FROM PASTOR PETE Greetings St. Andrew’s Family! Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10 In September we begin a new sermon series: Be a Blessing, Make a Difference. While the culture leads us to think of ourselves as consumeristic individuals, the gospel tells a different story about how we are called to live. Disciples of Jesus Christ experience a transformation of the Holy Spirit that makes all things new, including our perspectives of how we relate to God and others in the world. By Grace, we are invited into a relationship with our Creator, accompanied by a calling to serve as co-creators upon the earth. God’s plan is to guide followers of Jesus into community life, responding to the call to serve as stewards of the earth and all the good
gifts that God provides. The economy of the church reflects the values of the Kingdom of Heaven, which are often in conflict with the popular values of the world. This series will challenge us to examine the gifts we have received from God, and how God calls us to use them in service of the Kingdom of Heaven. While we all don’t have the same gifts, all gifts are essential, and each one has the opportunity to share for the common good, to the glory of God! You are called to be a blessing and make a difference! So, what’s the situation with the church’s finances? I sometimes receive questions about the church’s overall financial status, and how financial updates are reported. The church’s Trustees provide two regular updates to keep the congregation informed. The first one (emailed weekly in the Weekly News, and posted on the website) is a report which compares the year-to-date received offerings to the budgeted plan of expected offerings. If you’ve looked at this report lately, you have noticed there has been a large gap. At the end of July, year-to-date offerings were $132,541, or 12%, less than planned. The second update is included in this monthly newsletter, which represents a report of total revenue (which includes more than offerings, the largest of which is the Preschool and Kindergarten). This month’s report (see page 3) shows that July revenues were almost double what was required by the budget, and that for the year, revenue is $71,350 more than required. So, the question arises: Is the church financially sound? My interpretation of these data points, along with my awareness that the church is doing a very good job of controlling expenses, is that while SAPC is on very strong financial footing, there is reason to be concerned about reduced offerings. This is especially relevant in planning for next year’s budget. This year, thanks to the excellent leadership of the Preschool Governing Board and Director Jennifer Bultman, Preschool and Kindergarten revenues have exceeded expectations – a reason for celebration. However, this is just one facet of the multifaceted story. If you seek a deeper understanding through