Purchasing SCRIP cards is a way for you to support St. John's just by doing your normal shopping. In a nutshell, here's how they work: St. John's buys the gift cards at a discount from the retailer. St. John's then sells them at their face value to parishoners and retains the difference.
Don't forget about Schnucks! When you purchase your SCRIP cards, be sure to sign up for the Schnucks' give back card. They give a percentage of any sale to St. John's just by scanning your card. No gift card purchase is needed.