Hello Again Church Family,
As I promised in my last note, the finance committee and I are committed to providing you more frequent updates on our budget progress this year. Since writing you over a month ago and kicking off the
2022 Extra Mile giving campaign, we have made significant progress. The month of September was a blessing and I want to thank all of you for your support.
Below is a summary of key updates since the last note:
- Giving for the month of September outpaced the budget by $50,000, taking pledged contributions above budget YTD
- We received support to use ~$70,000 of funds awaiting designated to fund spend already incurred
- The staff continued to underspend program budgets, run at lower staffing levels, and spend from program restricted accounts when able
- Trustees secured a lease on the parsonage, providing rental income through our next appointment cycle
Launching the Extra Mile giving campaign was necessary step and, as of now, we have ~$25,000 committed toward a goal of $100,000. That may sound like a lofty goal but given our congregation size, we can get there quickly with an extra $500-$1,000 per member. Please make sure you document your pledge,
even if you’ve already donated, so that we can track this program as best as possible. There could very well more than the $25K already committed but, without corresponding pledges, we cannot be sure. Please document your Extra Mile pledge
by clicking here , or drop a note off with Rev Lee at the church.
As we look to our remaining $150,000 budget deficit on the year, we are counting on more Extra Mile giving and continued responsible spending to help us end the year with a balanced budget.
Additionally, I want to make sure you all understand the 2022 Extra Mile campaign and the 2023 Beyond Stewardship programs are different things. The Extra Mile ask is all about helping 2022 and getting us back to a balanced budget. Our 2023 Beyond Stewardship program is about planning for 2023 and allowing us to build a full year budget for next year.
We will budget 2023 towards those pledges and your forward-looking commitment helps us plan staffing, programs, and church operations as best possible. However, please keep in mind that the extra support you are able to commit to 2022 may be needed again in 2023; so, I’d ask as you reflect on your 2023 stewardship pledges, you keep in mind the budget situation of this year and how we needed extra support and may need that level of support again in 2023
