Q2 Financial Update

07.01.09

    As a church, we’re concerned that giving has fallen significantly below budget... At the same time, we’re encouraged by how God has sustained us to this point...

    The year 2009 will certainly be remembered by many as a financially challenging year for their own family, for their friends and for their business or employer. While there may be glimmers of economic recovery, they’re not much more than just glimmers at this point.

    As a church, we’re concerned that giving has fallen significantly below budget – almost $50,000 below budget. For a church our size, this is a LOT of money and is a major concern. At the same time, we’re encouraged by how God has sustained us to this point, as well as by the fact that we have been able to cut expenses by nearly $32,000 which has helped reduce the impact of our giving shortage. Thus, our actual expenses have exceeded our actual contributions by about $18,000 year-to-date. By comparison, we ended June last year in the exact same place - $18,000 in the red (and by the end of the year made up almost all of that shortage).

    So what’s next? We will continue to make budget cuts where we can – and if necessary will consider more extensive cuts. At the same time, while we recognize this type of shortage is common for the first half of the year (2008 = $18K shortage, 2007 = $25K shortage) we also recognize that this may not be a normal year where the shortage of the first half is made up in the second half – for example, the summer has historically been a time when contributions have increased and we’ve been able to begin reducing the deficit, but that has not yet been the case this summer.

    At the same time, we still want to continue to invest in ministry and to continue to reach new people, because we believe that this is a great time for people to meet Jesus. The god of money is dying and we want to introduce people to the true God. We want them to meet Jesus.

    So we’re going through a time of pruning and are asking God where He wants us to focus our energy and attention. But we’re not circling the wagons. We’re not giving up. To the contrary, we’re pushing forward, because we know there are people who need to meet Jesus.

    Please join us in praying to this end!

    finance2009_07 - Financial Update July 2009