Pastor's Pen
February 2010
In case you haven’t heard, we’ve started the 2010 Stewardship Campaign around here! (I hope you know I’m joking. OF COURSE YOU”VE HEARD. )
All we seem to be doing around the office these days are projects connected to the Stewardship campaign: mailing, folding, stamping, phoning and stuffing envelopes. All designed to put a pledge card in your hands. All designed to provide you with reasons why Iona-Hope needs your support this year– like never before.
Sometimes I wonder whether we need to go to all this trouble. You’ve been around. You know it takes a bundle of money to do the things you have come to expect of your church.
The important thing – and here’s where Stewardship comes in: 71% of our operating budget last year came from you – pledges and donations. The rest came from the Thrift Shop and a diocesan grant.
Iona-Hope wants, needs and expects your support. And I am confident that each of you will do all that you can with the assets that God has given you to help meet your congregation’s need. How do I know this? Because that’s what you did last year! Past performance is often a pretty good indicator of future success. Last year – in the midst of a raging recession and at a time when none of us knew what the New Year had in store for us, our employment or our investments - you came through for your church. In spite of everything, your pledges exceeded our goals. Even more important, the number of you who made pledges increased 37% over 2008.
Well, here we are in 2010. Through good cost management, we expect our Total Operating Budget to be a bit less than least year. But these savings will be offset by some anticipated revenue short-falls in the areas of un-pledged gift income and a reduction in the Diocesan Grant. Bottom line: the Stewardship Campaign needs to produce $330,000 this year– about 8% more than last year.
Only you can make that happen. I pray that you will think hard about your pledge this year. And may God guide your decision.
Peace and Blessings,
John
