The mission of the Stewardship Committee, which is made up of parishioners many of whom are past and present Vestry members, is: “To educate and communicate the importance of Stewardship to the congregation, and to plan ways to grow the financial resources of the Church through annual giving, capital gifts, and deferred gifts.” The Stewardship Committee is in the midst of a three-year plan to increase stewardship awareness among parishioners. After the first year, contributions increased 20 percent over the previous year, and the number of families contributing increased from 73 percent to 80 percent. The awareness campaign includes monthly stewardship articles in our parish newsletter At St. John's, stewardship proverbs in the Sunday Bulletin, periodic stewardship announcements from the lectern, stewardship sermons from the clergy and in the final two months of the year, a year-to-date comparison of contributions received and the percentage of families who have contributed. In addition, the committee is planning the creation of The 1835 Society to facilitate the solicitation and receipt of deferred gifts and bequests to St. John's .