemptive Compassion: The Defining Difference by Lois Tupyi,
director of Love INC of Treasure Valley in Idaho. The book and class will help
educate us on how we are biblically called to help people in need. The
eight-week class will meet on Sunday mornings at 9:00. Beginning January 7, the
classes will run consecutive Sundays through March 4 with the exception of January
28. (There will be no class that day
because of the annual meeting.) If you find the following questions unsettling,
Redemptive Compassion is for you:
- Why do so many of the commonly used methods seem so
ineffective in reducing or alleviating ongoing need?
- Why have good intentions to help others produced
such devastating results?
- Is the crippling lifestyle in which thousands of
individuals find themselves trapped all that God desires for them?
- The class will be facilitated by Pat Sather. Cost
of the book is $15. Please make payment to the church office. Limited
book scholarships are available. Books will be distributed at the first
meeting. If you are interested in joining this study, please sign up on
the sheet in the narthex so we’ll know how many books to order.
§ New
Testament Greek: Classes
will begin Thursday, January 11th 7-9 p.m.
§ End
of Year Pledge Reminder:
Please make every effort to pay the remainder of your pledge before the end of
the year. If you want tax credit for your pledge paid in 2017, you must have
the payment in the office by Friday, December 29th. A check dated
the 29th, but arriving later cannot be counted as paid in 2017.
Payments may be placed in the 7th Street entrance mail slot while
the office is closed. All payments received after the 29th will be
credited in 2018. Thank you so much.
§
Epiphany
Solemn Mass: will be held on Saturday, January 6th, 2018 at 10:00
in the morning.
§ The Annual Meeting: This year’s Annual Meeting will take
place on Sunday, January 28, 2018. We will have one Mass at 9:00am followed by
the Annual Meeting at 10:15am. If you have been in leadership of any group or
committee, please submit an annual report to the office@gracesheboygan.com. You are
encouraged to make every effort to attend, as your participation is valued.
§
Bible
Challenge: Videos for
all 52 weeks of the year are now available on Grace Abounds. If you take this
challenge, you will find that in one year you will read all of the Bible! This
will require less than an hour of your time, six days a week. A schedule of
readings are provided on the parish website, along with weekly study summaries
and a weekly video summary of the readings. If you need a good study bible for
the challenge, contact the parish office. When we immerse ourselves in
Scripture, the mantle of the Lord does fall upon us. We are equipped to discern
God’s will and to lead others to know and love and serve the Lord.
§ Flower Schedule for 2018: Giving the gift of flowers is a
wonderful way to remember a loved one or to offer thanksgiving for your
blessings. If you wish to sign up for a specific Sunday, the Flower Schedule is
available on the table in the Narthex. More than one person can sign up for
each Sunday.
§ Coffee Hour Schedule: There is a
new sign-up sheet for hosting coffee hour in 2018. If you would like to host,
please sign up for either 8:00 a.m. or 10:15 a.m. If you have any questions,
please see Katy Larson. Thank you so much.
§ HSHS
St. Nicholas Hospice:
Needs volunteers to join their team! In as little as four hours per month,
you can be a part of a team that brings quality to the lives of patients at the
end of their life. Volunteers fill a variety of roles, such as being a
companion, assisting with tasks around the house, praying the rosary, and
relieving caregivers for a short time. The hours and assignments vary and
can be flexible to your schedule. Please contact Stephanie at SHSH St.
Nicholas Hospice, 920-457-5770 for more details on how you could be part of
making a difference in the lives of others.”
§ Something
Extra for Grace: Envelopes
are available in the pews if you are moved to give an extra gift, beyond your
pledge or regular plate donation, toward the life of the church. Gifts are tax
deductible if you write your name on the envelope.
§ Grace
Notes is here: http://gracechurchgracenotes.blogspot.com/.
You can sign up to receive the blog every Thursday
§ Like Grace Church on Facebook: @gracesheboygan
§
We
Are on Itunes! Check out the
new podcast!!!
§ Love
INC Monthly Bulletin is
now available online at:
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