2021 Stewardship Campaign |
2021 EASTER OFFERING |
We have been blessed as a congregation whom God is using to make God’s love and presence known here in Polk City, in Central Iowa and in places far and wide. You have supported the work of this congregation with your prayers, your presence, your gifts, your service and your witness. We could not be the community of faith God calls us to be without your support! As we dream and plan about God’s ministry through us in 2021, we are asking everyone to prayerfully consider the ways you will continue your support of our church’s mission to feed hungry souls in every season. In a time of difficulty and despair for so many, we are a community of light and hope. In a time of injustice and struggle, we are a community of love and justice. In a time of silence and isolation, we are and can be a community of song, of new songs and new ways of singing, new ways of being God’s church for God’s world, together for joy. Thanks be to God! |
The pandemic has had a negative impact on many in our community both financially and personally. While we did a great job of managing our expenses in 2020 to match a decline in giving, we had to make significant cuts to our operating budget including suspending apportionments to the Iowa Annual Conference for 2020 and 2021, and the elimination of all hourly paid employees, including our administrative assistant.
In carefully budgeting for 2021, we are trying to maintain a mission-critical budget which allows us to focus on our congregation's two big goals of enhancing meaningful worship and growing our children's & youth ministry. Despite careful and diligent budgeting, we are currently projecting a shortfall of approximately $20,000 for our 2021 operating budget, with the additional suspension of 2021 apportionments totaling another $19,742.50. Without the funds to make up this shortfall, we will need to make additional budget cuts that will directly impact our worship and children’s ministry areas. This Easter, we are asking those that have the means to prayerfully consider giving of your treasures to serve this congregation. We are finally beginning to come back together and have waited for this time for over a year. Please consider making an Easter offering or an additional pledge to maintain and further the ministry goals we have worked so hard to make into a reality. |
2021 BUDGET BREAKDOWN
The budget we have outlined for 2021 totals $220,724.44 including staff salaries, and is divided between these main areas:
Worship = $67,714
Children & Youth Ministry = $56,309.19
Care & Connection = $37,047.87
Adult Mission & Study = $36,147.88
Apportionments = $23,505.50
(remaining 2021 payments of $19,742.50 for March - December have been suspended)
Worship = $67,714
Children & Youth Ministry = $56,309.19
Care & Connection = $37,047.87
Adult Mission & Study = $36,147.88
Apportionments = $23,505.50
(remaining 2021 payments of $19,742.50 for March - December have been suspended)
ANNUAL COMMITMENT
Each year we ask every member of the Polk City UMC family to return an annual commitment card, pledging their tithes and offerings for the coming year. The process of prayerfully asking God to guide your decision and then making a commitment with your financial gifts is an act of worship, an expression of gratitude and praise to God and an opportunity to serve God with your financial resources.
Begin with Prayer – As you think about your commitments to our annual giving campaign, please begin with prayer. Thank God for blessing you and ask God for guidance and discernment. Recognize that your offerings express both your desire to serve the Lord and your investment in God’s work. As you ask for God to help you discern your 2021 giving, consider praying this prayer:
Great One, for you the floods clap, for you the hills sing. You know my situation better than anyone. Take my credits and debits, ins and outs, my pluses and minuses, surpluses and lacks, and show me how to use them to join the great chorus of Creation. Amen
Assess Your Finances – This is a good time to look at your budget. What does your spending say about your priorities? Are you living within the margins of your income, and leaving room for generosity? Sometimes we spend what we want and then see what's leftover, instead of setting a goal of generous giving, and then living within the margins. Try it the other way around.
Begin with Prayer – As you think about your commitments to our annual giving campaign, please begin with prayer. Thank God for blessing you and ask God for guidance and discernment. Recognize that your offerings express both your desire to serve the Lord and your investment in God’s work. As you ask for God to help you discern your 2021 giving, consider praying this prayer:
Great One, for you the floods clap, for you the hills sing. You know my situation better than anyone. Take my credits and debits, ins and outs, my pluses and minuses, surpluses and lacks, and show me how to use them to join the great chorus of Creation. Amen
Assess Your Finances – This is a good time to look at your budget. What does your spending say about your priorities? Are you living within the margins of your income, and leaving room for generosity? Sometimes we spend what we want and then see what's leftover, instead of setting a goal of generous giving, and then living within the margins. Try it the other way around.
Make a Commitment – Determine the percentage of your income that you will give in the coming year and complete your Annual Giving Commitment Card. For some, the giving of the tithe is a goal you are growing toward each year. For others, it is the starting point, and you will give far in excess of this. If you are not yet tithing, consider taking a step toward the tithe this year. Determine your giving in proportion to your income. Then set a percentage that you can increase each year until you reach the tithing goal. The process of prayerfully asking God to guide your decision and then making a commitment with your financial gifts is an act of worship, an expression of gratitude and praise to God and an opportunity to serve God with your financial resources.
We are asking that everyone complete a commitment card for 2021, even if you can only make a limited commitment at this time. You can always increase or decrease your giving if your situation changes.
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