Responding to Grace: A Guide to Giving 

Our church needs resources to provide for worship, fellowship, education,
outreach, and property. Church members and friends donate time, talent, love,
money, services, blood, and property through many channels.

Monetary Donations   Annual Pledges of Support are fulfilled through regular donations through the offering plate or by mail. These donations provide most of the funds for church operations and mission outreach. Special Offerings are extra donations for holidays or other special occasions. These include donations through our Sunday School and our Youth Program. Did You Know? that during Lent of 2007 Red Clay's children and families donated nearly $5,000 to "One Great Hour of Sharing. The Sunday School provided "Fish" boxes (commemorating the miracle of the loaves and fishes), which were filled with change during Lent. Adults made donations using special envelopes during worship services. Free-will Offerings Church members, visitors, and friends of the church often make donations that are not part of pledged giving. Donations Linked to Purchases occur when we buy goods at Red Clay's Fall Festival Did You Know? that at the 2007 Fall Festival various Red Clay groups raised a total of $8,000 to support their work. hire high school youth who are earning money for summer camp get a car wash from the Youth Group patronize a merchant who will donate a percent of register receipts that are turned through the church. Several income-sharing agreements have been approved by the Session: Save your register tapes from Zingos. and drop them in the collection box in Fellowship Hall Zingos will donate to Red Clay 1% of the total on those tapes. Tell the waiter at Joe's Restaurant that you're from Red Clay. Joe's Restaurant will donate to Red Clay 2% of the cost of your dinners. Restricted Donations for Specific Projects You may feel called to support a specific need, such as those listed on      Red Clay's Wish List. Capital Campaign Pledges are special commitments beyond regular donations. A construction campaign is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build or rennovate to make an attractive and functional place of worship and activities for this and following generations. Smaller campaigns provide funds for enhancing worship, social, or mission programs by enhancing existing facilities or answering special major needs. Bequests naming Red Clay Creek Presbyterian Church as a beneficiary in your will or making an endowment gift can assure your continuing participation and tangible support for the ministry of our church. There are many ways to transfer assets to the church through estate planning. For more information contact one of the pastors or your attorney.

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Time and Talents  Personal Time provides labor that could not be purchased with what we can afford from pledge offerings: teaching Sunday School working on a church committee preparing food for Emanuel Dining Room working on Habitat for Humanity working with a Youth Program or with a Scout unit. This gift of self provides personal growth and happy memories from working with others in the faith community. Red Clay Missions Did You Know? that in November 2007 Kelly Gast was serving with the Peace Corps in Turkmenistan. John Hawley was serving with the Peace Corps in Peru. Susan Leininger spent a week in Bolivia with Operation Smile, providing surgery for children with cleft palates. Special Talents provide valuable services to the church and its missions: leadership (as an elected church officer, appointed committee member/chair, volunteer chuirch school worker) music (singing in the choir) homemaking skills (helping with coffee hour, weddings, funerals, making items for Red Clay's Fall Festival) driving those in need to medical appointments, etc. household skills (Habitat for Humanity, church maintenance, churchyard cleanup, garden maintenance) working with precollege youth, etc.,

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Furnishings, Materials, Etc.  Donating Household or Business Items food for local missions Did You Know? that in February 2010 members donated 20 gallons of soup for Wilmington's Code Purple program (for homeless people during cold weather) and served the soup and sandwiches at Friendshipo House. items for kits for Armed Forces personnel overseas Did You Know? that in February 2010 members donated 285 hygiene kits for people in earthquake-ravaged Haiti. recyclable items useful "as is" (eyeglasses) or which can be sold to recyclers (ink-jet cartridges) Did You Know? that there are boxes in Fellowship Hall for (1) -- used printer ink cartridges, which are sold to a recycler (2) -- old eyeglasses, for a Lions Club program for the needy (3) -- receipts from Zingo's, for which the church gets 1% as a donation household items donated for sale at Red Clay's Fall Festival or elsewhere items that satisfy needs on Red Clay's Wish List. Blood Donors and Organ Donors give the most personal gifts of all. The Blood Bank of Delaware (302-737-8400) has several pleasant facilities and a continuous need for blood for accident victims, patients undergoing major surgery, and people with blood-destroying diseases. To pre-authorize removal and re-use of your organs immediately after your death simply go to your local auto license bureau and ask them to note on your driver's license that you permit (after death) transplanting your organs to someone in need. While these donations may not be known to the church, they are profoundly appreciated by the recipients.