What is our ministry and mission budget for 1988?

$995,000

How much of this remains to be given this year?

$129,500. That’s 87% of the budget (that has been given).

How does this compare with last year at this time?

Last year at this time we had given 88.4% of the budget. Then giving exceeded the budget by $24,000.

How much better is the giving this year than last year?

We are 16.3% ahead of last year’s giving at this time. The average weekly income last year at this time was $14,886. So far this year it is $17,311.

Will we need all of our budget this year to meet our commitments?

No. We have been short-staffed since Steve Roy left and our interim minister for children is paid less than was budgeted for a full-time person. These and other belt-tightening efforts have kept the expenses down. We have reason to thank God for our new business administrator, Dan Lehn!

How much do we really need just to pay the mission and ministry commitments for this year?

Our expenses will be about $45,000 less than budget this year. This means that $84,500 is what we would need to meet our commitments.

How much of the budget goes to mission commitments away from our local church?

About $300,000.

How many Sundays are really left to give toward this year’s needs?

Three. If your checks are dated in 1988, they will count for this year’s budget on Sunday, January 1.

What will be done with the money that exceeds our need and our budget?

I thank God for trustees who even ask such questions. I also like their answer. They propose that first we pay all our mission and ministry commitments. Second, that receipts beyond that, up to our budget amount of $995,000, go to SPAN the Nineties. And third, that receipts beyond budget be passed along to the missionaries we support under the supervision of the Mission Board.

What should our giving goal be for this year?

This is an individual question and a corporate question. Individually, our goal should be to prayerfully find a long-term lifestyle that matches the priorities of Jesus for our world, and after that is paid for, give the rest of our income to the Cause of Christ.