CHURCH FINANCES
CTV Policies Regarding Money
This Ministry belongs to God.
The contributions we receive are resources given as an expression of
worship. Therefore, we are committed to handling money
carefully and using it wisely.
1.
CTV is primarily supported through
the contributions of members and attendees. Very
infrequently we receive financial support from outside individuals
and organizations. We do not organize “official” fund raisers,
but we permit individuals to do so.
2.
Our financial priorities are
established through our general budget. That budget is created
by our staff and volunteer leaders and is approved by the Board of
Directors. It includes things such as our building expenses,
administrative expenses (phones, paper, copier, etc.), promotion,
staff, programming (children, youth, worship, special events) and
outreach.
3.
In addition to our regular
budget, the church operates a number of other funds for specific
needs. These include a benevolence fund for those in need, a
capital fund for ministry equipment and furnishings and a building
fund to pay for our new facility. These funds grow through
designated gifts and interest.
4.
CTV operates on a full
disclosure basis. We present our operating budget in summary
form and will make more detailed information appropriately available
upon request.
5.
The church is required to
maintain records of contributions for the IRS. However, the
pastoral staff and other leaders do not have access to these
records.
6.
All moneys received are
handled by two people at a time. All offering totals are
signed off by two counters. Church checks require two signers.
7.
We have a finance team that
monitors spending and the entire budget process to insure
responsible use of donated funds.
God's Wisdom for Giving Our
Money
We
believe Scripture teaches that it is spiritually healthy for us to
give in the following ways:
Seriously . . .
Jesus taught that where we hide our treasure our heart
will be as well. He said we cannot serve both God and money.
Jesus often spoke of money. There is no greater indicator of our
priorities than our checkbook
(Matt. 6:19-24).
Generously . . .
We
know Jesus Christ has given his all for us, so we respond in kind
(Rom. 12:8, 2 Cor. 9:6).
Proportionally . . .
We
give a set percentage of our income as God leads us (1 Cor. 16:2; 2
Cor. 9:6-7). To say that we only owe God some percentage of our
income clearly misses the point. We really owe God everything.
The question is how much do we keep for ourselves. The
leaders of Church in the Vineyard believe that if a Jewish person
under the Old Testament law was required to give 10%, we should do
no less. Ultimately, the decision is between us and God.
Regularly . . .
As
resources flow in, we offer the “first-fruits” back to God, honoring
him before any others (1 Cor. 16:2). God is not impressed with our leftovers (Malachi
1:1-14).
Locally . . .
Every
Christian is expected to be a part of a local church family. Those
of us who claim this church as our spiritual home support the
ministries from which we derive benefit (1 Tim. 5:17-18; 1 Cor.
9:14). This does not mean that we do not contribute to other
ministries or charities. It simply means that Church in the
Vineyard is one of our top giving priorities.
Cheerfully . . .
Knowing that God sees the heart, we don’t give begrudgingly to an
organization - we give our offering as a gift to God
himself. We do so willingly and not under compulsion, but with
joyful worship as our resources flow out to serve others (2 Cor.
9:6).
Anonymously . . .
We
don’t call attention to ourselves when we give or expect our
offerings to gain us some advantage in the church (Matt. 6:3-4).
Strategically . . .
Jesus
says it best: “I tell you, use your worldly resources to benefit
others and make friends. In this way, your generosity stores up a
reward for you in heaven” (Luke 16:9).
Expectantly . . .
Counting on God’s promise of provision, we anticipate seeing God use
our gifts and know that he will work in our lives - including
financially - as we give (Matt. 6:25-34; Phil. 4:14-19).
Through giving, God invites us to establish
his worth or importance to us through our spending. He also
invites us into the adventure of faith, where we trust him to give
us all we truly need. God changes and blesses us as we give; He
uses our gifts to bless and change others.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I decide what to give?
Consider the Bible’s teaching on money (use the verses in
this guide as a starting place). Ask God to impress on you what you
should do and then give.
2. How can I give?
— Every Sunday we provide an opportunity for giving during the
worship services.
— If you are giving cash and want a record of it, pick up a
contribution envelope at the information counter in the lobby.
— If you are mailing in a contribution, send it to the attention of
our bookkeeper, Michelle Overway.
— We strongly encourage people to consider Electronic Fund Transfers
(EFTs) as a way to give.
Electronic Fund Transfer enrollment form
— In anticipation of the construction of our current facility, we
collected pledges to cover $800,000 of the anticipated $2.8 million
cost. These pledges were commitments over a 5 year period. You can
request a pledge card from the office to participate in paying for
our great new facility.
3. What should I do if my spouse doesn’t come to church?
One suggestion is to ask your spouse to do an experiment. Take 90
days and put God’s principles to the test. See if after 90 days of
giving you don’t see God’s blessing in some way. Another approach is
to give from whatever portion of your money you can personally use.
4.
What if I can’t afford to give?
Give anyway. Sometimes we assume that because of financial
hardships or high personal debt levels, we shouldn’t give. This
type of thinking can insulate us from the life of faith Christ has
called us to. It reflects an effort for us to provide for ourselves
instead of relying on him.
5. What if a large sacrifice for me is only a small amount of
money?
Give anyway. Giving is much more about an expression of trust and
worship from us to God than it is about the church raising money.
It’s the heart and cost, not the dollar amount, that matters to God.
For More Information
See
the back of the weekly worship program for a short summary and a more
detailed statement of our financial position in the
Grapevine.
For
questions about your giving record:
Michelle Overway (Bookkeeper) -
(610) 345-1102
For
questions about special needs and benevolence funds:
Lori Mullin (CARE team) - (610) 932-6096
For
any other church finance questions:
Matt Fetick (Treasurer) - (610) 347-1016
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