United Church of Christ of Seneca Valley

Giving is one way we remember that what we have actually belongs to God and is entrusted to our care. Each time we give, we remember that what we keep and all we have is a gift from God. Generous giving is born of grace and a grateful response to God’s gift in creation. To practise generosity is to release our grip on wealth and so make wealth release its grip on us. In a world where justice and resources are not distributed equally, generous giving is transformative.

Generous giving comes from a sense of abundance, and it is important that the giving does not deplete our souls and lessen the awareness of God’s abundance, love, and grace. Generous giving should help our spirits to grow and provide sustenance for our souls. Churches should help people become more generous with what they have, but such giving isn't just about any particular church. The church is one place we give, but when we become more generous people we find we give more in all aspects of our lives and we are better for it. 

When the world around us feels chaotic it's important to be able to imagine there is a future with hope and to ground ourselves in community. At UCCSV we find hope through inclusion and welcome, doing justice and serving our community, and participating in expressive worship where we get to connect more deeply with God, ourselves, and others. This community empowers us to express ourselves, to use our best gifts and talents to be a blessing to our neighbors, and also challenges us to live out our faith in our daily lives. When you give to UCCSV you are ensuring we can offer a wide, authentic welcome to all, especially to those who might not be welcomed elsewhere. The work of our church only happens because of the generous financial and volunteer support of our community. Your pledges and donations make up 80% of the income we use to fund our ministries. Because of your giving, our congregation shares God’s generous love with all. Because of your donations our work of sustaining and nurturing God's creation continues to make a difference in our neighborhood and beyond.

 Want to give online? Our donation page can be found HERE. Or you can donate by texting “Give” to 301 720-1980. 

Each year our church leadership creates a budget that helps us to know what we can spend for the year on things like staff salaries, taking care of our building and property, and what we can spend to fund our ministries. We create that budget based on anticipated donations and rental income. Your financial pledge helps us to get a more accurate idea of our anticipated donations. However, if at any time you need to change that pledge because of financial or other reasons, you are always free to do so. We simply ask that you contact our office at uccofsenecavalley@gmail.com and let us know so that we can continue to plan accordingly. 

If you would like to make a financial pledge to the church for 2024 please fill out the form you can find HERE. 

Each person is advised to pray about what they can give before making a financial pledge or donation. The Bible often instructs people to give a tithe, which is 10% of your income, the first fruits of all you have, back to God. However, you may need to give more or less than that depending on your life situation. Modern tithing sometimes emphasizes giving 5% to the church and 5% to other charities or institutions that make a difference in people's lives. Regardless, it is suggested that each person or family consider their income and how much of it they want to give away in thanks to God. If your income has grown, maybe your giving can as well, and vice versa. 

You can find a giving chart with estimated weekly giving as a percentage of your income HERE for reference. 

Please know that each dollar you give makes a difference. As a small church we survive and thrive only because of generous giving. Your $100 donation can help buy music for our worship singers. Your $500 can help purchase curriculum for Christian education. Your $1000 donation can help us better reach out to our neighbors in community and service. Your $5000 helps to pay our staff salaries.