What is a "Pledge" at Dwell?

The term “pledge”, as used at Dwell, only applies to the Dwell General Fund. No other commitments or giving to other areas is included in what a “pledge” is. We are seeking at every year-start to fund the core needs of the church - those are budgeted through the General Fund, via the Annual General Fund Pledge Campaign. We need to address core budget needs first-and-foremost, before we can attend to broader ministry. So, covering funding for core church needs has to happen before we can seek funding for Missions and related ministry funded outside of the General Fund.

When we talk about “pledging” at the start of each year it is wholly in the context of the Annual General Fund Pledge Campaign. Whether a household is considering joining the Fiscal Support Team (FST) or just pledging at any level of giving, the commitment to pledge applies only to the General Fund. Additional commitments made to Missions giving for example (e.g., Humanitarian Aid, Global Partnerships, student camps, direct giving to mission fields, etc.) are not part of “pledging” toward Dwell's General Fund budget.

Commitments made to Missions or other Dwell related areas outside of the General Fund are not part of your household’s annual pledge. Such commitments are encouraged, but they are separate from the General Fund and are not part of determining FST membership which is based solely on pledging and giving to the Dwell General Fund. That is also why the minimum pledge level for membership in the FST is set at only 5% of gross household income, a relatively low level intended to encourage giving to other ministry as God leads.