Budgeting


Rev. Joshua Patty
Regional Minister and President


At this time of year, many of our congregations are preparing church budgets for 2022. This year, there are many uncertainties that make this process more challenging.  

First, we don’t know how much financial support people will give. While this is true every year, the decreased giving to all nonprofit organizations during the pandemic raises doubts. We need to be intentional about how and why we invite people to invest in our ministries. Sometimes we are too shy to explain why we do what we do, even as we strive to show our faith in action. We seek to bring wholeness and transformation to the world in Jesus’ name. It’s an audacious mission, to be sure, but one many people value and will invest in, especially if you can show some practical ways that your ministry is doing that. And, if you need help, our Disciples Center for Faith and Giving is sharing free resources with congregations, including annual stewardship materials and ongoing resources.

Second, we don’t know what our financial needs will be. There are many indications of inflation, meaning higher costs for a variety of goods and services. The surest sign of this is the “cost of living adjustment” or COLA that is considered each year for Social Security recipients. While these adjustments are usually announced in late October, many experts estimate that the 2022 COLA will be 5-6%. (For comparison, an increase of 5% or more has only been given twice since 1982.) Our regional budget proposes a 5% increase for most of our staff next year; frankly, I hope that all congregations will seriously consider such a significant increase in compensation for your ministers and staff as well.

Related to this is an opportunity for us to invite people to increase their gifts to church ministries by at least 5% in the coming year. Obviously, we cannot and should not tell anyone what financial support they should give to the church. But we need to be honest that the diminishing buying power they feel personally is a reality for our ministries as well.

Third, we cannot let these uncertainties make us focus on “holding on to what we’ve got.” Our mission is expansive and our ministries are at their best when we generously lead and support projects far and wide. Please continue to prioritize your outreach ministries. Continue to invest money in our Disciples Mission Fund and support the special offerings -- these provide necessary financial support for a wide range of ministries, especially our regional church. (If you have questions about this, please contact me -- I’m happy to meet with any congregational team by phone or Zoom to explain how our regional and general Disciples ministries are funded.) Continue to invest in vital efforts that touch lives in your community.

Most importantly, remember that our ministry is rooted in faith. God never gave the church a fixed amount of resources with the instructions, “Do what you can.” Instead, God opened our eyes to a radical mission of love. Jesus explicitly taught that part of our efforts are to invite others to be co-workers with us. At our best, together, we invest some of our most precious resources -- money, time, talent, passion, prayer -- to bring some wholeness into this fragmented and broken world.