Stewardship
2007 was a great year, and 2008 is going to be just as exciting. We did
so much last year, and we have plans for even more in this.
There were some tough times for this church in the past 100 years, and,
as Karen Holmes, a former Hillhurst minister said at the Anniversary
Dinner last May, ‘a small group of stalwarts’ kept this community
going. Now this building is so full and active seven days a
week
that the rafters are surely ringing sometimes. We are
grateful to
those stalwarts, and we need to carry on in their tradition of service
and of giving.
In 2007 we budgeted for $325,000. While initially we only had
$120,000 pledged, our community stepped up and contributed $224,000
over the year. With additional revenues from things such as
rentals, we were able to bring in close to $305,000. Some things didn’t
get done that were planned; other expenses were not as great as
anticipated. We had a few more thousand dollars than expenses
at
year end.
Now we are into 2008. The budget you have before you (see
here)
is for $375,000. Setting aside revenues from things like rentals which
will help, our community of givers needs to directly contribute
$280,000 this year to make all the great things that happen here,
continue to happen, and to support new opportunities to grow our
ministry within Hillhurst and beyond.
Looking at the budget you may wonder about the increase in salaries and
benefits. We currently pay for 1 full time employee and 3
very
part time employees. We need to expand our paid staff to support the
huge increase in our community size. Building expenses?
Taking
care of this old building takes money. Christian Services and Special
Programmes? Look at the kinds of things we have done in 2007
and
are going to expand in 2008 to meet the increasing demand for worship
and spiritual nurture.
Currently we have pledges for $145,000 for 2008. I’m pretty
sure we can all do the math when we look at what is needed.
Why should we support Hillhurst financially? Well, for
starters,
we alone are responsible for providing the funds that keep Hillhurst
running – there is no one else who provides for this community -- no
‘head office’ that gives us cash!
More importantly, ask yourselves how your participation in this
community has transformed your life. Have you been moved by,
and
grown spiritually through attendance at regular Sunday services or
special services such as “Cool in the Furnace’, Easter, our
Anniversary, Thanksgiving, or Christmas? What about evening programmes
like Wine and Spirituality, Building Healthy Relationships, Saving
Jesus and so many more? If you are a ‘web attendee’, are you
inspired by John’s sermons recorded and uploaded to our
website?
Have you been comforted through the ministry of Pastoral Care, been
challenged to live differently by our Outreach group? Warmed
and
encouraged by our guests and volunteers of Inn from the Cold? Do you
love to sit in this gracious old building which needs a lot of care?
Listen to this fabulous pipe organ? Making all these things happen
takes money and effort.
Each of us has our own gifts. Some have money; some have
talents
of time and skill. Whatever each of us has been given by the
grace of God, let us share it with one another and the larger world
through our gifts to Hillhurst.
Some of the ways you can contribute:
- Cash on Sunday (not
a
great way because you don't receive a tax receipt! And... it
also
depends on you being here 52 weeks a year, and no one can do that!)
- Post-dated monthly cheques... (much appreciated)
- Pre-Authorized Remittance (your gift is there even if you
are not)
- Visa, Mastercard, or American Express (frequent flier points plus
rewards in heaven)
Your constant gift of any amount means we can pay our bills 12 months
of the year.
