Supporting South Church: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Pledging
What is meant by “pledging”?
Members are asked to state an amount of money they intend to give South Church weekly or monthly for a ‘pledge period’ of one year.
What is South Church’s pledge period?
The pledge period (dates during which weekly or monthly pledges are collected) runs for a year and aligns with South Church’s fiscal year, which this year runs from July 1, 2026 thru June 30, 2027.
How does the church use pledge contributions?
The pledged contributions provide the financial support needed to carry out the church’s work— and to thrive.
Specifically, the pledge totals become the primary basis of the church budget. The church budget includes funds for church programming, outreach work in the community, building operations and staff expenses.
What and when is the South Church pledge drive?
A pledge drive or pledge campaign is the period of time during which members are invited to pledge an amount of money to the church for the coming fiscal year.
The pledge drive runs annually from mid-January through early March. This year, the pledges will financially support the work of South Church from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027.
What happens during the pledge drive?
During the pledge drive or pledge campaign, Church members will receive a letter by postal mail with an invitation to pledge, as well as a pledge card to complete and return to the church.
There will also be opportunities to learn about the whys and hows of pledging from the Giving Committee, from member testimonials and through a variety of Church communication networks.
I have not received a pledge letter in the mail. What should I do?
Call the church office (603-224-2521) or email (bookkeeper@southchurchconcord.org to request a pledge letter and card.
I have not pledged in the past, but would like to pledge this year. What should I do?
Call the church office (603-224-2521) or email (bookkeeper@southchurchconcord.org to request a pledge letter and card.
Why are members asked to pledge so far in advance of when the funds will be used?
In order to develop a church budget for the upcoming fiscal year, the budget planners need to know what income to expect during that period.
The pledge campaign starts in January and ends in March to allow the Council and Finance Committee enough time to develop a budget based on pledged amounts. The budget needs to be in place before the Church Annual Meeting in May, when the congregation will vote on its approval.
Members are asked to start to fulfill their pledged amount beginning July 1st of each fiscal year.
How much should I pledge?
This is a personal decision that each person should consider prayerfully. Keep in mind fulfilled pledges are critical to the financial health of our church, necessary to meet our obligations and support the work of our church.
Members who have never pledged, please consider getting involved this year! Members who have pledged in the past are asked to consider increasing their pledge as they are able. If a member is unable to pledge, we welcome your prayer and service.
Once I complete my pledge card, how do I return it to the church?
You may mail or drop the card off to the church office, or you may drop it in the offering plate during Sunday worship. You may also email the church with the amount you intend to pledge and whether you intend to provide your pledged amount weekly or monthly.
If you have any further questions, please contact us at bookkeeper@southchurchconcord.org.
Online Giving
We use an online giving provider named Subsplash that makes giving easy!
What is Subsplash?
Subsplash is a trusted technology company based in Seattle that works exclusively with churches. They serve over 17,000 churches and ministries across the country with tools for giving, communications, and management.
How do I give online?
Just go to the giving page here on the South Church website. You’re able to:
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Give one-time donations, or set up recurring donations by creating a Subsplash username and password.
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Choose a payment method (card or bank account).
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View or manage your giving within a dedicated Subsplash portal (accessed with your Subsplash username and password).
How do I give by bank account (ACH)?
You have two options through Subsplash:
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Instant linking: Log in to your bank account securely (via a service called Plaid) to connect your account immediately.
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Microdeposits: Enter your routing and account numbers manually. Within a few days, two small deposits will appear in your bank account. You’ll confirm those amounts in Subsplash to verify your account.
Is this safe?
Yes. Subsplash uses industry-leading security providers:
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Plaid (bank linking) and Stripe (payment processing) are trusted by thousands of financial institutions.
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All parties involved meet the highest security standards, including PCI Level 1 and SOC1 compliance.
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Subsplash, Stripe, and Plaid all have strong reputations for protecting financial data and have not had any major data breaches.
Is there a South Church app?
No. The old mobile app has been discontinued. But giving from your phone is still easy—just visit our website from any browser (like Safari or Chrome) and use the new giving page.
Can I use a credit or debit card?
Yes. If you prefer to use your card, the process is even easier. You enter your card number and complete the donation.
Can I choose where my gift goes?
Yes. Subsplash allows you to choose between different giving funds (like pledges, special offerings, or emergency relief efforts), making it easier to support the causes you care about.
How do I stop or change a recurring gift?
If you created an account, just log in through the Subsplash website at any time. You can cancel or adjust the amount, frequency, or payment method.
Will I get a receipt or tax statement?
Yes. You receive email confirmations for each gift, and you’re able to access your full giving history online. We also provide quarterly tax statements.
What if I need help?
Staff members available to assist anyone who needs help. Get in touch by emailing bookkeeper@southchurchconcord.org.
If you’d prefer step-by-step support, the Subsplash support center has helpful articles and videos.
Planned Giving
What is Planned Giving?
Planned Giving refers to a gift made to the church as part of an estate plan. It is most often done through a Will or a Trust, but could also take the form of a beneficiary designation (of an IRA or life insurance, for example) or an annuity. Planned Giving is a way to leave a legacy for your family and church based on what you valued during your life.
What is the Legacy Society?
The Legacy Society consists of members of the congregation who have made a planned gift to the church. The size or amount of the gift is not important and does not need to be disclosed to the church or anyone else.
What will the money be used for?
Unrestricted gifts and bequests less than $2,500.00 will be deposited to the church’s invested funds, unless the Giving Ministry and Church Council determine that the gift would be more appropriately used for an urgent current need. Gifts and bequests with a specific purpose stated by the donor will be used accordingly.
Unrestricted gifts over $2,500.00 will be handled as follows:
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10% for outreach beyond the walls of South Church to be determined by Giving Ministry jointly with Faith in Action Ministry;
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Up to 20% for current needs or special projects to be determined by the Church Council upon recommendation of the Giving Ministry;
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Not less than 70% to the church’s unrestricted investment funds.
How can I benefit the church if I want to leave my assets to my family?
Many individuals wish to name their children or other family members as their primary heirs. This is not an impediment to leaving a partial gift to the church. Some Legacy Society members have chosen to divide their estate in order to benefit both (for example, leaving 5% to the church and 95% to family members). Many parents feel that by leaving a portion of their estate to the church, they are also teaching their children an important lesson about giving.
What if I don’t have a lot of money?
Any gift, regardless of size, is meaningful. It is possible to leave the church a percentage of your estate, rather than a dollar amount. This allows for a self-adjusting gift, which will work for your estate regardless of the total value of your assets. Every individual, regardless of their net worth, needs to consider an estate plan in order to give instructions to family members about what to do with various assets.
How do I make a Planned Gift? You should speak to a lawyer about your personal situation. If you don’t know a lawyer, talk to any member of the Planned Giving Committee for a referral (Tina Annis; email: tannis@anniszellers.com, Peter Imse, Oge Young, Deborah Carley).