A Note on Church Finances

The Congregation Council has asked me to hold out to the congregation the need for your generosity here at the end of the current fiscal year. It's not unusual for us to be a little bit behind on our finances coming into October and November, but this year the need is a little bit greater.

The current shortfall versus giving, as of the end of October, is about $36,000.

There are some good reasons for the shortfall:

• The cost of insurance has dramatically increased over the last few years. Your council has been diligent about investigating alternative coverage through our insurance agent each year, and we've worked hard to control costs. Just three years ago, we budgeted $16,000 for property insurance. This year, our budget is $29,000.
• We've had some higher than expected expenses, especially with repairs needed for HVAC in the fellowship hall. Our repair expenses are currently more than $6,000 more than what has been budgeted for this year.
• Our utility expenses have been higher than what was expected as well. At the end of October we already exceeded our budgeted amounts for water/sewer and electricity for the year.
• We also moved our office manager, Sara Anderson, from 1/2 to 3/4 time, which has made a big improvement to our church's productivity and responsiveness.

Of course, there is nothing new about running a little short at this time of year. Quite a few of our congregation's families make significant contributions after harvest is in, the numbers are run, and they know what they are going to be able to give. We thank you for your faithfulness in this.

The Lord calls us to be wise and faithful stewards, or managers, of the things that he has entrusted to us. Part of that involves sharing some of our resources for the sake of the Gospel in our community. We give out of gratitude for what God has done for us in the Gospel.

As we look to the end of the year, I want thank you for the faithful support that you've already offered for the sake of our ministry together. If you're able to help us close this year's gap, we would be very appreciative.

May God bless you in this season of Thanksgiving,

Pastor Ted Carnahan