God has truly blessed us this year as he has miraculously sustained the ministry here at First Baptist Church!  This week, we will receive our 2009 envelopes for regular giving at FBC.  I believe that God desires to do great things with us and through us in 2009.  Those who give regularly will notice a change in the designations on the offering envelopes that I believe reflects our growth as a congregation, as we live out the values of the Kingdom of God. 

There will still be three choices on the envelopes.  First, there will be Missions and Benevolences.  This will be for money you choose to designate for the work of the Body of Christ outside of FBC, and also to the Deacons’ Fellowship Fund, as a supplement to the monthly Communion Offering.  This will allow us to become a conduit for the support of the Body of Christ beyond FBC.

The second choice on the envelopes will be called Operating Funds.  This will be for money you choose to designate for the regular operating budget, and the default category if you do not designate anything at all. 

Third, there will be a Reserve Funds category.  This will be for Capital Maintenance, Roof Fund, for new ministries and for financial emergencies.  These are funds that we hope to have available for growth, for unexpected expenses, and for troubled times.

In order to meet our basic operating expenses this year, we hope to raise $82,000.00 for the Operating Funds for 2009.  In faithfulness to Christ, we also hope to give $9,600.00 to Missions and Benevolences this year and contribute $4,800.00 to our Reserve Funds this year.  That is a total of $96,400.00. 

We understand that in order to raise this kind of money, we will have to look beyond the 25 current families and individuals who give actively to FBC.  We know that people are already giving sacrificially in finances, time and energy to keep the work of God going here, for which I am truly grateful. 

We ask that those who can give us an estimate of how much they believe God is leading them to give faithfully - whether little or much.  This will help us to plan and seek out other sources where necessary.  If you have been active in giving this year, we invite you to consider becoming active and involved in the ministry in this way.  We understand that finances are tight for many these days, but we also know that God is faithful to provide for his people, both personally and as a congregation. 

It is not the intention of the leaders of this congregation to make anyone feel badly about their inability to give at whatever level; we speak to these issues as a way of being open and honest with you as to our financial picture.  It is our intention to make a 2009 budget summary available as soon as possible, with an estimate of how much on average is necessary for us to bring in each month based on how many individuals, families, or outside sources are involved. 

Thank you for your continued prayers and support of the work God is doing with us here at First Baptist Church!