Stewardship Campaign 2025

Dear Saints of PCCH,

Christmas greetings! Thank you for warmly welcoming me and my family this month. It is a joy to finally be here with you. I look forward to getting to know you better — look for information about a series of parties and after-worship meet-and-greets to be held in the new year.

I hope that we can begin the next year of our congregation’s ministry in a strong financial position, poised and ready to follow God’s call to love our neighbors. The chart below provides a summary of our finances through the end of November. 

PCCH relies on three main sources for the funds we need to offer programming, operate our building, and pay our employees. The largest of these sources is money given by the congregation (see “congregational response” below). As you can see, we need to make up a significant shortfall in congregational giving to balance our budget for this year.

Fortunately, our investments are doing well, though we have had to draw on our endowments to cover certain unplanned but necessary expenses, such as updating our HVAC system to provide sufficient heat to Widener Hall and the Preschool.

“Other sources of funds” below includes building use income, which continues to increase as more groups use our building and we renegotiate old leases. Increased building use is a gift to the wider community and a source of funding for our ministry, but also requires that we maintain and staff our spaces appropriately.

If you made a pledge for 2024 and are able to fulfill it, we encourage you to do so by December 31st. Of the $560,000 pledged by the congregation for the year, about $62,000 has yet to be received.

If you are in a position to give extra at the end of the year, we would be very grateful for any additional support you can provide. To discuss alternative giving methods such as Qualified Charitable Distributions or donating stock, please contact finance chair Hap Spaeth: hapspaeth@gmail.com.

And as we build our budget for 2025, we invite you to make a pledge in support of our congregation’s ministry. Making and fulfilling a pledge allows you to be intentional in your financial commitment and provides critical information for church leadership as we plan our ministry for the year ahead. Pledges of any size are welcome and valued. You can pick up a pledge card in the church office. 

If you have questions about your pledge, or would like to learn more about the pledging process, please contact our Church Administrator, Rachel Cline: rcline@chestnuthillpres.org.

Thank you for your generous contributions to the life and work of PCCH. I am excited to see where God leads us in the year ahead. Come, for everything is ready!

In Christ,
The Rev. Ellen Williams Hensle

To give online click HERE, or find us on PayPal or Venmo @PCCH8855.