We have just completed our 20 Day Stewardship Study. If you missed it or want to catch up, download the study HERE.

WECC’s Session approved a budget revision at their June meeting which included a 21% increase in projected income and a 5% increase in projected expenses.  The church’s financial calendar begins in March and ends in February each year and the budget for the 2010 fiscal year was approved in February at $1,867,997.  The Session noted that due to the uncertain times in our economy they would review and adjust the church budget this year on a quarterly basis.

The elders at WECC are prayerfully seeking God’s guidance on these issues.  They realize that these are times full of unprecedented opportunity for mission & outreach and at the same time we must carefully monitor our own finances as well.  June’s budget revision was passed with the intent to accurately reflect the current trends in giving yet not increase expenses any more than absolutely necessary.

Thanks for your financial gifts and prayers for the ministry at WECC.   Your leadership seeks to use every contribution to further our mission and will continue to closely monitor finances in the coming months.

Stewardship is an issue that is still foreign to many, but once applied to every day living, can change your entire outlook on life. Biblical Stewardship is taking the main points of being a steward, and applying them with a perspective according to God’s word.

Generally speaking, as a nation we have become selfish and spend more than we make or can afford, and we have forgotten the words of Jesus, “…store up for yourselves treasures in heaven…” (Matthew 6:20), and have settled for financing our own little kingdom.  By contrast Christ told us “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35b).

This means then that as Christians, being a good steward forces us to live by a new standard – to look at things differently.  We manage our time, talent and treasure not as if they are our own but as God’s resources which He entrusts to us.  When we see things through that filter it not only liberates us from excessive concern about “our” resources but also motivates us to invest them in the eternal kingdom of God.

Our Finances - Financial Report in New Bulletin Format

As a part of the redesign of WECC’s weekly bulletin we have made some significant improvements in the financial report on the back. As always, we strive to show accurate numbers in an easy-to-read format believing that communication is an important part of good stewardship.

Two big improvements on the new presentation format are that it is goal-oriented and includes all relevant expenditures. Goal-oriented means that you can readily see if we are meeting our weekly, monthly or annual needs. In short, if we reach 100% on the graph then we have met the income goals for that time period. The new format also includes all relevant expenditures. This means that in addition to normal expenses such as the utilities, payroll, or ministry expenses, it also includes other expenditures like support for Southpointe and our debt reduction payments, which are typically not classified as “expenses.”

These changes to the report will help us communicate not only what has transpired financially, but also what our future needs are and how close we are to reaching them.

Click chart to enlarge