A Message from the Treasurer | Church of the Incarnation

Come and see.
Each of us came to Incarnation and liked what we saw. Happily, you have stuck around long enough to be reading this.

Come and see who we are.
The attached letters from the Development Committee and from Stephen Shaver could not express who we are more beautifully.
We are also a church community struggling with deficits to budgets which are balanced at the expense of non-pledge financial assets. For the past ten years (since the conflicted departure of a prior rector) we have had a structural annual deficit of $90-$120,000. This is no longer financially sustainable, and your vestry has committed to ending it.

Come and see what we can become.
We can become a church community that thrives into the future, doing so sustainably. Your vestry is considering tough decisions regarding expenses that are no longer comparable to other parishes our size. The more generously we are able to give, the more options the vestry will have, and the fewer spending cuts they will have to make.

What can you become?

Become a pledger! Put your stake in the ground, claiming this community as your spiritual home and committing to your share in its thriving.
Become intentional in determining your pledge by designating a proportion of your income which is meaningful and sacrificial.
Become strategic, when applicable and beneficial to your taxes.
Some pay their pledge by donating shares of stock which have grown in value from capital gains. Doing so, the donors can claim charitable deductions for the full value of the stocks. Some pre-pay their next year’s pledge (alternately “doubling up”) in order to claim deductions exceeding their standard exclusions.
Some over age 70 make Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) from their IRA, either outright (up to $105,000 per person) or simply from their Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs).
Become involved as a volunteer. There will be opportunities for you to provide your time in accomplishing a task the church might otherwise pay for.
Become inquisitive. If you have questions, it means you are thinking. Thank you! Please ask your Treasurer, your Rector, or a Vestry member.

David Jasper
Treasurer

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People decide to visit a church for lots of different reasons, often because they're at some sort of transition point in their lives. Maybe you're a longtime Episcopalian; maybe you have experience in another faith tradition; or maybe you've never been to a faith community at all.

Whoever you are, and wherever you are on your spiritual journey, you enrich us with your presence, and there's a place for you here.

Learn more about visiting Incarnation.

Incarnation is located at 550 Mendocino Avenue in downtown Santa Rosa, just south of the corner with Cherry Street.

Our church parking lot is located around the corner at 636 Cherry Street. The lot often fills up for our Sunday morning services. Additional free church parking is available in the small gravel lot at the corner of Mendocino and Cherry, or in the city garage at 521 7th Street (free on Sundays), which is a two-minute walk from the church. Finally, street parking is also free on Sundays.

We're also located close to several bus lines, and we have a bike rack in the central courtyard.

Children aren't just the church's future—they're an essential part of our faith community right now. At Incarnation we strive to serve our kids' growing faith, and we know they have much to teach adults, too. Children are always welcome in worship: any age, any time.

Learn more about our children's ministries.

Episcopal worship follows an ancient pattern that dates to the earliest days of the Christian church. The first half of the Eucharist is the Liturgy of the Word the second half is the Liturgy of the Table, also called Holy Communion. If you've spent time in Episcopal, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, or Eastern Orthodox churches, much of our liturgy will seem familiar. If you're unfamiliar with liturgical Christian worship, don't worry. You're welcome to participate as fully as is right for you, or to just relax into the liturgy and let the rest of the congregation carry you in worship.

Click here for online worship, or to learn more about Episcopal worship.

To stay connected with everything that's going on, please subscribe to our e-newsletter, News and Notes.

Often someone who's been visiting for a while will ask us how to become a member of Incarnation. Learn more about becoming a member.

To support our work sharing God's love here in Sonoma County, you can make a donation online.

Giving is one of the most powerful spiritual practices in existence. It's a statement of gratitude and trust in God.

At Incarnation we encourage all our members and friends to prayerfully choose a percentage of their income to give toward causes that serve God's mission. We ask that part of that intentional giving be a pledge of financial support to the parish, both so our leadership can plan ahead in making a budget, and as a tangible commitment to what God is doing here at Incarnation. For more on the practice of proportional giving, see this FAQ.

You can make a donation to Incarnation online, toward your pledge or as a special offering, by clicking below.