The mission of Good Shepherd is supported by free will and pledged donations from our members and friends. A record of any donation that you make is available from the church office – our donors receive annual giving statements – for tax purposes.
Support our Mission
You can support the church by giving a donation at any time. Please write a check to “The Church of the Good Shepherd” and mail it to: The Church of the Good Shepherd PO Box 350 Granite Springs, Granite Springs, NY 10527
If you would like your donation to go towards a specific ministry, please note that in the memo of the check. Please see Restricted Funds below for a list of funds. For example, if you want to donate to Music, you can write “Music Fund ” or “Helen Moore Fund”, if you want to donate to Outreach, you can write “Outreach Fund”, and the money will be directed to the appropriate ministry.
You can also support the church by pledging an amount for the year. nearly 3/4 of our budget is supported by pledged donations. If you would like to make a pledge, please email the parish office at info@goodshepherdny.org. Information about e-pledging to Good Shepherd, through the Diocese of New York, is available HERE.
Here are some Diocesan Forms regarding Stewardship:
E pledge flier
Individual E-Pledging Form
E-Pledge Change Form
Making a Planned Gift
Operating Budget
Our operating budget keep the church open, operational, and staffed by a full-time rector who lives in church provided housing on-site, a part-time sexton, a part-time organist, and a part-time child care provider. Our operating budget also includes expenses for worship and Sunday School curriculum.
Restricted Funds
Other essential ministries are supported by freewill donations and gifts to our restricted funds. These are listed below.
The parish has a number of restricted funds. You may know about some of them, but I thought it might be useful to list all of the funds and explain each in brief. Each year the current balance for every fund is listed in the Annual Report. Most of these funds are not part of our operating budget, and are funded entirely by donations. If you want to donate to any of these funds, please write a check to “The Church of the Good Shepherd” and put the name of the fund in the memo line. Your donation will be directed to that particular restricted fund.
Rector’s Discretionary Fund: This covers a variety of essential and pastoral expenses incurred by the priest that range from hospitality for parishioners to certain outreach projects to some clericus expenses. This fund is used regularly and it is currently low. Donations are always appreciated.
Capital Project Fund: Money from this fund is used to pay for any non-maintenance, capital project or improvement on any of our buildings and grounds (for example, the electrical work done in 2012 in the Rectory). Apart from this fund, capital projects are funded in several ways. We receive approximately $2000 a year from the Koegel Fund which is restricted and controlled by the Diocese. We have requested and received grants for certain capital projects. We have taken out loans for certain capital projects.
Outreach Fund: Money from this Fund is allotted by the Outreach Committee (and approved by the Vestry) for a variety of projects. Donations to the Coin Jug and the entire Maundy Thursday offering go directly to the Outreach Fund.
Carpenter’s Kids Fund: This is a separate fund from the Outreach Fund because it is a holding fund specifically for CK donations. Money from CK donations comes into the church earmarked for this fund, and they are paid out annually to the CK program.
Music / Helen Moore Fund: The Helen Moore Fund helps to support our music program: if the music director wants to buy new music or hire extra singers, these are paid for from the fund.
Adult Education Fund: Money from this fund can support anything from EfM sponsorships, educational tools (a projector), retreats, other educational opportunities for individuals in the parish. Current adult education activities, including EfM are funded by participants.
Flowers/Altar Guild: All money designated to flowers or altar guild goes to pay for flowers.
Memorial Fund: This fund pays for church hangings, books, linens, vessels, etc. By default most gifts “in memory” go to this fund and it allows us to buy a new chalice or a new vestment when needed.
Bishops Fund: When the Bishop visits us the Diocese sends envelopes, and we collect an offering for the Bishop’s Fund. All of that money goes into this fund, and then it is sent off to the Diocese. The fund also exists so that people can donate to the Bishop’s Fund at any time.
Fellowship Fund: Donations to the Fellowship Fund pay for food and other expenses at parish Holy Day receptions.
Flagpole Fund: Our flagpole requires occasional maintenance and new flags from time to time.
Investment Fund: This is our endowment. It is primarily made up from proceeds from the sale of a house donated by the Yanderzitz family to the church in the mid 2000s. We currently receive $15,000 a year towards our operating budget from our investments. It is strongly recommended that all members put the church in their wills with a bequest benefitting the Good Shepherd Investment Fund.
Memorial Garden Fund: Income from this fund comes in when people reserve a plot in the garden, when people give specific donations to the Garden or buy Garden bricks. Expenses include memorial plaques, bricks, additions, landscaping, and a rainy day fund for any repairs. Money goes out for plaques and repair and additions.
Organ Fund: This fund is for organ repair and if necessary replacement.
Parish Family Support Fund: This fund is used to support members and their families in times of need.
Rector’s Continuing Education Fund: This pays for things such as clergy conference and continuing education for clergy.
Senior Group Fund: This supports Senior’s Group activities. Youth Group: This supports Youth Group activities. College Fund: This is used to help any current college students with books, and other expenses. These three funds are new and are looking for donations to grow.
Generator Fund: Donations to this fund will be used to purchase and install a generator for the church (providing heat and lights; water is provided from the rectory well). As of January 1, 2013, the rectory has a fully operational gasoline generator that can supply the rectory with water, heat, and electricity, and also the church with water.