Did you ever wonder where the money goes that you put into the offering plate each Sunday? Do you know why our Church has a Stewardship Drive each Fall?  If we have an on going Capital Campaign, do we need a Stewardship Drive this year?  And who decides how all the money collected will be spent?

Annual Operating Budget

Each Fall, the Stewardship and Finance Committee launches the annual Stewardship Drive.

In the campaign, members and friends are asked to make commitments, or “pledges” to contribute a certain amount in the coming year. The funds raised through this drive are used to fund our normal operating costs, including salaries, maintenance, and program expenses.

When you make a pledge, you can designate a portion of your pledge to go to the church’s outreach, which supports mission programs in the community and around the world.

Although there are other sources of funding for the annual budget (including the Merrie Christmas Fair and rental income from Boxborough Children’s Center), income from pledges accounts for about 65% of our operating expenses.

Based on the results of the campaign, the Stewardship and Finance committee prepares an operating budget, and the Missions committee prepares an outreach budget. These budgets are presented to the congregation for approval in January.

Capital Campaigns

In addition to normal operating expenses and outreach programs, opportunities arise from time to time to make an investment in the future of the church.

Such an opportunity arose in 1999.  The congregation committed itself to a bold vision of an expanded church. We recognized that, in order to achieve that vision, significant financial commitments would be needed, beyond our normal operating expenses.

The response to the appeal for donations to a capital campaign exceeded all expectations. As a result, we have a wonderful new sanctuary and Sunday School space, sufficient for our present needs, and for many years to come.

However, as in any major project, certain expenses came up unexpectedly, as a result of which we find ourselves about $100,000 short, out of a total project cost of about $1.3 million. That is the focus of the current capital campaign, described in last month’s Vestry News.