Stewardship Update
Dear Friends,
In a number of recent discussions, the idea of updating the parish on the state of our stewardship campaign has come up.
Don't stop reading!
Much of this update is very good news! However, it is important for all of you who are active in the life of St. Peter's to understand our financial status.
For those who would like to see the details of the line-item budget, it is always posted on the Bracewell Room's “Vestry” bulletin board. We encourage you to seek out a member of the Vestry with any questions. If they don’t know the answer to your specific question, they will certainly know where to find it!
As we said, there is much good news. We have seen an uptick in overall giving—the number of pledges for 2019 is up over past years. St. Peter's is a growing, vibrant place, and many of these new pledges are from folks who are new to the parish. The result of this increase has meant an increase in our operating budget. This means we're able to grow our little slice of the kingdom of God through worship, through outreach opportunities, through an incredible staff, and through the many other ways the Spirit is moving in our community.
We've also been good stewards of our facilities. You are aware that our campus is big, but you may not be aware of the amount of resources it needs for proper upkeep and improvements. It is substantial. Through careful planning and use of resources, the Vestry has been able to accomplish many tangible improvements this year: There is cool air blowing in the church from a new air conditioning unit. The parking lot has been resurfaced. We have replaced the lighting in the Nave. We are growing in community, in programs to support that community, and in our care for our aging facilities.
That said, there is challenging news, too. The Vestry believes that we are at a turning point in our life together, and so the Finance Committee recommended, and the Vestry passed, a budget with a significant deficit this year—a $30,000 deficit. This was not passed lightly or without realizing the gravity of that decision. We did it with a couple of things in mind.
First, as we said, it is our belief that we are at a positive turning point. We believe that the Spirit is moving and that the growth we've seen over the last couple of years is not stopping. We believe that 2019 is a year of new life and that the deficit we passed will not be the reality at the end of this year. This is a budget built for growth.
Second, the past few years of excellent stewardship mean that we have a cushion that is well beyond the budgeted deficit. This cushion will help us if and when a major repair is needed or when an opportunity to advance our ministry appears. Obviously we want that cushion to stay in place, but should we need it, it is there.
So what is your role in all of this? We assure you that you are needed as we move forward!
First, pray. Pray for the health and life of St. Peter's Church and School. The work you do in prayer is real work, powerful work, necessary work.
Second, if you have already pledged generously and sacrificially to the life and ministry of St. Peter's—receive our gratitude. Your gift, at whatever level you were able to give, is a holy gift, and we are thankful for it.
Finally, if you haven't yet pledged, or if you feel that the Spirit might be nudging you to increase your pledge, we invite you to do that. As part of this request, and as a sign of the joy of commitment to St. Peter's, Father Quinn and Rachelle Parman have prayerfully decided to increase their pledge by 10% over what they initially pledged for 2019. We invite you to consider doing the same.
If you would like to pledge for 2019, or to increase your pledge, there are a couple of ways to do that. You can go to http://bit.ly/journeytogether2019 to pledge electronically. You can also call or email our Parish Administrator at (423) 877-2428 or parishadmin@stpeters.org. Either way, your information will be kept secure and confidential.
Thank you for your time and for continuing to read this letter to its conclusion! Most especially, thank you for being part of St. Peter's.
God bless,
Fr. Quinn Parman+, Rector
James Bell, Stewardship Chair