By Ron Kelly
By Ron Kelly
Accounting for the first two months of 1999 is now complete.
Income has been fairly steady, but just a little under our budget estimates. To meet February projections we hoped for a daily average of $103,000 per banking day. However, February closed at $97,634 per day.
Mail income is about 12 percent below last February.
As we plan our budget year, based on trends of recent years, we would expect income to be higher in the early months of the year, drop a little during the middle and pick up again toward the end of the year.
With that trend in mind, we planned our budget at $98,000 per banking day for the entire year. That means we need more than $98,000 per day in the early months. When income is not up to expectations, we have to take a deep breath as we calculate what measures will be necessary to reduce expenses.
One reason income has held steady so far is that estate donations and other distinct gifts have been more than anticipated. This has kept our reserve fund at an allowable level.
I wanted to share our thinking with you, but also to let you know we are encouraged by the steady income. We greatly appreciate the more stable donation pattern we see at the beginning of this year. So keep up the good work!
As you read this issue of the WN, most of our congregations will be participating in the special seasonal offerings we take up locally. These festival offerings are an important part of our church finances.
In the past, offerings were collected seven times during three festival seasons. As we grew in our understanding of scriptural requirements for the Christian church, we recognized neither the days nor the offerings collected on them were mandatory.
Of course the option to worship on those days and the desire to give offerings on them is perfectly OK, and a large number of our congregations continue in that tradition.
Other congregations as well as individuals have expressed a desire to take up offerings in a different pattern such as monthly or on selected special worship occasions honoring the resurrected Christ or his incarnation.
However each of us desires to express our appreciation with special offerings, we pray it will be in gracious joy and excitement as we participate in acts of worship that include our songs, fellowship, learning and giving.
Copyright © Worldwide Church of God, 1999