Catholic Commitment Cards

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merrycoffeeday

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Our church has started using Commitment Cards. If you don’t fill one out, they keep mailing them, and have sent four so far. This last letter included a statement that linked our relationship with God with what we put in the offertory. Is this customary?
 
Maybe not customary, but a necessary thing for a lot of parishes. It makes it much easier to budget if you habe some idea of what kind of income you can expect.
One of the precepts is to support the Church and her mission.
 
One parish I belonged to sent them out as part of a capital campaign for building improvements. I didn’t feel comfortable filling it out because of our situation. I also don’t agree with the premise. So I’ve never filled one out.
 
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Sounds like they hired one of the “Stewardship Programs” from one of the Catholic publishers.

Your parish needs your support, do what you can (especially after buying one of those Stewardship consultants! They do not come cheap!)
 
Parishes wouldn’t need to do it if people gave more.
I am a collection counter at my parish. We are running slightly in the red, about $5K, 3 months into the fiscal year. About 30% of our parishoners give regularly. I know people who spend more on coffee during the week, than they put in the collection plate, and they are usually the first to complain when something gets cut back or some ministry folds for lack of funds.
People’s attitudes towards this topic are all over the place. The bottom line is we get what we put in. Time, talent and treasure are needed. We might not all have treasure to spare, but we all can spare some time and talent.
 
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The5 precepts of the Church:
  1. The Sunday (and Holy days) Obligation.
  2. The Sacrament of Reconciliation.
  3. The Easter Obligation.
  4. Fasting and Abstinence.
  5. Support of the Church.
This is the cake. We may add icing according with the Lord’s pleasure and our calling.
 
You should be able to reply to your parish office (or wherever these cards originate from, if a consultant/mailing service) and kindly let them know you’ll contribute as you deem appropriate but do not plan to complete the card - please send no more. They’ll surely honor that request.

You could even include this verse (and I think the NIV words it best for this scenario):
“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
— II Corinthians 9:7
 
Thank you everyone for your replies. You all brought up very good points. I think what hit me the hardest was linking our relationship with God with how much money we give. The church absolutely needs funds to operate and we should help sustain that. But it made me question if I’m not giving all I can if that means my faith is less meaningful.
 
merrycoffeeday said:
I think what hit me the hardest was linking our relationship with God with how much money we give. The church absolutely needs funds to operate and we should help sustain that. But it made me question if I’m not giving all I can if that means my faith is less meaningful.
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I would suggest writing this on the card, signing it and sending it to the Parish Office. Pastor needs to be aware of how these cards are coming across to the faithful.
 
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