More on Taxes and Timing of Year End Giving

Changes in our lives often change our tax situations.  Your changing tax situation is another thing to consider in planning your financial support to St. John's.  In last week's bulletin, we discussed the implications of year-to-year tax bracket changes on year-end giving considerations.  Your itemized deduction for charitable giving is worth more in higher tax bracket years so it makes sense to accelerate (or defer) your giving into higher bracket yeaars. 
It is important to remember that your gift will be deductible in a particullar year only if all of your itemized deductions (charitable contributions, state income taxes,  real estate taxes, home mortgage interest, etc.) in that year exceed the standard deduction amount.  For 2000, the standard deduction amount is $4,400 for single taxpayers; $6,450 for heads of households; $7,350 for taxpayers married and filing jointly and $3,675 for taxpayers married and filing separately. 
Changes in your life such as a change in marital status, moving from a rented home to an owned home or retirement can impact the amount of your itemized deductions.  For example, a move into an owned home will generally enable you to itemize your deductions because of the real estate taxes the interest on your mortgage.  Therefore, as you plan your financial support of our parish for 2002 and 2003, if you foresee utilizing the standard deduction in one year but itemizing your deductions in the other year, you should consider accelerating or deferring your giving into the year in which you expect to itemize. 
Remember all contributions to St. John's must be brought to the parish office on or postmarked no later than December 31, 2002.

Volunteer Opportunity&
New Parishioner Welcome Committee seeks members
The first Sunday of each month the New Parishioner  Welcome Committee appears without fail to meet, greet and welcome those who want to register and become "official" parish members. These may be new people who have just moved to the area and those who have lived here and attended church for a while, but want to join the parish in a more formal way. The committee would like to add some members. If you are interested in joining this group, please call the parish center and leave a message for Sue Amos Palmer (651-633-8333).
A Special thanks to the volunteers who serve on this committee: Jan and Jerry Bensing, Marianne and Ron Flor, Pat and Ed Kosse, Marlene and Frank Nickel, Rod and Sue Amos Palmer, and Judy and Tom Quayle.

PLEASE PRAY FOR

Those in our community who are ill:

Beau Anderson, John Battmer, Donald Beaubien, Marcelline Beseler, Marcella Boomer, Karen Bona, Wayne Carlson, Helen Cmiel, Ann Czech, Louis Czech, Lenore Dougherty, Joe Fellner, Linda Franklin, Bernice Hopkins, Anna Horbatuck, Henry Horbatuck, Mike Kallok, Kevin Keenan, Br. Joseph Katzmarek, Michael Kavanagh,  Esther Knapp, Mary Krenik, Linda Leier, Herb Loscheider, Nancy Mehrer, Rupert Meyer, Irene Mitchell, Lance and Ann Moe, Corliss Moore, Donna Murphy, Ray Nelson, Ben Ruebbelke, Frances Sventek, Ted Spiess, Ed Stich, Richard St. Germain, Sr., Bob Sorem, Robert Tharaldson, Fr. Greg Tolaas, Frances Vonacek, Donna Waldoch,  Mildred Werner, Linda Zappa.

The families and souls of those who recently have died:   
Alex Feela

                                                      Capital
                           Actual   Goal   Campaign
Last week:
                          $29,063  $37,483  $15,723
Since July 1, 2002
                       $637,636 $652,802 $4,565,171

Children  $32.00
Immaculate Conception  $2,369