Mid-Year Financial Update

We have meaningful encounters with our creator and make a big difference in our community because of your partnership through giving, attendance, and service. Thank you for all you do. As you are drawing closer to God, you are helping others do the same.

One of our seven habits is "Cultivating Trust," we trust God and one another, but trust takes work to maintain. Trust best comes through transparency, and sometimes seeing things clearly is not attractive or exciting. So let's cultivate trust right now.

We have spent more money than we brought in in 2022 so far and if we continue the trend we will be out of money fast. We have kept our total expenses well under budget, but our income from offerings is dramatically below the amount we committed to at our January society meeting.

We are not a community that exists to make money, but "Sharing Resources" is one of our core 7 habits because we recognize that we will not be transforming into a community through whom God's love flows without financial stability to support the work. We also recognize that our initial goal of $5,100/week proved too high for us to reach.

The BOA and I have been watching our accounts and we decided to make some strategic adjustments to our budget in the second half of the year to 1) cut some expenses 2) clarify realistic needs and 3) continue to pursuing growth in ministry and financial health. Some of these decisions were easy, such as adjusting for more facility rental income, and lower denominational dues than expected. Others were more painful, such as ending monthly financial support for El Shaddai FMC and General Missions work in Haiti, opting instead to support these ministries by fundraising for specific projects when needs arise. [see the full list of changes below]

Even with those cuts, we will not keep up with expenses at our current rate. We are averaging around $4,200/week in giving, and for those of you who faithfully commit to sharing your resources, we can't thank you enough for your partnership. That being said, we must gather $4,500/week in order to support our expected expenses by the end of the year, not to mention having money to innovate, grow, and keep our mission moving forward.

We know you love your church family, and that many of you already give regularly and to the amount that God has called you to give. We also do not believe in giving out of compulsion or obligation, but out of a cheerful heart. So, rather than simply asking you to give more, allow me to offer a variety of alternative ways you may be able to help.

1. Do you currently give, just not on a regular schedule? Consistent giving is much easier to predict and therefore budget than irregular giving. You could help by setting up automated recurring giving when you give online. Simply ask the folks at the connect center if you would like assistance setting it up.
2. Have you been concerned abut how your giving is used? Our Finance Committee looks closely at how our money is spent and would be happy to listen and respond to any questions or concerns you may have. You can send a question right on the Valley Chapel App!
3. Do you have a story of how you experienced God through giving that you would be willing to share on Sunday morning? Your story may be just the kind of encouragement someone needs to start their own giving journey. Simply email me [Pastor Ryan | r.rovito@gmail.com] or message me on the app to learn how you can share your story.
4. Are you consistent in prayer? Would you be willing to commit to weekly prayer for God's provision for our community in the next 6 months? We believe that God listens closely to the prayers of his people and that in prayer we also find answers for our worries. God is not a genie granting us wishes, but he loves us, and when we cry out, he hears us. So would you cry out on behalf of your worshipping community?
5. Has God provided for you in some way besides a paycheck that you would like to share? We believe that God is our provider and through more than just a paycheck. Just recently we've had folks offer donations that could be used for outreach events, professional services like general contracting, cooking, accounting, or landscaping that can help the community save on expenses. Perhaps you are doing financial planning for end of life and would like to give a portion of your estate, your investments, or your equity to the community just as you have given a portion of your regular income? Has a loved one passed and you would like to offer a donation in memory of them. These are just a few ideas of ways you can share resources toward our mission.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart for being on this journey with Valley Chapel. I believe that because of you and your faithfulness to the mission of God that we will be transforming into a community through whom God's love flows, and we will continue to see people meet Jesus is a life-changing way.