Giving

God's Work. Our Hands.                     THANK YOU for supporting our ministries!

Donations to the General Fund help us do God's work in the world by supporting our operations and ministries.  We also send 10% of our Offering income to the New Jersey Synod of the ELCA for Mission Support.  You may also choose to contribute to additional funds, including the Building Fund, Memorial Fund, ELCA World Hunger, and Lutheran Disaster Response.


Several methods of giving are available:

> Give online through this website

Click on the green Give button below to pay via a secure credit or debit card transaction, whether one time or recurring. You will have the option to cover the minimal card processing fee, which helps us greatly! (You only need to create an account if you want to be able to view your giving on the Tithe.ly website.)  If you require assistance with your online donations, please contact Tithe.ly at 424-228-8870.


> Mobile online giving

Download the Tithe.ly app to your cell phone or tablet and submit an offering to St. Luke's anytime, anywhere! Click here to download the app: 

https://get.tithe.ly/download-tithely-app


> Online bill pay through your bank

If you pay bills electronically, simply add St. Luke's Lutheran Church to those bills you pay online (one time or recurring).


> Weekly envelopes

Place offering envelopes in the offering plates during worship services, or mail them to the church.


Additional opportunities to provide financial support for the ministries of St. Luke's Lutheran Church:

  • Check into whether your employer will match your gifts to St. Luke's!
  • Are you a member of Thrivent Financial Services?  Direct your Thrivent Choice dollars to St. Luke's.
  • Purchase Shop Rite gift cards at the church (available on Sundays) - Shop Rite credits us with 5% of your gift card value, which we in turn use for donations to our local food pantry!

Seniors can reduce their tax burden by donating to charity through their IRA

If you are 70½ or older, you can make qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) from your IRA to your favorite charity, including donations to your church.  The donated IRA assets go directly to the charity, so donors don't report QCDs as taxable income and don't owe any taxes on the QCD, even if they do not itemize deductions.  Some donors may also find that QCDs provide greater tax savings than cash donations for which charitable tax deductions are claimed.  The QCD counts toward fulfilling your IRA required minimum distribution.  For more information, talk to your tax advisor or check the IRS guidance on QCDs. (Google search: “IRS QCD”)

LEGACY GIVING PROGRAM

Your Legacy, Our Future

You can help fund the ministries and missions of St. Luke's Church for generations to come by becoming a part of our Legacy Giving Program. Think, for a moment, what your vision would be for St. Luke's. Think of the needs that could be met and the people who could be served over the next 10, 20 or more years to come. Your charitable bequests, endowment funds, a donor-advised fund, or other financial gifts can make your vision a reality.


With a will or legacy gift, you help create a better future for our church by making a lasting impression on our faith community here at St. Luke's, as well as in the Washington area and in all the places served by our ministries.


Making a financial gift - of any size - through your will to the St. Luke's Legacy Giving Program takes only a few minutes and will make a difference for many, many years. For more information on the Legacy Giving Program here at St. Luke's contact the church office by phone (908-689-1976) or email: stlukeswashington@verizon.net.


ENSURING A CONTINUUM OF FAITHFUL CARE

Like many people, you want to know that the church you care about today will continue to thrive in the future. With a little planning, you can help make that a reality. We continue to benefit from the joyful gifts of earlier church members who chose to continue their support beyond their lifetimes. Planned or legacy gifts are pledges members make to the church in their wills, life insurance policies, and retirement or savings accounts. Members and friends thus may share their blessings from God to develop and strengthen the ministries of St. Luke's. Planned giving may also provide you with significant tax benefits, no matter the size of your estate. There are a variety of ways to support our church both now and in the future.


WAYS TO CONTRIBUTE

Contributing to the Legacy Fund helps ensure we maintain the work of St. Luke's for years to come.  Methods of planned and outright giving include:

  • Bequests
  • Beneficiary designations
  • Gifts of stock
  • IRA-qualified charitable distributions
  • Gifts of appreciated property
  • Automated monthly contributions
  • Cash contributions

We make giving to the Legacy Fund easy!  And, in addition to helping your church and the missions it supports, you can potentially benefit from a variety of tax deductions (consult your investment professional for details).