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Immanuel Baptist "On the Journey" Articles |
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| On the Journey- January 5, 2005- Jamie Broome Thanks Be To God! As a congregation, we faced a significant financial challenge in December 2004. We responded generously to this challenge as we fell only $21,443.55 from our goal. This is the story of our success: Our Goal for December: $167,503.27 1st Sunday of December $ 37,871.51 2nd Sunday of December $ 18,924.50 3rd Sunday of December $ 47,699.00 4th Sunday of December $ 41,564.71 Total $146,059.72 Our total gifts to the budget for the year were $869,430.21. This figure represents an increase of $15,866.44 above 2003. These gifts sustained the life and ministry of our church. Our 2004 budget was $890,837.96. The expenses associated with a church of our size are significant. The cost of utilities for our facility will exceed $60,000.00 in 2004. Our earthquake and property insurance totaled another $29,000.00. Debt retirement called for $152,431.24. Maintenance for our building will exceed $62,000.00 for this year. The cost of operation is expensive and significant. These costs can be managed, but they cannot be avoided. Acknowledging these expenses, our greatest joy comes in the gifts that allow us to minister to others at home and around the world. The world missions portion of our 2004 budget was $80,000.00 sustaining ministries across the globe, our nation, Kentucky, and McCracken County. We invested more than $60,000 in education, youth, music, children, and senior adult ministries. These dollars for mission and ministry change lives and offer help, hope, and healing. As a congregation, we have 14 staff members who serve our congregation inspiring and directing a variety of ministries. Every staff member’s role, from child care to building maintenance, from secretarial support to childhood education, impacts our life together and our desire to seek first the kingdom of God. Our staff reflects its love for the church of Jesus Christ and its commitment to ministry through the local church by giving unselfishly of their time and talents, education and training, compassion and creativity. There are also gifts given for the work of the kingdom that cannot be seen in our budget giving. Our 2004 Klintsy Mission Offering was $35,351.21. This offering allows the believers in Klintsy to do the work of ministry in a time when the economic situation in Russia fills their days with uncertainty. We gave another $16,068.22 to bring 9 children and a chaperone from Belarus out of the Chernobyl fallout zone. More than 20 members of our congregation invested $28, 753.40 to invest themselves in the work of the kingdom in Washington and Russia. We gave thousands of additional dollars to reach beyond ourselves in small and large ways to provide relief from the hurricanes that struck our country to Christmas gifts for 85 children through Share the Joy. We give thanks to God for your generous giving to the work of our church and the kingdom of God in 2004. Yet, as we stand on the edge of a new year, a major crisis in Asia and Africa calls for our compassionate response. We have a wonderful opportunity to respond with compassion to the people of that region. Our compassionate response may also contribute to healing our world community fractured in recent years by terrorism. Many of the people in this part of the world are Moslems. Let us demonstrate to them the compassion and generosity that flows from God’s heart through our hands. As a congregation, let us give generously. Our church will direct gifts through the Baptist World Alliance. Our brothers and sisters of the Baptist faith in that part of the world are both suffering from this natural disaster and seeking to help relieve the suffering of this time. We will meet financial challenges in 2005. There will be pressing needs calling for our response. Ministries must be maintained day-by-day. Costs associated with our building will increase. Yet, we are not about meeting expenses. We are about nurturing generous hearts and extending open hands to advance the kingdom of God. As a congregation, we have learned this past decade that those who sow generously reap abundantly. Thanks be to God! May we remain faithful as God is always faithful to us. jamie |
Website last updated: Wednesday, February 2, 2005 Website Related Questions/Comments: Chris Cash-ccash@vci.net |
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Immanuel Baptist Church - 3465 Buckner Lane - Paducah, KY, 42001 - 270.443.5306 - www.immanuel-paducah.org |