The Generosity Campaign is conducted over a two-week period leading up to Covenant Sunday, generally the first or second Sunday in November. The next year’s operating budget is based upon the pledges to which our members commit. The budget includes expenses for all MDPC ministries and gifts to our nearly 140 Outreach Partners. Like any organization, MDPC’s staff and officers need a good estimate of revenue (member giving) before approving staffing levels, salaries, program expenses, and Outreach gifts.

Your pledge is a commitment, made after deliberate and prayerful consideration, to contribute a specific amount of money to MDPC during the next calendar year. It is a reflection of your gratitude for God’s abundant grace in your life. Ultimately, it is a response to the gifts God has given you in Christ. We hope that all households will make a Covenant Pledge , even if the household’s income varies from year to year and is unpredictable. Members may change their pledge either up or down if their circumstances change during the year

Tithing means to give 10% of your income back to God. It is a biblical standard found in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. The first mention of tithing in the Bible is in Genesis 14, when Abraham, already aware of the tradition, prepares to make his tithe. While MDPC encourages tithing, we recognize it may be a goal for which to strive. Ultimately, the amount you choose to pledge is a personal prayerful decision between you and God.

This is a question that each household must answer individually. Regardless of your income, each of us is called to share a portion of our blessings to help provide for God’s work through the church and in the world. A con-scious discernment is needed by each of us to determine our appropriate level of giving. Your pledge and your giving should reflect the importance of your relationship with God and the church. A good place to start is to give a certain percentage of your income, then try to increase that percentage each year until you reach a tithe and beyond.

Pledging allows you to make intentional decisions about your financial giving. When you plan ahead for your giving, you make conscious choices about spending your money in ways that reflect your faith and values. Re-ceiving your pledge allows the MDPC Session, the church’s governing board made up of Elders, to do for MDPC what you do for your household: plan wisely for the use of our resources in support of our ministries and the outreach to which God has called us. You can partner with us in transforming lives.

We understand that predicting income and expenses a year in advance may be difficult. We suggest that you initially are conservative in your pledge. Making the commitment is an important way to make the support of MDPC and our Outreach Partners a priority in our lives. If you find that your situation changes during the year, you can change your pledge and giving as needed. Of course, there are also times when God challenges us to pledge in a stretch manner, to reveal our faith and allow God to provide in a more miraculous way.

Pledge cards are mailed to households in the Fall and also are available at church and online here. On Covenant Sunday, you will have the opportunity to return your card at the end of each worship service. If you are absent on Covenant Sunday, you may return your card to the MDPC Front Office or deposit it in the collection plate on another Sunday morning.

We encourage you to sign your card, so it can be recorded in your Giving Account and included in the giving statement you periodically receive. Your pledge is recorded by MDPC’s financial services accountant, who is the only person with access to your pledge. No Elders or other members or staff has access to your pledges. We will accept your pledge card unsigned, if you desire to remain anonymous.

Your Fall pledge will be your commitment for the following calendar year. No gift is expected at the time of the pledge. You may pay weekly, monthly, or once or twice during the year----in cash, check, or online at any time throughout the year you choose. If you elect to pay in cash, contact Ava Caliendo ( or 713-953-2574) to obtain a box of envelopes that are unique to you, so that your giving account can be recorded and credited. If you give by check, envelopes are not necessary.

Yes. Each situation is unique, and it is best to contact MDPC’s accounting department to determine the best way to complete these types of contributions. MDPC financial services accountant, Ava Caliendo ( or 713-953-2574) will be able to answer your questions about giving.