Giving to the Church
Greetings, friends! I hope this mid-week email blast finds you and yours well and healthy in the midst of this Covid-19 challenge for our community, nation, and world. As we follow the Governor’s order to “stay home, stay safe”, we have suspended all office hours, corporate worship, and activities through April 12th including all planned Holy Week events and services. Of course, this is a difficult thing since these events are at the heart of our faith as followers of Jesus Christ. However, we remain the church scattered as we each carry Christ in our hearts by faith. So we each continue our own personal journey of faith through regular interaction with scripture, prayers, and recalling the historic events in Jesus’ life as he journeyed to Jerusalem to offer his life for each one of us!
During this time of suspended worship gatherings, the Session met via Zoom video conference last night and graciously asks for your continued generosity in maintaining your financial support for our ministry. Our staff continue to work remotely to the extent possible, and the Session has affirmed their intention to continue to compensate them during this time. There are also ongoing fixed expenses and continued mission payments to those who depend on those gifts for their daily needs. On Monday March 9, our deposit to the bank of your tithes and offerings for the first 2 Sundays in March was $30,000. The next week – the first week with no corporate worship – our deposit was around $3,000! Obviously, that brings cause for concern!
Please read the following letter from Treasurer Mike Starynchak about how we can continue to maintain our giving to the church during these unique times:
In these challenging times for the Nation and the World, life still goes on - including the very important ministries of the Church. However, giving changes and how we continue our support for the Church also changes. The very traditional way of "passing the plate” is now evolving into the digital on-line processes we use every day to pay our bills or to receive funds from Social Security or our financial institutions. Now Orchard Lake Community Church, Presbyterian needs you to do the same whenever possible.
Yes, we can still receive your donations via the USPO, but our preference would be to receive your tithes and offerings via the available on-line processes. If you have signed up for Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) already, you do not need to do anything else - Thank you! This is also true for all those with pre-designated credit card authorizations.
For all others who wish to continue your donations during this time, we encourage you to use the online GIVING tab on our website, www.olccp.com. Click on the “Giving” tab at the top of the page and then on the “Give Online” tab to donate using either your Credit card, Checking, or Savings account. The checking and savings account options will permit the funds to be directly deposited to the Church's checking account thus enabling the automated accounting of the funds donated. As always all donated funds are handled confidentially and will continue to be accounted for in a safe and proper manner. If you have any questions about the on-line donation process, you can email Business Administrator Stacey Cheff at stacey@olccp.com for assistance.
This is a very simple method to continue your support of the Church and I encourage all to discover this exciting method of giving. And as always we appreciate your continued faithful support of the work of Christ in and through our congregation!
Thank you in advance for your gracious consideration of these matters. We are all dealing daily with changed routines, new challenges, and the anxiousness that comes with new and uncertain times in life! Know that our prayers are with you and that through God’s steadfast love and faithfulness, we will come through this time together!
Blessings,
Pastor Paul