Where are we?

Hey all, every quarter I want to give an update on our financial situation in the newsletter. The purpose of this will be to share with you where we are, where we need to go and how we are going to get there. Part of this is a report, and part of this is an exhortation. Our income as of last week was $94,000. This is $90,435 in the general fund and $3,565 in the benevolence fund (if you have questions about those distinctions please ask). Those numbers I realize may sound good, they may sound bad, or they may have little meaning at all. Now let’s add the other two numbers to see where we are at. We have spent $94,885. Which means that for the year we are operating at a net loss of $4,450. This isn’t good, however, our budget number for this point in the year is $107,000. This is what should have been given according to the annual budget. So, we are spending well under that number. In fact our spending is almost exactly the same this year at this time, as it was last year at this time, but there is one large difference. Our church is 60% larger, and our giving is actually less at this point this year than last year. This money also includes approximately $11,000 that has come from outside of our congregation through support raising, through gifts from individuals outside our church and from a generous church in our city who gave us $6,000 last month. So, this is where we are at. It isn’t great, frankly, it isn’t good, but it isn’t horrible. We do still have money in our account, and we are paying the bills and we have given some money away. It does however need to get better, much better if we are going to be the kind of church we want to be, one that is generous and impacts our neighborhood and city.

Where are we going?

Our budget for the 2015 year is just under $141,000. This is a good starting place. My initial goal is to get our donations to $141,000 or more by the end of 2015. Remember when we met in February and shared the budget for the year, we all agreed to work at getting to this number together. Now, that $141,000 number is a legitimate goal, but I think alongside this number, we should dream big hairy awesome goal number, so, like I told you in February, I have been praying that we will come in at $180,000 for our annual donations this year. I know this seems crazy, since we currently at half of that number and we are over 8 full months into it, but I still think it is possible. I still think that God can do some amazing things among us and can provide what we need to get there. So…

How are we going to get there?

We are going to pray. Will you commit to pray with the elders and me for these two goals? Can you pray for this, for us? Can you pray regularly for this? Another thing you can do is fast. Fast and seek God, seek Him and allow your satisfaction to be found in Him alone. Fasting is meant to get at our heart and to show us our attachments. This is helpful for us, as we seek to give, because our allegiances to other things is what keeps us from giving. Fasting shows us what we hunger for, and helps correct our heart to hunger for God. This fast could be a meal or a whole day of meals. It could be cokes or Starbucks or just purchasing things. Would you consider fasting for our church, maybe one day a week or one lunch a week or coffee for a week? Another way we are going to get here is by giving…we are asking you to give. We need everyone in our community to give. Step 1 is starting somewhere. Most of us, should probably begin somewhere in the neighborhood of the tithe, 10% of our income…that maybe net income or it maybe for some of us, our gross income. But 10% is a good starting point. Some of you are students or under employed and you are wondering how can you possibly give 10% or even give anything…I know those places can be very hard, and maybe for you, you have a different starting point. Maybe the first step is to begin by giving $25 a month. That is a good starting point. If you join us in fasting from a meal, you could even start by taking what you would spend on that meal, that could be a good beginning. The key is to start, just start and start somewhere. It is never too late to start something, and it is always good to be starting something. So, the first step is to start. For some of you who are new to the church as a member or a regular attender, and you haven’t yet begun to give, let me encourage you to start. The second part of this is to make your giving regular. Regular giving is a huge help for a church, because it allows our reserves to stay fairly consistent. As a church by and large we spend mostly the same thing each month. Some months have higher expenses than others, but most months are pretty much the same. If you give weekly or monthly, it is a huge help to developing the habit of giving, as well as helping the church stay fluid in relation to its budget. You can establish this regular giving by giving online. You can go to our website: http://crossroadsabq.com/give and click on the egive banner, and get regular giving set up. Third, give generously and sacrificially. Giving is a part of your worship. It is a way for you to know God and to make Him known. It is a way for you to be blessed and for others to be blessed. Lastly, I’m asking you to plan and to budget. In December we will have a special Christmas offering that will be used for many things in our church and for things outside our church. I want to tell you about this now, so you can prepare and pray about how you might give towards this offering later this year. We will take the offering on December 13th. I will share more about this offering in November. My hope is that you as a part of Crossroads and a believer will engage in the gift of giving. That it will be a regular part of your worship and discipleship. As always, if you have questions, or need help in anyway, whether help in establishing this pattern of giving in your life, budgeting or receiving from these gifts, we encourage you to visit with an elder or deacon or community group leader. We’d love to help you, serve you, bless you.