1 / 32

Northern Synod Generosity

Northern Synod Generosity. Northern Synod Map of 66 churches. Churches serving God through. Evangelism: Church Growth Global Partnerships Justice and Peace The Integrity of Creation Stewardship of :- People and their gifts Time Property and Finance.

melvyn
Download Presentation

Northern Synod Generosity

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Northern SynodGenerosity

  2. Northern SynodMap of 66 churches

  3. Churches serving God through Evangelism: Church Growth Global Partnerships Justice and Peace The Integrity of Creation Stewardship of :- People and their gifts Time Property and Finance Spirituality and Prayer Identity Christian Ecumenical Partnerships Community Partnerships Hospitality and Diversity

  4. and so much more!

  5. We support and encourage one another – sharing our financial resources and our ministry.

  6. In 2013, our Mission and Ministry pledge is£1,001,155all raised from the Synod churches

  7. Our offerings are gifts to God and they are used to serve God in many ways.

  8. M&M finances stipends, pensions, national insurance contributions

  9. Providing resources for Christian education in local churches such as Training for Learning and Serving (TLS). Financing the “Resource Centres for learning”. E.g. Windermere / Westminster

  10. Supporting mission initiatives in local churches and nationally. Supporting local outreach and evangelism.

  11. Supporting youth and children’s work and Pilot’s. Providing worship resources and support for elders and lay preachers.

  12. Supporting the life of the wider church e.g. Church & Society, World Mission, Ecumenical Relations, Racial Justice & Multicultural Ministry, and much, much more.

  13. The M&M contributions in the Synod come from the local churches – this shows great dedication and commitment.

  14. Amazing generosity.. • So much hard work fund-raising … • But we are facing challenging times …

  15. Financial difficulties have been affecting most of us. • Our congregations have reduced in size but the costs go up with inflation. • Weekly offerings have mostly fallen way behind inflation.

  16. Tax relief through Gift Aid has been reduced by the Government. • More of our members are pensioners and many of them have little money to spare.

  17. Our buildings are demanding more expenditure in maintenance and repairs, and as churches are encouraged to have a regular rolling plan of maintenance this will increase. Grants are harder to come by.

  18. What have we done to deal with the problems? The URC is making cost savings nationally by changing pension benefits and reducing the church house budget significantly.

  19. What have we done to deal with the problems? Northern Synod is making cost savings By reducing staffing by almost 50% with the ending of the ‘Dream Team’ in the last 4 years. By reducing deployed stipendiary ministry from 39 to 24 full time posts in the last 7 years and thereby reducing the M&M requirements significantly.

  20. What more can be done? • Encourage local churches to reach out and bring people to Christ. • Encourage churches to challenge people through regular stewardship teaching to be regular and realistic in their giving including the spiritual discipline of tithing. • Encourage local churches to work in partnership with other churches and communities, sharing people and building resources.

  21. What more can be done? • Encourage local churches to increase income streams from grants, rents, fund raising as well as direct giving. • Encourage tax-payers to use “Gift Aid” which increases the value of the offering and other donations by 25% • Look to reduce the number of buildings that are not cost effective or in the right place.

  22. Keep up the generosity and engagement in God’s mission and don’t be afraid to try new ideas. • And …… • We can cut costs more …. • But …

  23. Staffing is the biggest cost by far. So could we reduce the number of ministers faster than the predicted one per year across the Synod? Could we sell other assets such as buildings and what criteria might we use for such decisions and thereby release funds for staffing?

  24. Or can we increase income and thereby… Sustain M&M that covers the cost of the Synods deployed stipendiary ministry Sustain and grow the mission fund to finance workers in diverse ministries e.g. evangelists, youth pastors, community workers. Sustain and support our current ministers in a currently tough situation.

  25. BIG challenges …. • We mustn’t leave it too late to respond. • Can we increase our income as well as reducing costs?

  26. Let’s be prayerful … • And let’s see what we can do in each church and across Northern Synod …

  27. Let’s transform a crisis into an opportunity to respond with sacrificial love and commitment. • God has not finished with the church …

  28. AND WE CAN DO MUCH IF WE LIVE IN FAITHFUL CONFIDENCE AND SACRIFICIAL LOVE

  29. It is not time to give up • It is time to see what we can do with God’s guidance and power.

  30. The World Needs to See the Love of God at Work in and through His Church. • The Great Commission continues ….. • And God is with us!

  31. Let’s discuss in each congregation how we might try to increase our income, • reduce our expenditure, • and so engage in God’s mission as effectively as possible.

  32. Lord Jesus Christ,by your incarnation you sanctified material thingsto be the means of your grace:grant us a right attitude to money,and a generous heart in the use of the wealth committed to us,that by our stewardship we may glorify you,with the Father and the Holy Spiritone God, now and for ever. Amen.

More Related