STEWARDSHIP TEAM NOTES - JANUARY 6, 2008

Present: Treasurer Mike Colyn, Chandra Mullenix, David Anema, Eric Likkel

GLASS HALF FULL? $ POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES
+POSITIVE averaging all months together – high and low - church hit congregational giving goal by end of December
+POSITIVE Church has $20,000 in the bank
+POSITIVE Expenses have stayed within budget
-NEGATIVE Throughout 2007 calendar year, congregational giving was approx. $1,200 short of monthly expenses
+POSITIVE or –NEGATIVE? ministry could continue current spending for one year with continued congregational, external, and grant income as received in 2007
-NEGATIVE This year’s fundraising efforts just initiated, late December, early January

STEWARDSHIP TEAM RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Stewardship Team recommends upholding budget; revisit budget at May 29 Road Crew, after March Stewardship Team meeting
2. However, place hiring freeze on Ministry Coordinator position (Chandra Mullenix doing terrific volunteer job few hours each week)
3. Go ahead and hire Children’s Ministry Specialist on faith we'll have funds to cover position, factoring in fundraising; also recognize this position costs less than Ministry Coordinator position: 7 hours at $15 per hour = $455.00 per month
4. Ask parents to support/sponsor Children’s Ministry Specialist; 17 families w/kids giving $10 per month = $170 per month; 17 families giving $10 per week = $730 per month

INSPIRATION TOWARD GREATER CONGREGATIONAL GIVING
Treasurer Mike did acknowledge that giving patterns vary among regular church members; while some are maxed out w/giving, others might be able to give more; it’s hard to know why patterns vary; some may be supporting more than one ministry; some are unemployed and not expected to give financially (there are many ways to give of oneself in ministry); but there are some employed folks who do not give consistently, or at all

Some of Eric’s calculations (after meeting):
- Looking over the list of individuals used for Elders Districts, Emmaus Road’s regular adult crowd numbers approx. 73 folks
- Of these 73, about 43 are fulltime employed, about 12 part-time, and about 18 could be called “transitioners” - people just getting on their feet, leaving street life, entering a phase of recovery, etc.; Percentage-wise, 59% are fulltime earners, 16% are parttime, and about 25% are in transition
- 43 adults giving $50 per week = $9,300.00 per month ($2150 per week, multiplied by 52 weeks per year, divided by 12 months)
- add 12 adults giving $25 per week, then increase the total to $10,600.00
- This level of giving = $127,200.00 annually

Team discussed several ideas for inspiring, encouraging greater congregational giving:

1. Pursue tithing testimonies, along with teaching moments from pulpit; Stewardship Team discussed delicacy needed; also want to avoid useless preaching to choir
2. Subtly change current “Communal Greeting” time to “Greeting and Giving” time; reposition White Box to chalk board area, front right side - a compromise between current practice of Sunday silence about giving and traditional “pass the plate” approach - Stewardship Team envisioned mostly empty plate being passed among unemployed members and visitors, not encouraging giving from those blessed with means, while alienating those without, which would be a large portion of our worshipping body
3. Pursue 2008 calendar year pledges; ask for a __% (10ish?) increase from previous giving; this alone would allow church to break even with current spending (though not including Children’s Ministry Specialist)
4. Treasurer Mike could distribute quarterly giving reports – instead of annual - with help of Stewardship Team

IS EMMAUS ROAD’S OFFICE RENT REALLY AN OFFERING?
Stewardship Team questions integrity of counting portion of office payment as "tithing" – background: Emmaus Road and Sanctuary split office rent, while a few fledgling church plants and a non-profit - House, Awake, Greenbean – benefit from office space without burden of rent; i.e., Emmaus Road and Sanctuary’s rent payments are helping these groups; Eric to approach leaders of these churches about possible minimal monthly commitment to paying for the space; Emmaus Road could offer to support these smaller ministries directly, separate from covering their share of payments