As we move into April, I have to share with you our serious financial picture. We are facing a major challenge that will test our commitment to the WCG, our spiritual family.
Church income for the first quarter has fallen far below our projected budget. We have had to dip into reserves to meet expenses, a practice we cannot permit to continue.
The number of U.S. members giving to the church has declined since last year. Twenty percent are giving more than they gave last year and 10 percent are giving the same. However, 70 percent are giving either far less or nothing at all.
We must balance the 1998 budget by making cuts, and we must do what we can to supply income to function adequately. Pages 6 to 9.
Our primary goal is to provide every WCG congregation, regardless of size, with a competent, Christ-centered and Spirit-led pastor.
Many U.S. churches do not have sufficient attendance to support a salaried pastor. Still, even the smallest congregation needs sound pastoral leadership.
Whether our congregations are large or small, our goal is to see to it that they have pastors who care about them, who love Jesus Christ and are trained in pastoral skills.
The key to successful and effective pastoral leadership is whether the pastor has the spiritual gifts necessary to be a pastor, a heart that has been transformed by Christ and the basic leadership skills required to help members of his congregation grow in their walk with Jesus Christ.
What if a congregation that has a salaried pastor finds him replaced with a nonsalaried pastor? Although the need to replace him may or may not be financial, the denomination's goal for the congregation remains exactly the same--to see that the congregation has a competent, Christ-centered and Spirit-led pastor. Pages 10 and 11.
Jeanna Steindorf writes about a mission she served on to help the South African Office reformat its WN and start its own magazine.
Jeanna acquired sponsors for travel and living expenses. Money for miscellaneous expenses was taken care of by monthly donations from her home congregation in Kalispell, Montana.
Kalispell members were so excited at the opportunity to help Jeanna that they have decided to seek a sister church as their next project.
Even though they are a small congregation, they have found that giving support to someone else brings them even closer together. Page 15.
Teens from three congregations in North Carolina and from Pasadena participated in World Vision's 30-Hour Famine Feb. 27 and 28.
Participants in the annual event raise funds to help ease hunger, and go without solid food for 30 hours so they can get a small taste of what many go through every day.
Fourteen teens from San Antonio, Texas, attended a youth evangelism conference Jan. 23-24 titled Hot Hearts. At the event 11 of the teens publicly committed or renewed their commitments to follow Jesus. Page 19.
February income was considerably better than January's income, with a daily mail income average of about $112,587, but the increase was less than hoped for, and less than needed to meet projections for these two months.
The result is that income is running about 24 percent under last year instead of the 10 percent we planned for. Pages 28 and 29.
April WN, page 2
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