Hey Church Family,
I hope this email finds you well and that you have something on the horizon you’re looking forward to. For the Jaskilkas, we’ve been having a blast at the ball field with our two boys playing baseball this spring. As fun as it’s been, we’re looking forward to things slowing down some this summer. We’re excited for camp, s’mores, and long days in the sun swimming and eating popsicles.
This financial update will cover the past two months. Take a look and then let’s talk about them.
MARCH GIVING REPORT / MINISTRY FUND
March Budget: $155,000
March Actual Giving: $146,650.99
Difference: -$8,349.01 (-5.38%)
APRIL GIVING REPORT / MINISTRY FUND
April Budget: $165,000
April Actual Giving: $153,434.74
Difference: -$11,565.26 (-7.00%)
2023 JANUARY-APRIL BUDGET REPORT / MINISTRY FUND
Budgeted: $605,000
Actual: $544,100.31
Difference: -$60,899.69 (-10.06%)
GIVING PROJECTIONS / MINISTRY FUND
May’s Need: $150,000
June’s Need: $140,000
COMMENTS. We’re so thankful that these last two months were much better than the first two! If it wasn’t for such a low month in January, we would be feeling much better about where things are financially. Over the last year, we have all felt the strain of inflation. The struggle is real because it costs us more to operate the church than it did a year ago and many members of our church family have less to give than a year ago, So we see the opportunity to continue to grow in our trust in the Lord and lean into what He calls us to do. The good news is that we continue to see steady numerical growth with our church attendance and midweek ministries, so we are encouraged! Please join the leadership team in praying that we will see new people join our giving family in support of the work of the ministry locally and around the world. We’re not trying to make up the deficit all at once; we’ll be in decent shape in the fall if we can reach our budget needs this summer.
GIVING PODCAST. I’m deeply blessed by our MStar podcast and all that Jacob Mahugh and the team invest to make this ministry happen. In a recent episode, two of our all-star staff members, Candy Escalante and Kate Snegirev, dive into what tithing and giving are all about. It is more than fantastic and well worth your time to listen in. I couldn’t be prouder of them! You can hear the episode HERE. I was blessed by how approachable they make this challenging conversation about what can be a touchy topic. What was especially meaningful to me was that the podcast on giving wasn’t my idea. In fact, I didn’t even know it was in the works.
THANK YOU. Again, I can’t say “thank you” enough. Your prayers, service, and giving makes a huge difference. Please let me know if you have any questions. There is an overwhelming amount of information we could communicate, so if you feel that our financial update is fuzzy, please be in touch because the more you know, the healthier we will be.
In all things, Jesus first.
John Jaskilka
Executive Pastor