Stewardship & Giving

For Stewardship Resources beyond our local church, Click HERE!

2008 Stewardship & Commitment Invitation

October 2007

Dear Members And Friends,

Ten years ago we ran a stewardship campaign called "The Church In Our Hands."  You responded admirably and look where we are now.  Our membership and attendance is growing steadily.  Our building has an elevator in the Narthex and a five-level elevator in the south stairwell to make our church accessible to everyone.  The plans and approval for the ramp are in place.  The renovation of the building and pipe organ are complete or very close.  Also, we're in the process of searching for an Associate Pastor For Youth who will embrace our dreams and share them with our congregation.

This brings us to our 2008 Stewardship drive, "Celebrate God's Blessings."  Look at all you've done these past ten years.  We should also celebrate each other, what a terrific family we've become.  Let's keep the dream alive by supporting our church as much as we can.  After all, the church really is in our hands.

Prayerfully consider what you can afford.  If you're able to increase your pledge by a percentage, please do so.  Bring your pledge and, as you enter the sanctuary, drop it in the little church.  Pledges will be blessed each Sunday, through the end of the year.

To print off a pledge card, please click on either logo above or below, or Click HERE!

God Bless You,

Al Betts

Randy Buckingham

Carole Barbara Sauer

The Stewardship Committee

October 21, 2007 Stewardship Moment

A collector of rare books ran into an acquaintance who told him he had just thrown away an old Bible that he found, printed by “Guten” - or something like that.

“Gutenberg?" asked the collector. The friend nodded.

"You fool! You've thrown away one of the first books ever printed, a book worth millions of dollars!”

"Oh, I don't think this book would have been worth much," said the friend. "It was scribbled all over in the margins by some guy named Martin Luther."

What do you value about church?  What here brings you joy, comfort, energy, and hope?

Does that mean what you value about Franklin Circle Christian Church is or should be the same as what someone else values?  No, of course not.  But sometimes we treat our giving, our stewardship, as if it is a vote for or against something in the church.  If we are liking what the church - or the pastor specifically - is doing, we give more.  If we don't, we give less.

This ignores two truths.  The first is illustrated by the story.  Who knows that what ministry the church is offering isn't exactly what someone else needs, perhaps even someone whose faith is weaker or whose experience in the church is shorter.

But the second truth ignored by this manner of giving is even more telling.  We do not give as a vote of confidence/no confidence about the church nor anything else human.  We give because God has first given to us more grace and love and forgiveness than we could have ever hoped for.  We give because it is in the nature of a faithful disciple to give.  We give to give glory to God.


Also: The Emergency Fund needs your help.

 

January 2008:

2008 Monthly Offering Envelopes Now Available

Your 2008 offering envelopes are at the back of the sanctuary.  Please pick them up and use them for your gifts.  If you don't find a set with your name and you want envelopes, please contact me at 216-781-8232 during the week and a set will be made up for you.

Thank you all for your generosity.

Carole Sauer, Financial Secretary

Quick overview of giving/offerings at Franklin Circle Christian Church
Pastor Allen Harris

1. Operating Budget – The vast majority of offerings given are for the annual operational budget of our local congregation which funds the mission and ministry of Christ. This goes to pay everything from our utility bills, to staff salaries, to the programs funded by the Mission Council.

2. Sunday School Offerings – All the money received from the Sunday School classes is collected throughout the year and at the end of the year (along with the over and above Christmas Offering) is designated by the Board for a special outreach/mission project.

3. Special Day Offerings – Six times a year we receive offerings for the work of our denomination, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). After each offering is collected, the Financial Secretary remits the offering the Church Finance Council who distributes them to the appropriate entity. They are as follows:

a. Reconciliation Offering (usually the end of September) – for the work of developing understanding and justice on the part of people of different races and ethnicities.

b. Thanksgiving Offering – for leadership development, much of it in our colleges, universities, and seminaries.

c. Christmas Offering – for the work of our Region, the Christian Church in Ohio (Disciples of Christ).

d. Week Of Compassion (also known as One Great Hour Of Sharing – usually received in mid-February) – for disaster relief and development projects around the world. Oftentimes people give to this offering throughout the year, especially whenever disasters happen.

e. Easter Offering – for the work of our denomination’s General Ministries, such as Global Ministries, Disciples Home Mission, Council on Christian Unity, Historical Society, and our ethnic constituency groups, such as Hispanic Fellowship, North American Pacific Asian Disciples, and the National Convocation (African American Disciples)

f. Pentecost Offering – for new congregation establishment. This offering is split between the denomination and the region.

4. Organ Fund – using the special envelopes in the pews, this helps to pay for organ maintenance and repairs.

5. Food Center – Oftentimes labeled “Hunger Center” or simply “Hunger” this offering goes to the Near West Food and Family Services Center, and is distributed at various times throughout the year when there is enough to send.

6. Emergency Fund – Throughout the year special appeals are made to ask for contributions to this fund. It is distributed at the pastor’s discretion to persons in critical need, with a priority given to church members.

7. Over & Above Christmas & Easter – The money received in the envelopes that are in our weekly offering envelope packets for Christmas are designated by the Board at the end of the year for special outreach/mission projects (along with the Sunday School Offering – see above). The money received in the Easter envelopes that are in our weekly offering envelope packets currently goes into the annual Operating Budget.
 

Stewardship Resources

http://www.generousgiving.org/

http://www.stewardshipresources.org

http://www.ministryofmoney.org/

Passed Along By Joe Wolf:

Church Financial Health Can Reduce Skepticism and Cynicism in an Older Church

Written by Keith Hamilton

As churches grow older sometimes they forget what it was like when they were young. Churches need to remember a few of the qualities that characterize the financial indicators of a young healthy Kingdom-Focused Church:

1. The budget is aligned with the church's vision.
A church budget is necessary to meet governmental regulations and help prevent church conflicts. However, many church budgets are not aligned with the church's purpose. For instance, if the church purpose is to reach the world for Christ and the church budget only allocates 5% to international and home missions, certainly the church budget is not aligned with the church purpose. The church budget should reflect the church vision.

2. The whole counsel of God is taught in stewardship.
Believers are instructed that they are managers of God's resources. Stewardship is not only giving to God; stewardship is a lifestyle of honoring God in all matters involving the person's time, talents, and resources. Stewardship involves a disciple's lifestyle of managing the resources God has entrusted to the individual Christian.

3. When people give to the church, the donors sense they are making a difference in the Kingdom of God.
A basic human need is to make a difference in the world. Life should have meaning and purpose. Most Christians want to make a difference through their church. A healthy kingdom-focused church would reflect this characteristic. Hardly anyone gets excited about paying the church's light bill, but donors would be excited about the church's facilities being used to bring boys and girls to Christ. As a church leader once joyfully exclaimed, ?Because we have this building, sixty-three souls came to know Christ in the last eighteen months!? What a difference the church's facilities is making in the lives of individuals.

4. Tithing is taught without reservation and apology.
Christ died for His Church. A healthy kingdom-focused church will teach that tithing to the local church is essential and a necessary part of being a Christ follower. Tithing is not optional.

5. Church business [meetings] are times of celebration, not regret.
Church business [meetings are conducted according the church's constitution/bylaws that reflect the compassion and love of Christ. Argumentative matters are referred back to the appropriate committee or organization to keep the harmony and unity of the fellowship. Many churches have empowered committees to make more financial decisions to help avoid church conflicts and preserve the fellowship of the church.

6. Clear and concise financial policies and guidelines are adopted and followed by the kingdom-focused church.
Church financial policies provide a means to avoid church conflicts and misunderstandings. Church members do not have to guess what guidelines they should follow in using God's resources entrusted to the church. The church's finances are kept in good and decent order, without confusion.

7. The church supports mission causes beyond the church's borders.
A healthy kingdom-focused church should support mission causes nationally and internationally. To help fulfill the Great Commission, the church must be involved beyond its local borders in reaching individuals for the cause of Christ. Not only should the church give financially, but the church should send its members to go and make disciples in ?other lands.?

8. An attitude of joy exists when trying to out give God.
When the church collects its offering, there should be an excitement and joy in the opportunity to bless God with financial gifts. Christians should give willingly because they have been taught about the privilege that God has allowed them to participate in His Kingdom work. Christians are shown the importance of blessing God financially. In turn, Christians will experience how God pours out His blessing on the giver.

If a church will re-examine itself in light of these healthy financial qualities and take the needed steps in becoming healthier, then the joy and excitement of a healthy Kingdom-Focused Church will return and God will be blessed!

News:
February 2006 Update
2006 Pledges Meet Last Year's Total
 

As of February 5, 2006 our congregation received 39 pledges for a total of $33,603 towards the mission and ministry of this congregation throughout this year. This is the same total number of pledges and about $100 shy of last year's total pledges. It is important that as our Mission Council seeks to implement creative new ideas from members and groups in the congregation, that as many individuals and families step forward and commit to support our operating budget as possibly can.
 

Our 2006 Operating Budget, passed by the congregation on December 4, totals $163,495. Current pledges make up only 20% of that total.  For comparison, the total offerings received for the Operating Budget for 2005, $40,910, would account for only 25% of the total budget. Other income used to make up the difference includes building use donations and substantial transfers of interest income from endowments, managed by the Trustees.
 

We still hope to increase the total and number of pledge commitments to God's mission through the ministry of this congregation. Pledge cards are available from the church office, as are weekly offering envelopes which are available to help support good stewardship disciplines. Call Carole Sauer, Church & Financial Secretary, for more information.
 

Generations Of Generosity
 

"Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; God's greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall laud your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts."  Psalm 145:3-4 
 

The Psalmist was quite aware that if God's power and goodness are truly wondrous, God's people would naturally pass on word of this good news to others, especially to the next generation. Anything really worthwhile is worth sharing. And the most effective way to share good things is with the next generation. This is the foundation of evangelism, certainly, but it is the foundation for stewardship as well.

Our theme for this year's Stewardship Commitment Emphasis is Generations Of Generosity, using Psalm 145 as our scriptural guide, and the image of the tree as our inspirational focus. This theme reminds us that children watch us carefully (even if they don't want us to think so) and learn from us about what is important and what deserves our time, attention, and money. Giving, the gift of generosity, is a habit that can be passed down and nurtured from generation to generation. Yet like all skills, it must be practiced and perfected.
 

The tree is a perfect reminder of the multi-generational nature of generosity, for few of us live long enough to see the full life cycle of a tree, at least the grandest tree varieties. Instead, one may plant the seeds, another water and care for the growing plant, others reap the benefits of the shade and fruit, and finally some will enjoy the ultimate gift of the tree in its wood.
 

You are invited to think about your own patterns of giving and how you are both refining and sharing your gift-giving skills. Franklin Circle Christian Church is older than any one of us, and we are entirely indebted to generations before us for the presence and vitality of this church. Now we have a responsibility to pass on this treasure to the next generation. Please prayerfully consider your generosity in undergirding our mission and ministry for 2006. When you receive and fill out your Commitment Card perhaps you might even imagine our church's children watching and learning what it means to be a generous generation.
 

Grace & Peace,

Your Pastor, Allen
 

Details To Help Make It Happen: 

*If you did not receive a commitment card in the mail and would like to pledge your support for the mission and ministry of Franklin Circle Christian Church for the coming year, please call Carole Sauer, Financial Secretary, in the church office at 216-781-8232 or e-mail her at CaroleSauer@FranklinCircleChurch.org and one will be mailed to you.

Your giving is important to Franklin Circle Christian Church. You can give your tithes and your offerings in several ways.
You can mail your gift. Please make checks payable to:

 Franklin Circle Christian Church
1688 Fulton Road
Cleveland, OH 44113-3096
Attn: Carole Sauer, Financial Secretary

You can donate online using your credit card. Click on the Donate Now button below and you will be directed to www.justgive.org, a trustworthy and user friendly website. You will be asked to give your e-mail address and create a password. Then you will be asked to give information, including your credit card number. This site can be trusted and has been used by many of our members. You can donate directly by attending a worship service and place your gift into the offering plate! Please do, you are welcome.
In any case, we recognize the importance of support from persons far and wide and we appreciate your gifts. It will be used to further the mission of Jesus Christ through this dynamic and historic congregation.