Our Financial Picture

"Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work."

The Bible contains more than two thousand references to money and how we use it. In the gospels Jesus recognized the significance of money, and spoke challengingly about it on a number of occasions. When a rich young ruler came to him asking what he could do to inherit eternal life, Jesus told him to sell all he had, and the young man went away sorrowing. When Jesus saw a poor widow place two small coins in the Temple collection box, he commended her to his disciples. "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. Others have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on." Jesus also told his disciples not to fret over their material needs, but to seek first God's kingdom and God's righteousness, and God would look after all the rest.

Expenses

At Messiah we are grateful for God's faithful provision for the mission and ministries to which he calls us. Our overall projected budget for 2010 is $402,600. The majority of that amount goes to fund many of the ministries and services that we take for granted: vibrant worship, biblically grounded teaching and preaching, adult, youth and children's ministries, and ongoing pastoral care and support, to name a few examples. A little over twenty percent is devoted to causes outside our parish: our annual apportionment to the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota, world mission and local outreach projects, and support of Trinity School for Ministry. A final portion of the budget is used to maintain our church buildings and to cover regular costs ranging from utilities to postage and printing.

Income

Our church income is derived primarily from the free-will offerings of those who worship Sunday by Sunday. These account for well over 90% of our annual budget. Over 90% of that amount in turn comes from pledged income: parishioners who have made a stated commitment to giving regularly over the course of the year. (The average annual pledge for 2010 is approximately $3,000.) The remainder of the income is generated from a modest endowment fund, rentals, and occasional special gifts.

Designated gifts

In addition to the general budget of the church, there are a number of opportunities for direct giving. These include:

• Haiti Fund, for our mission partners in Léogane, Haiti
• Youth Ministry Fund, to assist with youth programs including the annual mission trip
• Music Ministry Fund, mainly for equipment purchase and repair
• Rector's Discretionary Fund, used for unbudgeted program and ministry expenses
• Associate Minister's Fund, also used for unbudgeted program and ministry expenses
• Dire Need Fund

Contributions to these funds are not included in the calculation of the diocesan apportionment.

Capital Appeal

In 2005 three floors of much-needed meeting and office space were added to the church building at a cost of $1.7 million. The addition has greatly enhanced the ministries we are able to offer, but there is still a balance of $820,000 owing on the mortgage. As good stewards of God's resources it is our aim to pay down this debt as quickly as possible, but this will be accomplished only through the generous participation of parishioners.

Proportional giving

Part of being a good steward is giving back to God a portion of what he has entrusted to us. It's not that God needs our money. Rather, giving serves as a reminder that the Lord owns both the material and spiritual things of our lives. It also supports the greatest, most enduring work ever conducted in this world: the extension of God's kingdom.

One of the first standards of giving found in the Bible is the tithe, which means "tenth". Abraham tithed after returning from the daring rescue of his nephew Lot from four enemy kings. He encountered the priest Melchizedek and voluntarily surrendered to him one tenth of all that he had taken from his enemies. Some say that the tithe is Old Testament legalism, but Abraham tithed centuries before the Law was given to Moses.

The life of grace means that we're not compelled to do anything by virtue of the written Law. But grace is not a license to sit back and do nothing. We, who live by faith, can surely outdo those who lived under the Law. This is where the principle of God's ownership comes into play. God doesn't own just 10 percent of our money: he owns 100 percent.

We invite you to contribute to the Lord's work at Messiah in proportion to the Lord's care and generosity to you.