Giving

Click here to give a contribution or make a payment.

Giving Opportunities

Thanks for your interest in supporting the ministries of John Wesley United Methodist Church. Your financial support enables us to continue making disciples for Jesus Christ. For your convenience we provide several different methods for giving. Regardless of which giving method you choose, specify which fund your gift is intended to support:

John Wesley UMC Operating Budget
Endowment Fund
Shannon Stovall Fund – click here for more information
MemorialsPlanned Giving / Estate Giving – click here for more information

If not specified, your gift will be applied to the John Wesley UMC Operating Budget.

Giving Methods

Giving On Sunday: Gifts of cash and checks may be placed in the offering plates during the offertory portion of our Sunday services. If submitting cash, use the envelopes provided in the pew backs. Please include your complete name and address with your gift. This is the only way that we can match you with your gift and provide you with a contribution statement for your income tax purposes.

Giving by Mail: Make your check payable to “John Wesley UMC” and mail it to the church office:

John Wesley UMC

5830 Bermuda Dunes

Houston, TX 77069

ATTN: Financial Secretary

Giving by Personal Online Bill-Pay: You may set up John Wesley UMC as a payee in your personal online banking account for a one-time gift or for a recurring gift. Please note which fund you would like your gift applied to. Use the church’s main mailing address. This is a no cost option to the church. Your bank may charge you a fee for this service.

Giving by Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) Online: Giving online, through EFT, is a convenient way to give each month. You can use EFT for both one-time gifts and for automatically recurring gifts. JWUMC will draft your checking account and simply transfer your gift to the church account. To set up a recurring or one-time donation and to view your contribution history, follow these steps:

Create an account using your email address and password.
Indicate amount, frequency and designation of your gift.
Provide contact and bank information.

No fees are charged to you for giving online through JWUMC’s website and 100% of your gift will be counted as a charitable gift for tax purposes. JWUMC pays a flat $25 per month to provide this service on our website. EFT is also the most cost-efficient method of giving to the church since it reduces administrative costs and helps maintain a predicable cash flow.

Non-Cash Giving: Because the church is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, your gift will qualify as a charitable contribution and is tax deductible. Donating directly to the church avoids any capital gains tax. JWUMC breaks down Non-Cash giving in 2 different categories:

Stock Contribution: If you wish to give stock gifts to John Wesley UMC, please give your broker our account name, account number, and DTC number for our Morgan Stanley Smith Barney account. The church maintains an account with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney in the name of John Wesley United Methodist Church. Our account number is 353-105502 and the DTC number is 0015. If your broker needs any information from us, please have them contact Monica Lester at 281-444-2112.

In order for us to give you proper credit for your gift, please notify us of the number of shares and the name of the stock(s) that you are transferring and how you would like your gift applied: operating budget, endowment fund, Stovall fund, memorial, etc. Our fax number is 281-444-4313 and email may be sent to Monica Lester. Your gift will be acknowledged on your contribution statement.

Other Non-Cash Gifts: If you wish to give a Non-Cash Gift to John Wesley UMC, it must be approved by the Trustees. Non-Cash Gifts would include the following types of gifts: household goods, jewelry and gems, paintings, antiques and other objects of art, cars, boats and aircraft, collections, inventory, patents, stock certificates and bond certificates, real estate interest in a business, annuities, certain life insurance and annuity contracts, as well as any other kinds of Non-Cash Contribution as defined by the Internal Revenue Service. Please contact Rachel Atkins at the church office to discuss and begin the approval process.

Employer Gift Matching Programs: May companies will match charitable gifts, meaning that your gift will count even more. Check with your employer if you think this option applies to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I donate or give online?

See Giving Opportunities above.

Are electronic contributions safe?

Yes. An electronic gift is safer than writing a check or donating cash, and it cannot be lost, stolen or destroyed in the mail. All EFT transactions are governed by strict national rules and guidelines.

What methods can I use to give online?

See Giving Methods above.

Can I use a credit card or debit card?

No. JWUMC does not offer giving via credit card or debit card at this time. There are charges associated with the use of credit and debit cards that would not allow JWUMC to receive the full amount of your gift.

What fees are involved with giving online?

See Giving by Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) Online above.

Can I schedule a gift?

Yes. You may schedule the frequency, the start date and the duration for recurring gifts. One-time gifts may be made immediately or scheduled for a specific date.

If I want to set up a recurring gift, what are my options for frequency of my gift?

For recurring gifts, you can specify whether you want your gift to be made weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or quarterly. You may set up as many recurring schedules as you would like, so it is possible to give a monthly gift as well as a quarterly gift.

Can I choose the designation for my gift?

Yes. You may designate your gift as John Wesley Operating Budget, Endowment Fund, Shannon Stovall Fund, Memorials, etc. From time to time JWUMC may provide other giving opportunities.

How do I split a gift across more than one fund?

For a cash gift, please write on the envelope the amount(s) and the fund(s) you would like your gift to be applied to.
For a check or personal online bill pay, please write on the memo line the amount(s) and the fund(s) you would like your gift to be applied to.
For online giving through the JWUMC website, you may enter an amount in each of the available funds listed. A total gift amount will appear.

Can I change my account information, amount or frequency of my recurring gift?

Yes. You may log in and click on the Online Giving tab and change your information.

Can I review my contribution history online?

Yes. You may log in and click on the “contribution history” tab to view your contribution history. This will list your contributions; however, it will not show your pledge information.

Will I still receive regular contribution statements from the church?

Yes. You will continue to receive regular contribution statements from JWUMC, in addition to being able to view and /or print them online. JWUMC issues statements in January, April, July, October, November December.

When will gifts be taken from my account?

Gifts will be taken from your specified bank account at 3:00 am on the date you specify. It may take 2 to 3 business days to allow the gift to process through your bank and John Wesley’s bank. If the date of your gift falls on a weekend, the transaction will be initiated the following business day.

How will I know that I set up my gift correctly?

You will receive an email confirmation upon completion of a one-time gift or a recurring gift.

What is the giving limit for an online giving transaction?

Yes. You can process a single transaction up to $5,000. For special gifts above this amount, you may create multiple online giving transactions, send a check or contact Rachel Atkins or Monica Lester at 281-444-2112.

Does it matter what internet browser I use?

No. All internet browsers will work.

How do I change my email address or password?

You may log onto the John Wesley UMC web site, go to Member Resources, select Member log-in, log in and select Personal Profile. You may change all your contact information including your email and password.

Who can I talk to if I have additional questions about giving online?

You may contact Rachel Atkins or Monica Lester at the church office if you have additional questions.

Do you have envelopes available for me to mail in my tithe?

No. You mail use any envelope for mailing in your tithe.

Where do I mail my donation for John Wesley UMC?

Make your check payable to “John Wesley UMC” and mail it to the church office:

John Wesley UMC

5830 Bermuda Dunes

Houston, TX 77069

ATTN: Financial Secretary

How can I make a stock contribution to John Wesley UMC?

See Non-Cash Giving above.

How much is the annual budget for John Wesley UMC?

Click here for annual budget.

How is John Wesley UMC doing financially year-to-date?

Click here for the most current financial statement year to date.

Thank you for your gift to God’s kingdom through the ministry of John Wesley UMC. Please do not hesitate to call if we can be of any assistance to you or if you have any further questions.

Giving Security

Your gifts are confidential. The Financial Secretary, Business Manager, Money Counters and Senior Pastor are the only staff and church members allowed to count and process your gifts. From time to time, reports are created to demonstrate giving trends and statistics. These reports may be reviewed by Finance Committee or Stewardship Team. When this occurs, your names are replaced by numbers.

Giving Online using the John Wesley UMC website is secure and reliable. Our church management software, Shelby Services, has been in partnership with Payment Data Systems (PDS) since 2006 to manage customers’ EFT processing requirements for e-Solutions. PDS continues to hold the distinction as a Level One PCI DSS compliant third party server. In order to keep John Wesley UMC from the initial and ongoing expense of maintaining PCI Compliance, PDS, in concert with Shelby systems, has created a PCI SDD compliant “Hosted Pay Page”. All data entered via the “Hosted Pay Page” and our CSR View applications are entered directly on to secure servers. Since you are not entering, storing or transmitting account information data, you are not required to spend extra money on an ongoing basis to maintain compliance.