A Message from the Finance and Stewardship Committees: “Let’s Head ‘Em Off at the Pass”
That’s a familiar phrase for those of us who like old Western movies. The good guys hop on their trusty steeds and ride off to intercept the bad guys before they can get to town and cause a ruckus. In today’s parlance, the good guys are being proactive. They recognize that a potential problem might be on its way, and they want to do something about it before it really becomes an issue.
Our church works the same way. The church staff, the Finance Committee, and the Stewardship Committee all watch over the money that the church brings in and keeps an eye on how much the church spends, too. We try to be proactive whenever possible and identify potential problems before they become an issue and ‘head them off at the pass.’
That said, last year in 2023, as a congregation, our giving to the church was down by 4%. That means the church took in less revenue than we were expecting. The result was an overall financial loss for the year of about ($142,000).
Obviously, we don’t want to see that happen again in 2024. So, to avoid another loss year, we want to be proactive now and head off any potential problems at the pass before they get here. To that end, we’re asking everyone to increase their giving plans for 2024 by 10%. Whether you completed a pledge card or not, we would like to see everyone help out by giving just a little bit more. For example, if you give $100 per week, start giving $110 per week. A 10% increase isn’t much and, if everyone in the church does it, then we won’t have to worry about the prospect of potential cuts to programs, ministries, and staff in the future.
It’s always a good idea to be proactive instead of reactive. Being proactive with your health by getting an annual physical always pays benefits. Being proactive with your house and car by making sure they are serviced and in good repair helps them last a long time. Being proactive with your faith by attending church services, studying the scriptures, and loving God and your neighbor will help your spirit stay nice and strong.
Our church has been a good steward of the provisions and blessings that God has given us. Financially, we are pretty healthy and that has allowed us to weather that loss for 2023 without too much pain. That good financial health also allows us to have ministries and programs that play a huge role in our community and that impact a lot of people. Nobody wants to get to the point where cuts have to be made, so let’s do everything we can as a congregation to ‘head that off at the pass’ and make sure it doesn’t happen.
The Finance Committee and the Stewardship Committee believe that our church is very capable of giving sufficiently to fund our budget, but it takes everyone in the church to do so. Please consider helping if you can.
In His Service,
Don Greene,
Chair of the Finance Committee
Bryan Johnson,
Chair of the Stewardship Committee
