It is another way to see the church. How much money we spend on water, cleaning supplies, paint, and toner may not tell the whole story of our ministry in Poughkeepsie but it is surely a part of it. Our task is to maximize the dollars that you pledge - to neither waste money on things that are unnecessary or to scrimp on areas that are important.

 

We are in the midst of a multi-year financial project to reduce our dependence upon the endowment from $100,000 in 2017 to $50,000 a year (or about 5% of the endowment) in 2023. This year we successfully cut $10,000 from our expenses and in 2020 we will need to find an additional $10,000 for a total of $20,000 in reductions. This can come from an increase in income or from savings on expenses, or a combination of both.

 

This year, we expect to find much of our savings from adjustments we have made to the way we heat our building. In the Spring, we brought in an energy consultant who examined the way we are heating our building. Throughout the summer and fall we have been implementing his suggestions. We have installed "smart" thermostats in our sanctuary and in the NCR. These make sure that we heat those areas as efficiently as possible. In addition, we have had the boiler rewired so that we use its power more efficiently.

 

Denise and I have come to the last $10,000 or so in the budget. The truth is, there is not much more work we can do for now. We are waiting for the stewardship campaign to end. If you ever wonder if your pledge matters in a church this size , it really does.   The difference in whether we are able to give the staff a small raise this year or if we need to cut programs really comes down to the number and generosity of pledges that we receive in the next ten days.

 

I want you to know this because I want you to know how hard we are working behind the scenes to make sure that Christ Church can continue to do all the things that we do. From excellent music to the homeless shelter; from hosting the AIDS quilt to building houses for Habitat for Humanity - Christ Church has a unique role to play in the City of Poughkeepsie and WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT to continue the important work that we do.

If you have already pledged, thank you. If you have not made a pledge, please consider making a commitment to Christ Church this week. There will be additional pledge cards available in church this week. It truly takes every one of us, giving what we can, to make Christ Church the amazing and vibrant community that it is.