Safe Harbor
2026 Giving Campaign
A Bold Experiment
An Open and Inclusive Spiritual Home
Growing in Generosity
As Church on the Square becomes more independent, our denominational partners are decreasing their financial support. The last two years, we focused on developing leadership and participation in our community and fundraising has not been a major priority. For both these reasons, this year, we need to refocus on our generosity and financial health.
Our goal for the Safe Harbor giving campaign is to raise $181,000 in pledges and scheduled gifts for the fiscal year starting July 1 to fund our day-to-day operations. This will require generosity from many givers. Please prayerfully consider how you might adjust your giving for the sake of a healthy community that offers safe harbor to so many.
What is Tithing?
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Tithing simply means “a tenth,” a term that comes from old English and Germanic roots. The idea is that a portion of your resources is set aside for the shared life of the community.
In the Hebrew Bible, we see multiple traditions at work: one involves leaving a portion of agricultural produce for the poor, and another supports the priestly or clerical class so they can serve and preside over the community’s sacramental life. In this way, the early church, especially as it took shape through the apostles, functioned as an engine of social care with a deeply communitarian vision for life together.
We are social creatures by design. We are meant to build and sustain structures that extend beyond ourselves, structures that serve not only us but the wider world around us. Giving generously allows us to do this in a practical and concrete way.
People who commit to giving a tenth of their income find it is a strong and meaningful part of their lives, building a sense of faith and trust and helping transform their relationship with money. Jesus names this kind of experience when he says in Matthew, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Giving is a spiritual practice by which we locate what we truly value.
Giving as a proportion of income
