Stewardship
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Investing in the Work of the Kingdom 2010
Our core values of stewardship...
How the budget process works... In the fall, the Session and Ministry Teams begin the process of prayerfully discerning the work to which God is calling this family of faith in the new year. Each Ministry Team forwards their budget request to the Stewardship Team which, in turn, assembles a projected budget. The Session reviews the budget to ensure that it represents their collective discernment of God's calling and that it is in-line with our core values and Ministry Strategy. The goal is to step out in faith for the Kingdom while mindful of the responsibilities of sound, biblical stewardship. The budget is then presented to the congregation who are encouraged, as an expression of their understanding of stewardship as a way of life, to pledge prayerfully and faithfully of their time, talent, and treasure. It is understood that the budget and pledges are both fluid and may require adjusting over the course of the year.
Why both a narrative and line-item budget The line-item budget provides a detailed listing of anticipated expenses. The narrative budget illustrates how those expenses are actually divided among our primary ministry areas (worship, education, mission, evangelism, and congregational care) which, in turn, allows the congregation to see the budget's relative priorities. In 2010, for every dollar we receive, we anticipate 38 cents will be spent on worship-related expenses, 16.5 cents on mission-related expenses, 19 cents on congregational care-related expenses, 14 cents on evangelism-related expenses, and 12.5 cents on education-related expenses. This takes into account salaries, facilities and supplies costs, etc.
2010 Budget (Narrative Form)
Worship ~ $110,847.10 (38% of the budget) Worship is the heart of our life together as a family of faith, a time when we give thanks to God, bear witness to the promise of the Gospel, and celebrate the love that binds us one to another as brothers and sisters in the Kingdom. Worship is also overtly evangelistic-for visitors it is the primary point of entry into this congregation. Worship ministries are provided by the Pastor, Director of Christian Education, Director of Music, Organist, the Praise Band, and various instrumentalists and liturgists. This ministry is supported through the work of the Administrative Assistant, the Worship Ministry Team, and through our facilities.
Education ~ $36,462.86 (12.5% of the budget) Our mission is to nurture disciples for Jesus Christ, and nurturing is very much a ministry of education. Our commitment to education was given significant expression in the hiring in 2009 of a fulltime Director of Christian Education. We offer a wide variety of education and small group experiences for children, youth, and adults. Education ministries are provided by the Director of Christian Education, the Pastor, numerous teachers, and the nursery staff. This ministry is provided by the Children & Youth, Adult, and Inviting & Involving Ministry Teams, the Administrative Assistant, and through our facilities.
Mission ~ $48,130.98 (16.5% of the budget) We strive to be missional in everything we do, a commitment reflected in the fact that nearly 17% of our spending is in support of mission, both locally and globally. Our budget supports ministries as diverse as the Presbyterian Childrens Home, Hays-Caldwell Womens Shelter, and the building of churches in Guatemala. But we're as involved with our hands as our checkbooks: members of First are active in Meals on Wheels, CASA, Habitat for Humanity, and John Knox Ranch. This ministry is provided by the Pastor, Director of Christian Education, virtually all of our ministry teams especially-of course-the Mission Ministry Team, Presbyterian Women, and supported by the Administrative Assistant, our youth, and countless volunteers, and through our facilities.
Evangelism ~ $40,838.42 (14% of the budget) Sharing the good news of Jesus Christ is one of our core values. We are known as a welcoming, loving church where everyone is made to feel at home, and we have a particular heart for families and the unchurched. The depth of our commitment to Evangelism is reflected in the fact that, for 2010, the Session is creating a new ministry team, Inviting & Involving, charged with developing and coordinating all our evangelism efforts. Additionally, this ministry is provided by the Pastor, Director of Christian Education, the Diaconate, the Hospitality Ministry Team, the Administrative Assistant, and through our facilities.
Congregational Care ~ $55,423.55 (19% of the budget) As a loving congregation, pastoral care is a major part of what we do and who we are. This care is expressed in many ways: the ministry of our Deacons, the Prayer Chain, First Friends, the Sunshine Ladies, home and hospital visitation, taking communion to the homebound, caring for the bereaved, counseling, and being available to one another in time of need. And we give such care to the community as a whole as freely as we do to church members. These ministries are provided by the Pastor, the Diaconate, the Director of Christian Education, Presbyterian Women, our various ministry teams, the Administrative Assistant, and through our facilities.
A complete 2010 line item budget is included in the 2010 stewardship brochure avialable at the Information Table in the Fellowship Hall.
Ministry Teams and Time-and-Talent Pledge Cards We are blessed with strong leadership but, day-in and day-out, ministry happens in this family of faith because the entire congregation possesses great gifts and talents that they put in service to the Kingdom. We are entering 2010 with a renewed commitment to providing everyone an opportunity to be involved. Elders will be calling you with an invitation to join a particular ministry of the church that will enable you to put your time and talent to use in the name of Jesus Christ.
Endowment As of October 31, our Endowment stood at about $1.8 million. Of that amount, about $1.75 million is from the estate of Mary Bonner, the corpus of which generates interest income that the Session utilizes in support of Mary's wish that the primary use of the funds be help for the poor. The interest income is divided on a quarterly basis among three entities: Community Needs, which provides grants to area non-profits involved in working on behalf of the disadvantaged; Scholarships, which provides funding to help disadvantaged youth participate in endeavors to better themselves and the community; and Facilities, which provides funds for capital improvements for the church which, in turn, improves our ability to minister to individuals and groups in need. Detailed information concerning the Endowment, use of interest income, and planned giving is available from the church office at any time.
Long-Range Planning/Parking/Capital Campaigns In 2005, the congregation voted to purchase land fronting Burleson Street with the intention of using it for a parking lot. Only about one-third of the congregation, however, supported two subsequent capital campaigns, allowing us to pay for the land, but not the parking lot (any capital campaign pledges we continue to receive are applied toward the debt incurred to purchase the land). Eighteen months ago, the Session undertook the first phase of a long-range planning process, which resulted in a 5-10 year Ministry Strategy shared with the congregation in November, 2008 (copies are available in the Fellowship Hall, in the Ministry Opportunities brochure, and on the church website). It was determined that we possessed sufficient land at our current location to meet our goals for growth and it was decided to address the parking issue as part of a larger plan of phased renovation of existing facilities and new construction. No further capital campaigns are anticipated in the near future.
Where Has My Giving Gone? Here Are Some Specifics... In addition to information provided in the narrative and line-item budgets concerning expenditures in 2009, listed below are some specific ways your giving to this family of faith was utilized. This information appeared in the Announcements insert in the Sunday worship bulletin and/or on the church's website throughout the year. Keep in mind that what follows is in addition to the ongoing ministries of the Pastor, DCE, Diaconate, Presbyterian Women, the Sunshine Ladies, the Men's Breakfast Group, etc., that your giving supports. Hired fulltime Director of Christian Education Purchased computer/printer for Director of Christian Education Renovated office space for Director of Christian Education Repainted the sanctuary and exterior of the church Added walkway in front of church Upgraded church office computer system Purchased new phone system for church Gave $5,000 to support Community Fellowship Presbyterian Church Created position of Praise Band Leader for Contemporary Service (supported by private gift) Supported renovation of classrooms at Memorial Presbyterian Church Vacation Bible School Provided ongoing support of Presbyterian Parents Cooperative Preschool (PPCP) Served meals to the homeless at Southside Community Center Provided a music scholarship for a TSU student to sing with the Adult Choir Supported the Alternative Christmas Gift Market Completely redesigned the church website (www.fpcsanmarcos.org) Refinished the wood floors in the Parlor, Fellowship Hall, Hallway and Narthex (in-kind contribution) Held the Fall Festival community outreach event Formed hand chime choir Held the all-church Thanksgiving dinner Supported youth to attend Mid-Winter Retreat at MoRanch Supported youth group Purchased Christian Education curriculum Created age-specific worship bulletins that "match" each week's sermons Created bi-weekly send-home materials for PPCP Teacher appreciation and training After-church fellowship Supplied FPC coffee mugs to visitors Supplied Welcome Basket to each new member Restored stain glass windows in the sanctuary and stairwell Replaced lights in the sanctuary with brighter, more energy-efficient bulbs Trimmed trees in front of the church Mission support of
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