The choir from Jamaica really had the church rocking this past weekend. As a result, our parishioners stepped up to the plate and gave very generously to the second collection for our sister parish in Kingston. The total received for JOP via the collection was in excess of $33,000.00, which is truly amazing in my humble opinion.
As I walk potential buyers through the Memorial Garden recently, the question always arises regarding the sections where the grass is completely dead. As most of you are aware, we are replacing all of the old markers with a new version that is simply engraved granite. This provides for a much cleaner look and will not recognize the effects of the very moist and salty climate. Depending on how many markers are in each section, the decision was made to kill the old grass, remove and re-sod around the new markers when they are “mud set” in place. Therefore, very shortly you will no longer see the dead brown grass and will instead see a beautifully transformed section. Thank you in advance for your patience while we complete this process. Ideally, we will have the entire garden completed by the end of June.
Although the Super Bowl was one of the worst games we have witnessed in a while, the 335 who attended our party were completely entertained and well fed while they watched the dismantling of the Denver Broncos, many wearing their orange and blue and many more sporting Peyton Manning jerseys. Although many fans went home disappointed with the results of the game, we made winners out of 25+ in attendance who won on one of our nine Super Bowl boards. Thank you to everyone who attended and we look forward to seeing you next year.
I certainly did not want to begin my column with a retraction so I waited until the fourth paragraph to do so. I generally do not have others proofread Scott’s Corner prior to going to print and do it myself. At times, this is not a good practice as was the case this past weekend when announcing the new Rose Garden adjacent to the Veterans’ Memorial. Even after including a picture and describing the five sides of the pedestal, I inadvertently referred to the pedestal a hexagon rather than a pentagon. Believe it or not, some of our parishioners actually called the office to point out my error. Please accept my apologies and know that I am aware that there are six sides in a hexagon and only five in a pentagon.
Are you utilizing our new online giving module to contribute through credit card or electronic bank draft (ACH)? WeShare is our new online giving platform and can do a whole lot more than process your contributions. You are now able to register for events via WeShare! The Knights of Columbus have served as our “guinea pigs” by offering their Valentine’s Day Dinner Dance to be the first event on WeShare for which parishioners may register. There was not a great response as many were not aware, however, those who did register found the process very advantageous. Imagine being able to purchase tickets to all of our events simply by logging on to our website. Imagine not having to make the trek down to the PLC to purchase tickets and possibly wait in line to do so. Imagine earning points or miles while purchasing your tickets via credit card on WeShare.
Obviously the same applies by transferring your giving to the electronic version. All of those checks you write will be a thing of the past. Worrying about whether or not you have enough cash to put in your envelope will no longer be an issue. Having a report of your giving to accompany your year-end statement for tax purposes will please any officer of the IRS who may choose to audit your charitable giving. And finally, again I go back to the fact that you may assist your parish through offertory contributions while earning valuable miles or points on your particular credit card. The miles can be redeemed for flights and the points redeemed for gift cards and countless other items depending on your particular credit card vendor.
Most importantly, you will have the option of scheduling your donations to meet your particular needs. Ideally, we would like our parishioners to support St. John the Evangelist on a year round basis. When many of our seasonal residents depart for summer, so does our “revenue stream.” By giving electronically, you may schedule your giving on a weekly, monthly or annual basis. Therefore, even if you support another parish up north, you could schedule your giving to reflect a more modest amount for Saint John the Evangelist during the months that you will be away from paradise.
JP has recently redesigned our ways to give page and it is MUCH more user friendly than before. I ask that you go to our website www.saintjohntheevangelist.com and take a look by clicking on the “Ways to Give” tab. By giving electronically, you are truly creating a win-win situation for your parish and for yourselves.
In His work together,
Scott Schlossberg, MBA,General Manager