Congregational Stewardship
Dear Christ Church Family,
Thank you for your partnership in the gospel with Christ Church during 2023! God richly blessed our congregation this past year as we pursued life together in his grace. The year was occasioned by significant growth in our congregation as we added over seventy new members, bringing our total membership to four hundred and fifty. In addition, we added several new full and part-time staff members to expand our ministry capacities. Our children’s and youth ministries are full of life, and we added fifty additional chairs to the sanctuary to accommodate more people in worship. Financial contributions to the General Operating Budget increased by 14% from the previous year, totaling $1,083,200.65, and we collected a total of $551,663.12 towards our Capital Fund. Needless to say, it was a year of bounty and blessing! God has been very gracious to us, granting us more than we asked or imagined.
As 2024 begins, we see continued opportunity to advance God’s kingdom, moving into deeper faith, service, and community at Christ Church. That noted, we need your financial partnership to realize these opportunities. To involve our entire congregation in this endeavor, our Session requests that every member household prayerfully consider their financial stewardship and submit a pledge card for 2024 during our worship service on January 28th, 2024. In this request, we are seeking to encourage an intentional approach to financial stewardship in which we respond to God’s generosity to us in Jesus Christ through joyful and sacrificial giving (2 Corinthians 9:7).
In the coming year, we have two financial goals. First, we have set a goal of $1,078,000.00 for the General Operating Budget. This budget serves the daily operations, ministries, and missions of Christ Church. For 2024, the General Operating Budget was increased by 14% over last year. The increase reflects adjustments due to inflationary costs, additions to our Children’s and Youth Ministry budget lines, a significant new effort to equip parents for raising children in modern culture, and enhancements to our Missions program. The year ahead is full of opportunity and promise.
Second, we have set a goal to retire our debt incurred in the $3.1 million renovation of our building. Presently, we owe only $85,916.16. Please consider a contribution of any size towards the Capital Fund to help us retire this debt in the first quarter of 2024!
Thank you again for your faithful partnership in the gospel at Christ Church. Our congregation continues to far exceed national averages in financial stewardship; however, national averages are also not our benchmark. Our goal is to be a community yielded to God in every aspect of life as we delight in all that is ours through Jesus Christ. Let’s run unfettered towards that goal in the coming year!
Grace & Peace in Jesus Christ,
Chuck Colson
Pastor, Christ Church Presbyterian