Several years ago, I began to think of the Christian life as a pilgrimage—not just a long walk to a holy place, but a way of following Christ with open hearts, trusting grace to guide us when the path is uncertain.
The magi made the first Christian pilgrimage. Though tradition pictures three travelers, it was likely a whole caravan that left behind comfort and familiarity to follow a light in the sky. These wise ones from afar were the first to recognize Jesus as God’s anointed king. They saw the light of grace—and followed it.
Like the magi, we are pilgrims too. We follow a grace that can be hard to see, encouraging one another when the way grows dim. God often shines through the people around us—through kindness, compassion, and hospitality.
This is the heart of stewardship. Our time, talents, and treasure are gifts of gratitude—lights that guide others and make God’s love visible.
As we begin this year’s stewardship season, I invite you to see your pledge as part of this shared journey. Together, as a pilgrim people, we make God’s love known in our community and the world.
SET UP AUTOMATIC PLEDGE PAYMENTS
If you would like to set up automatic pledge payments, it's easy to do. Just click the "Online Giving" button above. You can set up the payments to be weekly, every two weeks, twice a month, or quarterly. You can use your credit or debit card, or you can have payments taken out of your checking account.
Our secure payment processor works through Realm. If you don't already have a Realm account, or if you have any questions about the process, call Darce St. Onge at 706-543-1294 or email at accounting@emmanuelathens.org.
And remember--your generous gifts are vital to the mission of our church.
THANK YOU!!
"Pledging" vs. "Giving"
Have you sometimes wondered why we ask for pledges at the beginning of each year? To be sure, we appreciate gifts made even without a pledge. But submitting your pledge up front is important to our operations. Here's why.
Each December, the Finance Committee and Vestry make a budget for the next year. The only way we have of predicting whether we can pay our bills and meet our outreach commitments is by knowing how much we expect to receive during the year in pledge payments. So we add up all the pledges we receive, and that's the amount we allocate out to expenses and ministries. When pledges aren't received, we have to assume that the gifts won't be received either.
So as you're praying about your answer to the stewardship call, make sure to tell us now what you're hoping to give. Remember that, although your pledge is important to the budget process, a pledge is not a contract. Your pledge is made in faith, and if circumstances change, you can increase or decrease your giving as needed.
