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On Air at the Luke
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St. Luke's Episcopal is in the middle of their Stewardship drive - Sowing Seeds.
We were fortunate enough to have published author and journalist Anne Kniggendorf speak to our Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer about finances at St. Luke's. The transcript of that conversation is below. Thank you to Anne, Steve and Melissa for helping us learn more about St. Luke's. |
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About 90 people call St. Luke’s Episcopal their church home. Some watch services on the church’s YouTube channel, others never miss a Sunday in person, others attend as they’re able, and still others fill the pews exclusively on holidays.
Regardless of how – or how often – someone attends, each person is a valuable member of the St. Luke’s family.
And, as is the case in every family, each person plays a part in keeping the unit healthy and happy. Some mow the grass, weed the garden, cook, care for others, perform lay ministry duties, and use their talents in a variety of other ways. Also like every family, St. Luke’s has bills to pay. It has months of plenty and months when there’s not quite enough in the checking account.
Each year, the church asks members to pledge an amount they will give over the following 12 months – the rector, vestry, and administration use this for planning purposes. Currently, 42 families have made pledges, and most follow through.
Over the course of the pandemic, St. Luke’s has lost 12% of its congregation – that’s seven families – for various reasons. This change translates not only to lost emotional and spiritual support, but lost financial support.
Regardless of how – or how often – someone attends, each person is a valuable member of the St. Luke’s family.
And, as is the case in every family, each person plays a part in keeping the unit healthy and happy. Some mow the grass, weed the garden, cook, care for others, perform lay ministry duties, and use their talents in a variety of other ways. Also like every family, St. Luke’s has bills to pay. It has months of plenty and months when there’s not quite enough in the checking account.
Each year, the church asks members to pledge an amount they will give over the following 12 months – the rector, vestry, and administration use this for planning purposes. Currently, 42 families have made pledges, and most follow through.
Over the course of the pandemic, St. Luke’s has lost 12% of its congregation – that’s seven families – for various reasons. This change translates not only to lost emotional and spiritual support, but lost financial support.
Assistant Treasurer Steve Mann and Treasurer Melissa Pfau explain the church’s finances.
Steve: The budget is people and has two components: income and expenses. “People” is the income part, and that includes pledges, people who give without pledging, as well as visitors who come in and put some money in the plate. In addition, sometimes people will give the church $100 for the use of the parish hall, and that helps us with our expenses. We also have an
AA group that meets here, and they provide us some income as well.
The income portion of our budget is only about five items. The expense portion of our budget is about 50 items, which includes supporting the diocese, supporting our rector, and our utilities and other regular operating expenses.
Melissa: Sometimes we have $20,000 a month, and sometimes we have $7,000 a month. It’s not consistent, but our bills are consistent. In an extreme situation, it'd be a vestry decision to move money from our money market account to our operating account, but we try and save money by fine-tooth combing every single one of our bills.
For instance, our waste company was charging way too much. I was going to cancel them, and then they came back and lowered their bill to about $200 less a month just because I called them and was like, I have to cancel you because we can’t afford you. I try to save every single penny. So, if I don’t print a lot of things, it’s because I’m saving money. I know that’s very nitpicky, but
that’s kind of how we’re running right now.
Steve: The money that people put in the offering plate helps us with the general operating funds. We also have the Agape envelopes that people faithfully use, but that’s designated funds (for parishioners and community members in financial need), so that doesn’t help pay the bills.
Melissa: If you pledge, that’s awesome because, like Steve said, that’s how we work our budget.
Our budget is 100% what people said they’d give.
Steve: Absolutely. Sometimes people’s pledges change from year to year. They might say, “I pledged $1 a week, but now I can only give 50 cents a week.” Well, that’s okay. The giving part is important. Just continue to give as much as you can.
Melissa: Yeah, that’s a really big thing. If you have not pledged and you’re interested in pledging, that is something to look into, too, because that gives us a better idea of where we’ll be financially. And if you ever feel like, Oh, shoot, where am I? Am I behind on my pledge? You can reach out to me at the office email or call me or text me, and I can get that information
emailed to you or printed if you want me to print it.
For more information about church finances and for how to pledge or make one-time offerings,
please contact: Melissa Pfau at the church office: officestlshawnee@gmail.com
Steve: The budget is people and has two components: income and expenses. “People” is the income part, and that includes pledges, people who give without pledging, as well as visitors who come in and put some money in the plate. In addition, sometimes people will give the church $100 for the use of the parish hall, and that helps us with our expenses. We also have an
AA group that meets here, and they provide us some income as well.
The income portion of our budget is only about five items. The expense portion of our budget is about 50 items, which includes supporting the diocese, supporting our rector, and our utilities and other regular operating expenses.
Melissa: Sometimes we have $20,000 a month, and sometimes we have $7,000 a month. It’s not consistent, but our bills are consistent. In an extreme situation, it'd be a vestry decision to move money from our money market account to our operating account, but we try and save money by fine-tooth combing every single one of our bills.
For instance, our waste company was charging way too much. I was going to cancel them, and then they came back and lowered their bill to about $200 less a month just because I called them and was like, I have to cancel you because we can’t afford you. I try to save every single penny. So, if I don’t print a lot of things, it’s because I’m saving money. I know that’s very nitpicky, but
that’s kind of how we’re running right now.
Steve: The money that people put in the offering plate helps us with the general operating funds. We also have the Agape envelopes that people faithfully use, but that’s designated funds (for parishioners and community members in financial need), so that doesn’t help pay the bills.
Melissa: If you pledge, that’s awesome because, like Steve said, that’s how we work our budget.
Our budget is 100% what people said they’d give.
Steve: Absolutely. Sometimes people’s pledges change from year to year. They might say, “I pledged $1 a week, but now I can only give 50 cents a week.” Well, that’s okay. The giving part is important. Just continue to give as much as you can.
Melissa: Yeah, that’s a really big thing. If you have not pledged and you’re interested in pledging, that is something to look into, too, because that gives us a better idea of where we’ll be financially. And if you ever feel like, Oh, shoot, where am I? Am I behind on my pledge? You can reach out to me at the office email or call me or text me, and I can get that information
emailed to you or printed if you want me to print it.
For more information about church finances and for how to pledge or make one-time offerings,
please contact: Melissa Pfau at the church office: officestlshawnee@gmail.com
