A Note about our Budget
Recently, some of you have mentioned some confusion regarding our 2009 budget and some of the terms we have been using: General Fund, Building Fund, and Reserves. In the coming weeks, we will do our best to clear that up, starting here.
Our "General Fund" denotes the general operating expenses and budgeted mission commitments of our congregation. These funds provide for current expenses for utilities, payroll and programming. Beginning in 2009, General Fund giving will also cover up to 1/3 of the monthly mortgage expense.
Our "Building Fund" denotes gifts given specifically for construction and capital related expenses. In 2009, any gift given to the building fund that is not specifically designated otherwise go toward principal and interest our current mortgage obligations. We conservatively estimate that this will provide for 1/3 of our monthly payment.
Our "Building Fund Reserve" is a cash reserve of approximately $30k established for the purpose of supporting our mortgage payments during periods of lower cash-flow and to ease the transition into the debt repayment phase. In 2009, we anticipate as much as 1/3 of our monthly payment to come from this reserve.
You may give to these funds in ways that seem best to you, and you may do so in a variety of ways, through cash/check offerings in the offering plate, through the mail, or online via credit card or eCheck via our church website.