2026 annual pledge campaign
voices from good shepherd
Follow us during the 2026 Pledge Campaign to hear more voices from Good Shepherd, Rosemont.
Parishioner Emma Simpson describes what the Church of the Good Shepherd, Rosemont, means to her.
In 2022 the Church of the Good Shepherd formulated a five-year plan to reach financial stability while maintaining the important work and ministries of the church. We now embark on the fourth year of this plan, as a thriving community of believers.
The Five-Year Plan grew from our awareness that we were drawing too much of our operating expenses from our limited investments. Rather than proceeding timidly by cutting ministry and mission in order to achieve financial solvency, we elected to proceed with faith and hope. We committed ourselves to continued parish growth, a dynamic and living ministry, and full sustainability by 2028. Key investments in 2026 will support these goals, as we
proactively care for our buildings, to enable ministry to thrive and flourish;
fortify our inspiring music ministry, as a key engine of growth for our parish;
bring our rector’s salary closer to the median of peer parishes in the diocese;
continue to provide cost-of-living increases for our staff; and
further reduce our draw on investments and our dependence on diocesan funding.
How will we secure sufficient funds for these needs? Through pledged giving, a cornerstone of financial stability in the Episcopal Church. At Good Shepherd, pledged giving has increased significantly over the past several years, and a continued increase is reflected in our goal for the fourth year of our five-year plan. Weekly plate offerings and other donations are essential and much appreciated, of course. But it’s pledged income – money that is promised in advance to the parish by parishioners and friends – affords the parish a stable basis for projecting its annual budget and making future plans. This year we are expecting to bring our pledged giving up to $290,000 (from $236,000 last year). This will require a considerable commitment from our growing congregation, but we believe that it is not just possible, but essential.
How much is an appropriate pledge? The precise answer is different for each of us, but the church has provided a traditional guideline based on scripture: the tithe. A tithe is 10% of our household net income.
Tithing reminds us that all we own comes from God, and that we are simply giving back what he has already given us. Instead of making out a personal budget and giving to the church from what is left over, perhaps one could calculate 10% of net income, set it aside for the church, and then make one's own personal budget. This might seem painful–but it will be made up for by the satisfaction of knowing that we have put God and his ministry before our own needs and preferences. Not everyone can tithe, but many of us can move closer to that goal with our 2026 pledge.
How much is a tithe for my household’s net income? Compare tithing to giving at lower and higher levels.
We believe that God has a vision for the Church of the Good Shepherd. We believe we are called to advance, not to stand still. As we expand our valuable ministries and continue our growth toward full financial sustainability, your financial support is crucial – and so are your time and talents. Individually, each of us can trust in God’s abundance as we consider our own financial pledge and our service to the Church of the Good Shepherd. When we give to God first, remarkable things happen!
Will you join us in making or considerably increasing a pledge towards ministry in 2025? Will you join us in realizing the advancement of God’s mission on Philadelphia’s Main Line and beyond? Thank you!