I’d like every household in the parish to consider carefully what you’ll be hearing about WeShare over the next few weeks. WeShare is our new tool for electronic giving and payments for things like retreats, Vacation Bible School, GIFT and more. It’s simple to use, completely under your control, and a potential help to you and the parish. Here’s how it works:
- Visit our parish website, www.stb2008.org , Click on the Donate Online WeShare button right in the middle of the Homepage, and you will be taken to the WeShare page for our parish. You don’t have to make any commitment to see how it works. (You can also click on the large button above in this email)
- When on the WeShare page you can see all the different opportunities for giving; you are also given the choice of how often you would like to give (weekly, monthly, semi-monthly, quarterly and annually). You can give one time, or repeatedly, in any amount with just a few clicks.
- You do not have to create an account first; simply click on the individual giving opportunity and begin donating, making a payment, or registering for an event. An account will be created for you as part of the process. You will receive an email with a temporary password that will allow you to log in to the site at future dates.
- WeShare accepts all payment sources for donation. Available options include Checking/Savings Direct Withdrawal, Debit Card, and Credit Card (get those points!). If you have been to the site previously and chosen to save a payment source, that source is a possible option instead of entering in a new one.
- You can always return to the site to change or stop a continuing contribution. The entire process is under your control, without having to contact the parish to make changes. (I love this aspect of the tool!)
- WeShare keeps a Giving History of your contributions. Select the Giving History button to view every donation or event registration for the entire year or for years past. *Note that this doesn’t replace the year – end tax statement issued by the church.
Why do I ask you to at least examine WeShare and consider whether it’s right for you? First, because being a faithful disciple is hard enough, and things that can be made easy about discipleship should be easy. Stewardship and support of the parish are vital parts of disciple’s life, and sacrificial giving is difficult - but the process of giving doesn’t have to be harder than it needs to be. With WeShare you can be a good steward: plan what and when to give, make the commitment, and then not worry each week about finding an envelope or writing a check. If your income is irregular, you don’t have to commit to recurrent giving - you can give a portion of your income as you receive it. If you find it difficult to get to church each week, you don’t have to mail your gift or remember to make it up - it’s taken care of automatically. So first, I encourage you to consider WeShare because it’s good for you as a disciple. It’s a useful and simple tool.
Second, I ask you to consider using WeShare because it’s a help to the parish. There’s a lot of labor involved in processing your contributions by cash or check - volunteers gather each Monday to open envelopes, total checks, and count cash; and then secretaries post your gifts to your account for tax reporting. In addition, there’s the labor and natural resources involved in creating the boxed set of envelopes, the costs of mailing, and other such uses of our resources. WeShare makes almost all of that disappear, so that parish employees and volunteers can use their energies in other useful ways, and your contributions can go directly to serving people. Plus, WeShare streamlines the support of our mission on our end, too.
You’ll be hearing more about WeShare in the coming weeks; please, look at the information and consider whether it can be a help to you in supporting the parish. If you’re the sort of person (as I am) who rarely handles cash or a check but prefers to manage your finances electronically whenever possible, look at the program right away; then you can be a help to other parishioners who can benefit from your experience.
So, this week I invite you: Go to our parish website www.stb2008.org and click the Donate Online WeShare button - you don’t have to donate to take a look. Get familiar with what WeShare can do for you and for our parish.
Even if you choose not to use WeShare for your giving, it’s good to know it’s there as a service to you.
Peace,
Fr. Jeff Nicolas