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This Narrative Budget currently contains ideas and numbers from 2006 in anticipation of 2007.  It will be updated with new 2008 budget amounts following our Administrative Council on Monday October 15, 2007, at 7:00 p.m.

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The Ministry of the People of Christ at Lakeway UMC

 A Place to Begin

The church is a unique institution in that it exists for the benefit of those persons outside it.  Our ministry is not to ourselves but to the community of people around us.  If our mission ever becomes preserving the church, then we will have turned inward and begun to die.

We hope that this narrative budget makes more sense to most people than a spreadsheet.  The spreadsheet is certainly still available if you want to come join the work of the Stewardship/Finance Team.  This presentation, categorized by our areas of ministry attempts to ask for what will be needed without making it necessary for other funds to be raised outside of the budget.

Some who use this ministry document may be tempted to “pick and choose” the areas that are the most appealing, like a buffet lunch where you serve yourself.  As much fun as that might be, please trust that your pastor and the elected leaders of our congregation have invested significant time and energy, prayer and reflection into this plan for ministry, and that we prescribe it as a full and balanced meal.  It is a meal that will nourish our mission and ministry for the coming year and beyond!

Missions

Our mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ.  At Lakeway we are guided by this addition:  “Worship, Learn, and Love, With a Servant Heart”.  Lakeway has been built and nourished upon a tradition of serving others with our passion as well as with our pocketbooks.  We have always brought offerings of time, talents, and service, as well as money gifts.  All of these are vital and life giving!

Throughout the year we have special offerings for shorter-term mission projects.  In the past twelve months, we have collected for school supplies, hurricane relief, health kits for UMCOR, Angel Tree, Visions of Sugarplums, the Air Chapel Ministry, our annual Coat Drive, and serving families at Christmas with meals and presents.  Our goal is $8,500 to help fund these mission causes.   This is comparable to what was raised outside the budget in the past year.  Our Communion offerings on first Sundays are part of what is collected for these special purposes.  Our youth have eagerly raised funds for hunger relief through World Vision.  Though none of these funds have traditionally been budgeted through the regular operations budget, they always attract generous support.  Our overall investment in mission work will continue many of these items and others like them as goals.

Our Resale Barn funds are kept entirely separate from the church funds and Lakeway UMC does not receive any financial income from this ministry.  After Resale Barn staff and operational expenses, all profits go to our neighbors in need.  The folks of our community and area have been extremely generous in donating good sellable items to this ministry.  And in offering volunteer hours to help process these items and run the store.  Employees.  Income and giving for past twelve months.

Our connectional giving through our North Texas Conference Apportionments has included support for the missions, agencies, and administration of the conference and the larger church in such areas as World Missions, support of UM colleges/universities, conference communications, and advertising/welcoming programs such as Igniting Ministries.  Our fair share in this giving for 2006 is $33,106.  Our apportionments are paid in ten monthly installments to the Conference Treasurer.  As of August 2006, we are behind four payments for this year.  The work of apportionments is an opportunity to participate in the larger ministry of the North Texas Conference and the whole United Methodist connection.

Our Mission Budget includes $1500 for Youth Travel Expenses since we do not have a church van.  This amount (and more from fundraising) went into rental vehicles for the two United Methodist Youth in Mission trips in summer of 2006.  In addition, we ask for $300 for A.S.K. Alliance for Saving Kids, a community based program to save youth from drugs, and $600 for the Air Chapel Ministry.

Welcoming Ministries

Significant work can be done in this area without spending much money.  But this area funnels new life and energy into our church family by inviting and welcoming visitors and new members.  Therefore it needs strong support in every way.  Our Evangelism committee works on this with our Doorstep Visitation program of first-time visitors, our Spring Picnic, our Name Tags, our Greeter Program, our hospitality coffee mugs, packed with information about our congregation, and through our Visitor and New Member receptions, held quarterly.

Our modest ad in the Pottsboro Press costs about $900 per year and we spend another $350 on local ads such as those in school printed programs.  We need about $400 to bring in bands for Fatted Calf and Mardi Gras to enhance the energy and celebration of our worship and gathering on those traditional days.  And another $200 will be needed to support the annual spring “Bring a Friend” Picnic and Ice Cream Contest.

Evangelism cards, postage, and name tags are supported through the Office Administration area though these expenses are significant.  But in the coming year, we need a general church brochure for distributing to newcomers in our community through the Chamber of Commerce’s new Visitor Center.  We need around $350 to do this well.  Our website could use some professional attention although this is very expensive and will not be included at this time.  The Evangelism Committee had a budget of $1100 in 2006 and because our budget is not completely funded, have only spent about $60.  In some years we have had an annual New Member Dinner and spent around $600 on this although this is not currently budgeted.

Nurturing Ministries

The area of Nurturing Disciples is about relating people to Jesus Christ and to the church family.  All we do is aimed at making and nurturing disciples.  In addition to its inherent administrative tasks, this is very personal bridge-building work.   "Nurturing Ministries" includes Sunday School Classes, groups for Bible Study and Fellowship, Support Group resources, and the Heritage and Archiving of our story and history.  Heritage and Archives is an underdeveloped area in which we need to focus on preserving our story and pictures and getting them into some organized and distributable form.  Sunday School curriculum materials for Kindergarten through Senior High cost around $1700 for the year.  Small groups are often self-funding but some funds (around $250) are needed for Bible Studies and Support groups.  We give our third graders beautiful “New Adventure Bibles” and present them in worship.  They cost around $20 each.  We give our graduating seniors small leather-bound “backpack” Bibles.  They cost about $25 each and have print smaller than anyone except a college student could read.  But they’re small enough to carry.  For both these Bible ministries, we need about $600.

Ministry with Children and Youth

Midyear in 2004, Lakeway UMC made a strong and long-term new commitment to growing our ministry with youth and children.  Salary support for our full-time Minister with Youth and Children is about $23,500 with another $7500 in health insurance and $2000 in reimbursable expenses. 

We budget $300 for background checks on all volunteers with youth and children and on any persons who handle money even though they are bonded by annual conference insurance.  Also $300 is budgeted for nursery and childcare expenses in addition to hourly wages for our two workers which are typically about $2,000 per year. 

Although $1000 is currently budgeted for Youth Activities, only a small amount has been spent.  This is largely because the youth have raised funds in several other ways.  $3545 was raised and spent for Youth Mission Trips.  Some of it was fundraising through events like the Pumpkin Patch and Valentine Dinner and some was raised through designated contributions.  The Vacation Bible School budget of 600 was spent and much more because of various donations of food or craft or other goods.  Puppet Ministry has enriched our work with children and with youth.  Our puppet ministry was the beneficiary of some of the components of our older sound equipment when improvements were made in the sanctuary system.  This area has not been budgeted but needs the support of about $500 for supplies and for additions to the sets, lights, and for new faces in the chorus of puppets. 

Worship Ministry

Worship is the one part of our work that encompasses all our areas of ministry:  Mission and Outreach, Welcome and Invitation, Nurture and Fellowship.  Our worship is the main and most significant gathering of our church family in all its diversity.  Our worship is rich, filled with prayer and praise, inspiring music, affirmation of our faith, and creative scriptural preaching.  It is a way to be reenergized for the challenges you face in the coming week while it is also a way of offering up all the work and service that you have completed in the week just past.  Coming to worship seems to be enough for many people who are not involved in the further ministries and mission of the church.  They are missing out on the great blessing that comes when we put our worship to work in the world!  Worship is a different experience for everyone present.  For the most faithful, it is life-saving and at the same time life-giving!

Designated funds were given in 2006 for Sound system upgrades and improvements to our projection system which have not been finished yet.  Besides these funds, some $1350 has been spent on items such as candles, sanctuary decorations, supplies for the sacraments.  Our Choirs currently have a budget of $600 for music which needs to be increased to $1200 because it is all already spent for 2006.  New music is expensive.  Some new printed music has been provided by memorial gifts outside the planned budget.  Honorariums for guest preachers are budgeted at $600 and, in 2006, $500 was budgeted for equipment improvements which has not yet been spent. 

In addition to the worship leadership of our Pastor and our Minister with Youth and Children, we have ministry staff who serve specifically in the area of worship.  The salary of our part-time Music Director and Pianist total around $12,000. 

Pastoral Support

Rev. Sam Caldwell is the third pastor of Lakeway UMC and has been our pastor, serving faithfully since March of 1998.  Our pastor works full-time and more with a varied job description which includes the following priorities:   1) preaching and worship, 2) communications (telling our story), 3) community (ministerial alliance, school participation), 4) administration and meetings, 5) evangelism, 6) pastoral care and spiritual counseling (including hospitals, weddings and funerals), 7) conference connections, 8) matching ministers and ministry (nominations of leaders), and 9) teaching.  Pastors must be fed spiritually and care for themelves in order to care for others.  To ensure his own spiritual vitality and responsible self-care, our pastor participates in ongoing Clergy peer groups and retreats as well as personal retreats for study, prayer, and planning.

Currently your pastor serves as President of the Pottsboro Ministerial Alliance (seven churches), chairs the Sherman McKinney District Committee on Ministry, serves on the North Texas Annual Conference Worship Team, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Prothro Center and served in October 2006 as Assistant Spiritual Director for Texoma Emmaus Walk #56.

The salary and the items paid on behalf of the pastor (utilities and family’s health insurance) total about $51,000.  No increase was given at the end of 2005.  The church also pays for required pastoral benefits of pension ($5700) and health insurance ($7512) and pays for reimbursable travel and expenses (up to $4000).  In the itinerant tradition of Methodism, the use of a parsonage is provided as a home for the pastor and family.

Office Administration

One of the larger items in office expenses has been our copier lease contract and service policy.  Now we have a printer lease which costs far less and less per copy.  The budget for this is about $1500.  Other office supplies run about $3300, dues and subscriptions about $350, and postage around $1600.

The church secretary salary at around $16,000 is a part of the cost of keeping our administrative office in order.  Significant computer improvements were accomplished at the beginning of 2005 with a special donation just for that purpose.  But we need to keep up with changes and new needs so we ask for a budget of $600.

Social Security payments for employees in the areas of childcare, secretary, and music total about $4,000.  Clergy continuing education ($450) and annual conference expenses for two lay and two clergy members ($800) total about 1250.

Parsonage Debt

Lakeway UMC is building a significant amount of equity value in the beautiful parsonage at 27 Lakecrest Drive in Tanglewood.  The note has been recently refinanced to take advantage of lower interest rates.  In order to payoff principal faster, we have budgeted more than just the minimum payments.  In 2006, we budgeted $6972 in principal and $6468 in interest.  These monthly payments are kept current.  In addition, a $500 amount has been budgeted for maintenance expenses.  None has yet been spent in 2006.

As of August 2006, it would take $100,600 to pay off this note.  The Stewardship/Finance Committee and Administrative Council are considering planning a Capital Funds Drive for this debt and for some other capital items.  The parsonage is the only financial debt for which the church is solely responsible.  A monthly saving of around $1200 would result if we could eliminate this debt.

The church also carries debt on the new Resale Barn building but the operations and staff of the Resale Barn are making these loan payments and more.  At the end of 2005, a large additional amount of principal from Resale Barn Funds was paid to reduce the debt significantly.  The Barn is on course to pay off this loan years earlier than required.

Insurance, Utilities, and Building Care

$15,200 is needed for church building utilities including electrical, phones, water, internet access, landscaping, and cell phones for both our ministers.  Efforts have been made to lower these expenses.  For example, Internet Texoma now provides our high-speed wireless internet service complimentary for the privilege of placing a repeater antenna on our roof to serve nearby neighborhoods.  In addition, we participate in an electric co-op with other UMC’s to lower our electric costs.  We spend about $1200 a year for kitchen items and janitorial supplies.  And in 2006 we had a budget of $1200 (not yet spent!) for improving landscaping equipment (like mowers) and building maintenance amount of $2,000.  Both of these items are needed for 2007.

 As of January 2007 our Property and Liability Insurance Coverage will be with UM PACT.  Currently we are with Church Mutual and our umbrella policy costs $10,000 per year.  When we switch to UM PACT, we may save a little premium, but mainly we will receive greater coverage and will know that every church in our conference has the same coverage.  Because of this assurance, we would be protected from sudden liability for someone else’s mistakes or negligence just because of our connection with the other 300-plus local churches in our conference.

We have a twice-a-week cleaning service (Monday morning and Friday morning) with a local janitorial service (Final Details).  This service costs $9100 per year.  Our Trustees Team and other members do repairs, maintenance, and landscaping as volunteers.  In the absence of a staff custodian, volunteers set up and break down tables chairs and other equipment for various events.

Accumulating a Capital Fund for Repairs/Upgrades

Because some things just can’t be planned (unexpected expenses like roof repair or air conditioning) we need a capital fund for major repairs or upgrades.  We need to set a high goal of what amount to hold in such a fund.  For 2007 we want to ask for $10,000.  Then we need to add an amount each year and let it accumulate (if it will!) as a emergency fund.  With air conditioners and other equipment now 12-15 years old, this capital fund is long overdue.  Over time, this fund will keep us from having to plead to the congregation for additional funds when there is an acute need.

Lakeway United Methodist Church  

1501 Hwy 120 North  Pottsboro, Texas  75076

Church Office  903-786-2138

Rev. Sam Caldwell, Pastor

Thank You!

Thank you for investing the time to read through this letter!  Please use these ideas to help discern what you will decide to give to continue enabling all these ministries that are all part of our covenant.  Please decide soon and if you can start now, please do! 

As we all reflect upon how God has already blessed us and go through the process of discerning how much to return, let us all lift each other in our prayers.