Fiscal Responsibility...

We have been subjected to relentless news media speculation, polls, pundits and prognosticators about the 2012 Presidential Election. Who is the best candidate, who is leading the latest poll, who has the best plan for economic recovery and so forth. You also hear a lot about government spending and calls for balancing the budget and fiscal responsibility. For all the hot air blowing out of politicians’ mouths in Washington DC just 65 miles south of us, you’d think our climate would be more tropical and there would never be a need for a jacket!

Well at Calvary, we take the concepts of fiscal responsibility and balancing our budget seriously because we are stewards of money that does not belong to us, it belongs to God who will hold us accountable for how we us it. (Wow – what a novel concept for our government – stewardship & accountability because the money they’re responsible for belongs to someone else! Sigh.)  We began our budget process in July of this year and after many rounds of discussion and tedious work, we believe we have a balanced budget plan for our church in 2012. Often the task of budgeting for ministry needs is pretty overwhelming and hard to actually calculate. Since we know it gets more expensive every year to operate, the ministry leader might create a safety valve and simply add 3, 4 or 5 percent to what was budgeted last year trying to plan and anticipate ministry needs. Sometimes this approach serves us well and we’re right on target.

For the first time in our church history that I’m aware of, our 2011 budget was just over $1,000,000 (one million dollars). While that is exciting to some degree, we’ve not consistently been meeting our weekly budget need this year. What I’ve learned in my experience and have been taught is that not meeting your budget need over the course of the year can have a negative effect on your overall church giving. People see that you are not meeting your budget and can become discouraged that it cannot be made up if the target is too far out there.

Okay, this is where I need to say “relax and take a deep breath” for some of you because you’re worried about the financial health of your church. We are fine financially. Our church is a great steward of the resources God gives us for ministry. Even though we’re behind in our budget giving, we never spend more than we take in and there are things we budgeted for that we’ve not spent or it cost less than we figured. This combined with the fact we’ve not been paying an associate pastor or full time ministry secretary mean we’ll end 2011 with a budget surplus that we’ll save toward future ministry needs. So the church is in sound financial shape and God’s people are faithful to give to support the work of the kingdom.

One of the things I asked our finance committee and our ministry leaders to do this year was to prepare their Ministry Action Proposals (MAPS) based on actual expenditures. This approach gives us a more accurate picture of what we really need to have to fund the ministries at Calvary. It is still hard however because of the generosity of God’s people who pay for ministry related needs out of their own pockets and never turn in receipts for us to reimburse them for those expenses. I have asked our ministry leaders and finance committee to pare this budget down to a more realistic figure but also maintaining a faith component and to dream God sized dreams for what He wants to do through our church ministries in 2012. This is no small challenge! I'm pleased that the finance committee's hard work has reduced our overall budget that we as a church family will discuss on Sunday evening November 20th. In this issue of "The Way", you will find a copy of this budget plan for 2012.

As your Pastor, there are several things I would like to ask of you related to this budget proposal. First of all, I’d like for you to review this prayerfully and become familiar with it knowing it represents much hard work by our ministry leaders and finance committee. Secondly, I’d like for you to plan to attend our budget discussion Church in Conference on Sunday evening November 20^th at 5:00 p.m. so you can make an informed decision regarding our church budget. That meeting is your opportunity to ask questions or provide input to our budget process. I’m concerned that the vast majority of our members will vote on such a critical church family issue as our ministry budget and have no idea or understanding what they are voting on because they did not come to the discussion meeting. Thirdly, be ready to support the final adopted budget with your vote on Sunday December 4^th. Finally, prayerfully consider what the Lord would have you commit to regarding your offering giving over and above your tithe. The tithe is non-negotiable to the Lord, 10% of your income belongs to God (Malachi 3:10). What you need to ask God to show you is what He wants you to commit to give in 2012 as an offering to Him. That is the percentage over 10% you give to the Lord. I remember my pastor years ago saying “The tithe is a good place to start but a terrible place to end.” I whole heartedly affirm that. Some years God has told me to give 11%, one year I remember God had me to commit to 14% of my income. Whatever God says to you, you can commit to be obedient to Him knowing He will provide.

Remember Paul’s inspired message to the Corinthian Church in 2^nd Cor. 9:6-8 “But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”

I praise God for the generosity of our Calvary Baptist Church family and for your faithfulness to the Lord in your tithes and offerings for Kingdom work. I appreciate all the hard work all of our ministry leaders in this budget process and our Finance Committee, particularly the leadership of our Chairman Bill Karczeski. I believe God has great things in store for us as church family in 2012 and I am excited to see what God will do as we partner together, from my little corner of the world to yours…

Ralph Green

Senior Pastor, Calvary Baptist Church

www.calvarybelair.com

Subscribe to Pastor Ralph's Blog: http://pastorralphgreen.blogspot.com/  

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Posted via email from Pastor Ralph

That's how we roll...

I have a very close friend who is wonderfully unique. He is unique in the widest and wildest possible use of that word unique. As a matter of fact, his entire family is unique in that way. He will always see things completely differently than almost 10 out of 10 people. As a matter of fact, if this guy was in a group of 100 people who were asked some kind of knotty question, while I’m not a betting man, I would be tempted put down cold hard cash he’d see the problem differently from 99 other people! If there was someone else in that group who actually saw it the way he saw it, my well experienced guess would be he’s related to them! This is actually why I love being friends with this guy because I know I’ll get a wise, fresh viewpoint that will always honor the Lord. Sometimes when I’m astounded yet again by his viewpoint and in the shock and awe of the moment, I’ll blurt out my surprise at his viewpoint. He’s responded on more than one occasion rather matter-of-factly: “That’s how we roll” and it will be followed by a slide splitting roar of laughter from both of us. It’s awesome to me to have a friend like this who cares not what people think and is proud of how he rolls through life. I’m proud to be his friend.

Well I’m proud to be the pastor of this group of believers named Calvary Baptist Church. Without a doubt, this church is one of the most unique churches I’ve ever been a part of. The story I’m about to relate demonstrates “that’s how we roll” wonderfully well. I had a lady call me for an appointment the other day so we set a time we could meet in my office. This lady shared with me how she has basically been out of church for over 20 years. I want to be careful not to betray confidences with this so I won’t go into all the details of what was shared. It was clear to me however there was a great burden  in her heart which kept her from finding a place to worship and serve. There were many “reasons” why this church wouldn’t work or that church didn’t quite fit as she’s visited many churches during this time. She told me that she’s been attending Calvary for some time now and I think it is safe to say she was probably looking for many reasons why we would not be a good fit for her also. She shared how she went to one of our Bible Study classes, a class that she really should not “fit” in with. Her station of life and this class group don’t really match up. Maybe she picked it on purpose so she’d have a “reason” to not come back; who knows? God however had other plans it seems. This class has welcomed her in with open arms and have been faithful in calling to check on her. Basically they have loved on this lady in a way that God has begun to change her attitudes and given her a desire to get connected again. She said she has a desire to begin to serve the Lord again in large part because of the love of this class as they’ve wrapped their arms around her. She shared how she’s been confronted by Biblical truth in my preaching which has been hard to face but the love she’s experienced here has kept her coming back for more! She asked me to help her “put the pieces back together” and to help her change. Of course we’re working on this but it is the Lord who does the changing.

I have to be honest with you, I nearly had to bite my tongue and hold myself in my chair to keep from leaping up and shouting “That’s how we roll!” It is a similar story I’ve heard repeated many times in my tenure here as Senior Pastor. It is a story I pray to God will always be the case here at Calvary and that kind of love would always be said of us: “that’s how we roll.” Is that not what Jesus meant when He said in John 13:35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." That’s how every church collectively and how every individual disciple of Jesus Christ ought to roll; loving people to Jesus, confronting with Biblical truth. My heart was thrilled at the work that God is doing in the life of this precious woman who has been dealing with a myriad of hurt in her life that has kept her from God’s people and the Lord Himself for over 20 years. Her story reminds me that every time the saints of God gather here at Calvary, the people walking through our doors are hurting people. Calvary must never be a hotel and a spa for saints; there will be time for that in Heaven later. Here on earth, Calvary must always be a hospital for sinners and forgiven saints. I implore you to remember when you come to church the person you greet, that member you shake hands with, that child or teen beneath the surface smile may have a wound that goes deep; they may be in trouble and need help. That love you show may be just the thing God uses that day to encourage them to keep at it and keep coming back where God’s Word is preached and taught and where truth spoken in love brings about healing in the souls of men, women, boys and girls.

I am so proud of you all. I feel like a proud papa seeing this church being the hands and feet of Jesus each week. We want people to “Encounter God and experience life change”. We want them to connect, with God and others in genuine relationships, we want them to grow in their faith as a disciple, we desire to provide a place to serve the Lord and also as we gather each week, to renew their spirits. That’s what we mean when you see those 4 words: Connect, Grow, Serve, Renew. We believe those encapsulate the cyclical process of making disciples as we seek to “Encounter God and Experience Life Change.” God is still in the business of changing and transforming lives. Authentic encounters with God result in life change, and “that’s how He rolls!” He invites us to be a part of His plans as we love those who come our way. Maybe you’re on the fringe here, have visited several times and you’re wondering what to do next. If you haven’t tried one of our amazing Bible Study classes, please check one or all of them out. It is the best way to find out how special Calvary really is. Maybe God would lead you to join us here as a member. I’d like the opportunity to talk with you about that decision so by all means, call me for an appointment about this decision or something else I can help you with.

Thanking God for how we roll, from my little corner of the world to yours…

Ralph Green

Senior Pastor, Calvary Baptist Church

www.calvarybelair.com

Subscribe to Pastor Ralph's Blog: http://pastorralphgreen.blogspot.com/  

Follow Me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/RalphGreen  

Posted via email from Pastor Ralph