Financial Updates

TCT Thanksgiving Offering

Praise the Lord that he allowed us to give over half a million dollars ($522,724) to the TCT Thanksgiving offering! Come to the December 18 Annual Meeting to hear an update about our progress with potential property for a South Campus, and continue to ask for “persistent widow” faith as we pray and give toward our $1M goal to accelerate pursuit of a 24/7 South Campus, "full of hope for the future."

2011 Church & Missions (C&M) Budget

God has faithfully provided for the financial needs of Bethlehem for over 140 years. In recent years, he has often done so with an outpouring of generosity in December, when 15% to 20% of our entire budget is given in the last month of the year. Without being presumptuous, we are praying that December 2011 continues this pattern of financial faithfulness as we ask for more grace.

What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.—Psalm 116:12–13

Through the end of November, with four full weekends remaining in our 2011 fiscal year, God has enabled us to give $7.25M toward our 2011 C&M budget. This is 1.6% more than C&M giving through November in 2010, but less than the 8% increase to our 2011 budget of $9.7M that we approved in January.

In order to meet our anticipated 2011 expenses for the year, we will need about $1.85M to be given to our C&M budget in December—around the same amount ($1.82M) that God enabled us to give in December 2010 (see “2010 C&M Giving History” below). These end-of-year “hockey stick” numbers are big numbers, but we have an even bigger God and Father, whose pleasure it is to give us his Kingdom (Luke 12:32).

Your participation in prayer and joyful generosity is gratefully appreciated. May God bless you richly for your financial involvement in reaching our neighborhoods and the nations with the life-changing gospel of Christ.

Summary Details:

• 2011 C&M contributions of $7,249,275 in the first 48 weeks of 2011 (through the end of November) are currently 1.6% over 2010 C&M contributions of $7,134,111 at the same time last year.
  • This averages to about $151,000 each week for the first 48 weeks of 2011.
• 2011 C&M expenses are projected to be about $9,100,000 at the end of 2011.
  • We need approximately $1,850,000 in the next four weeks to meet anticipated C&M expenses.
  • This averages to about $462,500 per week for the remaining four weeks of 2011.
• 2011 congregation-approved C&M budget is $9,700,000
  • We need approximately $2,450,000 in the next four weeks to meet our 2011 C&M budget.
  • This averages to about $612,500 per week for the remaining four weeks of 2011.

2010 C&M Giving History
During the last four weeks of 2010, God provided about $1,820,000 toward meeting our 2010 C&M expenses:

• Dec 4/5: $213,436
• Dec 11/12: $117,518 (huge blizzard!)
• Dec 18/19: $313,100
• Dec 25/26: $287,619
• Dec 27 thru 31: $887,581

Treasurer’s Report
See the most recent Treasurer’s report from our October 30 Quarterly Strategy Meeting.