2023 MISSION AND MINISTRY BUDGET

This past Sunday we were scheduled to present our new 2023 Mission and Ministry Budget. I made the decision to postpone this one week. Last Sunday I had the flu. I was diagnosed on Saturday, November 19. By the way, if you can, I recommend avoiding the flu. So, I suggested postponing both the budget presentation and the budget vote. Our calendar date to present the budget was Sunday, November 27 and the date to vote on the budget was scheduled for Sunday, December 25…yep, on Christmas. I really believe no one would object to postponing the presentation and vote by a week.

So, the printed budgets will be available for review. You can find them at the entrances of the Worship Center. I will speak ever so briefly about the budget this Sunday, good Lord willing. We have been blessed with Ministry and Mission Leaders who see their ministry as service to the Lord and His people. We believe they prayed and sought the Lord’s wisdom concerning their budget request. I love the increase requests in the areas of mission. I also love the good stewardship demonstrated by all of our teams in this past year’s budget.

Our Budget Team met and discussed every budget request. Not all budget increases will be reflected in this budget. That is where the good stewardship of our Budget Team comes into play. There is a general feeling that 2023 may be an economically challenging year. It will affect businesses, the economy, families and churches. Our Budget Team has taken that possibility seriously. As a result, the decision was made to keep the 2023 Budget as close to the 2022 Budget as possible, while still providing for many of the increase requests. That is possible because the Lord has blessed us with a strong savings account. Some of the increase requests will be taken out of our excess funds (savings). We are able to maintain an emergency fund to cover 6 months should that be needed. We also have funds available to meet the requests for the 2023 Budget. To God be the glory and thank you for your faithful and generous giving.

This past year saw more money given to missions than any year in our history. In addition, we saw more people involved. May God bless your efforts with fruit that will last an eternity.

ADVENT GIVING

I would like to encourage our church family to consider giving generously to the Lottie Moon, International Missions Christmas Offering. Every penny given to this fund goes directly to help our missionaries around the world. Janie and I always try to make the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering our first Christmas gift of the year.

While we will not be promoting diapers and jelly as hard, you may still continue to bring them as a gift to our community. We have been able to take 75 jars of jelly to James Island Outreach every week since September! We will be taking over 10,000 diapers to the Lowcountry Pregnancy Center.

Thank you for your love!

Pastor Tom