Moving Forward (2013 Budget and West Ed Removal)

          We are moving forward with two of the most recent decisions by the congregation: the 2013 Budget and the removal of the West Ed building.

          Last Sunday night, the Church in Conference unanimously approved the proposed budget presented by the stewardship committee.  This budget reflects a 10% increase over the 2012 budget.  The bulk of this increase will go toward mission causes and toward maintenance and repairs on our church campus.  This is a challenge budget that requires us to trust in God in order to meet it.  It is not based on current giving patterns but on what we feel God can do through a church that is united in prayer, mission and generous giving.  We are grateful for the stewardship committee's vision, for the congregational support and for each leader's contribution.  Please continue to pray for the Lord's provision and that each member of Calvary would have the opportunity to discover the grace of giving.

          The move out of the West Ed building has been completed.  All of the offices that were there before will now be in either the Children's Building or the Main Building.  The library will be in G104.  Student Ministry will continue to meet in the Family Life Center (Gym).  Although we are moved out of the West Ed, we are not completely moved in to our new spaces.  We appreciate your patience in the weeks ahead as we complete this transition.  Pardon our mess and the inconvenience.  

          This week the stained glass windows and the "corner stone" are being removed.  One of our members has offered to store these along with the steeple, light fixtures and the like.  Our desire is to, in the future, build a prayer room or chapel where some of these original items might be utilized.

          Some have asked if they can have bricks as keepsakes from the building once it is torn down.  We will keep some bricks on the property for those that desire to take them.  We will announce the time and place where these can be picked up.  Please encourage people not to help themselves to construction debris because we do not want anyone to get injured.  We will place the bricks in a safe location and announce when individuals may come and pick them up.  Although some have suggested selling the bricks, they will not be sold.  If anyone desires to make a donation to the building fund, they are welcome to it but there will be no money exchange when bricks are picked up.

         The asbestos abatement and the demolition were scheduled to start this week.  However, due to a permit delay with the State of Texas, the abatement date has been moved to the week of November 26.

         I would like to once again express my sincere appreciation to all of the staff who has worked hard to accomplish the move and to adjust to the changes.  We are extremely grateful to all the volunteers who have packed boxes, moved stuff and helped make this process much easier.  Of course, we recognize the hard work of coordinating all of this by James McGinnis.  Thanks to all!

         As we approach Thanksgiving week, let's take time to thank God for:

• Calvary's rich heritage
• The wonderful things that happened in the original building
• Our current facilities that allow us to continue the legacy of touching lives in the name of Christ
• The beautiful people that make up the Calvary family
• The bright future that God has for us as we grow in our knowledge of Him and as we make him known to the nations
• Those who give generously each week to make sure the ministry at Calvary continues
• Those who serve whole heartedly to give leadership to the multiple ministries at Calvary

Let us count our blessings!

Church in Conference Tomorrow

          Tomorrow, Sunday November 11, 2012 at 6:30 PM we will meet as a Church in Conference to hear reports and to present a couple of items for the congregation to consider.  Among these are nominations of individuals to serve in the 2013 committees and the proposed 2013 church budget.  (Please read my more extensive treatment of the proposed budget in the previous post below).

          In an effort to provide you with information before you show up to the meeting (or in case you are not able to attend the meeting) we have been making the documents available to our members through our website.  This measure can potentially also save the church money in paper and copies and save time during the actual meeting.  If you have not done so already, you can access all of the Church in Conference documents by clicking the "Church in Conference" banner on the Calvary webpage or by clicking on the link below:

Church in Conference Packet

          I hope you will access this information before the meeting tomorrow night, that you will prepare prayerfully and that you will participate responsibly.  Please encourage those to whom you minister and with whom you fellowship to do the same.

Stewardship Committee to Propose 2013 Budget

          Tomorrow, Sunday, November 11 in Church Conference (6:30 PM), the Stewardship Committee will present their proposed budget for 2013.  The budget was mailed to each Calvary member family two weeks ago.  You can also see it here:

Calvary Proposed 2013 Budget


Budget Preparation Approach

           When preparing a budget, a committee considers three important factors: (1) What are the needs of the church as it pursues God's mission in the next year? (2) What are the current giving patterns of the congregation?  (3) What is the giving potential of this congregation?  Ultimately, a committee proposes a budget that either reflects the current giving patterns or that challenges the church to its giving potential.  The former approach assumes that the giving patterns will not change in the coming year.  The latter approach assumes that the congregation has the potential for increased giving if challenged.  The former approach seeks to exercise "wise" stewardship.  The latter approach seeks to exercise "faith" stewardship.  Neither of these is more spiritual than the other.  The task of the committee is really to discern what God is calling the congregation to do.

         Our 2012 Stewardship Committee worked hard at studying the needs, discussing the giving patterns and considering the congregation's giving potential.  After much prayer and hard work, the committee decided to take the approach of challenging Calvary to its giving potential.  The proposed budget reflects a 10% increase over the 2012 budget.  This budget will require the congregation to step out in faith and increase its giving in order to meet it.  We are so grateful for those who generously and faithfully give at least a tithe (10%) to the budget.  We pray that continues.  But we also know that there are still many in the congregation who have not discovered yet "the grace of giving."  We pray that they will do so and, as they discover the joy of giving, that God will use their gifts to meet the needs of Calvary and of the mission field through Calvary.  As our congregation continues to grow, we expect that our giving to grow also.  In the last couple of years, our Spanish Language Ministry (SLM) has tripled in attendance and new members.  The SLM has also tripled in giving!  We pray and hope that Calvary, in both its English Language and Spanish Language contexts, continues to grow in membership and giving.

Stewardship Education Approach

          When a congregation is challenged to grow in giving, leaders take at least one of various approaches.  There is the "guilt" approach that scolds those who are not giving and makes them feel bad for the giving short falls.  This approach usually results in some temporary increase in giving and some people becoming offended.  There is the "institutional" approach.  This is when church leaders tell members that it is their responsibility to make sure the institution continues.  It is similar to encouraging club members to pay their dues.  While there is some validity to this view, it is a minimalist view in my opinion.  There is also the "legalistic" approach.  These are the folks who beat others with all of the "tithe" passages in the Bible and try to convince them to start tithing.  While the tithe is a Scriptural principle and it needs to be taught as part of discipleship, it is often the outlook with which we teach it that misses the mark.  The alternative to these three approaches is what I would call the "grace" approach.  This approach is based on the idea that "freely we have received, and freely we should give."  It appeals to our love for God and for his mission.  Giving for the support of the church's ministry should be a response to God's love and grace.  More than an obligation it is a privilege!  Notice how Paul writes to the Corinthians about the grace of giving and the joy that accompanies it,

1 Corinthians 8:1-7 (NIV)

8 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. 5 And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.6 So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7 But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

Although Paul does not specifically mention the tithe (10%) here, we can assume that this kind of giving goes beyond the tithe.  I am certain that if everyone at Calvary would tithe, we could increase our budget by much more than 10% and meet it.  The beauty of the tithe is that it is proportionate giving.  We give in proportion to what we have received.  Yet, our focus is not to legalistically impose a tithe on others but to lovingly help them to discover the grace and joy of giving.  The tithe is a beginning place.  Hopefully we can discover the grace and joy of giving beyond!  As we challenge those who may not be contributing faithfully and generously to the Calvary budget, we want them to discover the joy of giving as an act of love to God more than as a maintenance duty of an institution.  This will not only meet the financial needs of Calvary but it will benefit the giver spiritually.  Furthermore, we want them to have a part in supporting what God loves.  If God's heart is for the nations, then God's people should increase in generosity toward missions.

Two Primary Areas of Increase in Proposed Budget

         There are two primary areas of increase in the 2013 proposed budget.  One of those has to do with operations and maintenance.  The increase in this area reflects realistically what it will take to maintain our building and grounds functioning this next year.  There are several items on our campus that are in need of repair and this budget makes provision for those.  Although our church does not exist simply to maintain physical facilities, it is good stewardship to take care of what God has given us.  These are the facilities that we use to reach people, disciple them, and to minister to the community.  Maintaining them functional and attractive supports the mission that God has given us.

          The second primary area of increase in the 2013 proposed budget is missions.  The budget includes a 2-percentage-points increase for mission causes over the 2012 budget.  That brings the total budget percentage for missions to 20%.  This is a standard that Calvary had in the past and which the leadership wishes to restore.  These percentage points include percentage increase to the Texas Baptists Cooperative Program (BGCT), SBC missionary support (IMB), and Calvary Mission Initiatives.

Missions Participation and Giving in 2012

         During this year our church has mobilized our people to participate in missions at various levels and has supported numerous mission initiatives.  For example:

Total missions participation of 1,938*

• 1,681* in local/community missions
•   197* in state missions
•       1* in U.S./Canada missions
•     59* in international missions

*If an individual participates in more than one initiative, that individual is counted more than once.  For example, if 50 people participate in a home makeover project and there are 2 home makeovers in one year, we count the participation as 100, even if some of the people were at both home makeovers.  Or if someone volunteers at the Bread of Life Market and also goes to the Amazon Basin mission trip, he/she will be counted for each participation.

          Our international participation included Calvary-sponsored trips to the Amazon Basin, Kenya and Chiapas.  Additionally, Calvary members have participated in endorsed trips to Germany, Venezuela, Panama, China and India.

Total mission expenditures of $523,721**

• $  80,489 to the Cooperative Program
• $    5,290 to associational missions
• $  97,223 to Great Commission initiatives
• $  11,544 to seasonal offerings
• $329,175 to Calvary initiatives

**This reflects both mission budget expenditures and designated gifts for missions

Calvary Missions Initiatives for 2013

          The missions committee has prepared a missions budget for 2013 that includes the following initiatives:

1. Increase in Cooperative Program giving (BGCT & SBC)
2. Increase in Local Cooperative missions (Community transformation, RGVBA, Buckner CTC in Peñitas, Campamento Valley, Young Lives, etc.)
3. Partial direct support of 27 missionaries serving in the RGV, Mexico, Asia, Kenya and South America
4. A continuing partnership with Calvary Baptist Church, Saltillo (Mexico) supporting two medical clinics and partnership efforts to reach indigenous people groups in Chiapas
5. Support for operations center in Kenya to reach unreached people groups
6. Partnership with Bible institutes in the tribal communities of the Amazon Basin and Chiapas
7. Partnership development and projects in the Eastern Hemisphere, especially in Africa and Asia
8. Community ministries personnel
9. Continuation of community ministries: Baskets of Hope and Bread of Life Market
10. Direct support of the Baptist Student Ministry at UTPA
11. Seasonal projects: home makeovers, movie at the park, partnership with City of McAllen, etc.
12. Sponsorship of Primera Iglesia Bautista, Sullivan City, as a new church start
13. Medical missions at the local, regional and global levels
14. Missions education and partnership development

          As you prepare to vote on the proposed 2013 budget, I urge you to pray for God's direction and affirmation.  (Feel free to share the information above with those to whom you minister and with whom you fellowship at Calvary).  I also encourage you to pray that God would open the hearts of more people at Calvary so that they will discover the grace and the joy of giving.  If this is the budget that God has for Calvary, then He is able to meet it as his people give generously in faith.