Putting Our Money Where Our Mouth Is

It’s been said: “Show me how you spend your money and I’ll tell you what’s important to you.”  The way we use our money is a telling statement of our priorities.  If I claim that saving money is important to me, but put nothing in an investment account, I’m fooling myself.  If I tell you that I’m committed to living within my means, but rack up credit card debt, it’s not very congruent.  We may talk about aspirational values.  But our actual values are revealed in the way we spend our money.

Yesterday our Council shared the proposed 2023 financial plan with our church family.  A church financial plan is also a statement of our values and priorities.  We say it’s important to announce God’s kingdom.  But what does our budget say?  Next year’s financial plan includes over $145,000 that will go directly to announce God’s kingdom.  Over 25% of our budget will go outside of our church walls to bless the world around us in Jesus’ name.  This doesn’t even include the use of our building for community events or the special offerings that we take for community organizations.  Twenty five cents of every dollar you give goes directly to support God’s work outside of FCC.  I’m very proud that we are putting our money where our mouth is.