HAYESVILLE FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
989 U.S. 64 Business, Hayesville, NC 28904
PHONE: (828) 389-8413
EMAIL: hfumc@hayesvillefirst.org
June 15, 2014
Good morning. It’s an exciting time to be part of this church. We have strong youth and children’s programs, excellent pastoral leadership, and fine facilities. And we routinely model the five practices of fruitful congregations: radical hospitality, intentional faith development, risk-taking mission and service, passionate worship, and extravagant generosity.
Over the past year, we have engaged in several capital improvement projects like paving the back parking lot, removing the wall between the bride’s room and the library, and replacing windows in the older part of the church. We have purchased additional land for future expansion of the cemetery; and we’ve acquired a second campus in the Sweetwater community. Looking out from the pews, it may seem like we are thriving financially, and in some respects we are; however, in terms of general tithes and offerings, we are significantly behind last year’s (and previous year’s) giving.
General, undesignated tithes and offerings are what keep the lights on, cover the heating and cooling costs, buy worship, educational, and office supplies and most importantly pay our pastor and staff. Designated funds cannot be used for these purposes.
Our general operating expenses year-to-date are almost identical to last year’s and below budget, but revenues are down.
I want you to know that all of those “extra” projects that I mentioned did not create financial strain on the church or the operating budget. The capital improvements were paid for largely by funds received from the sale of the old parsonage on Hickory Street. These funds were restricted by The Book of Discipline to capital improvements. We were not allowed to place them into the general fund. A generous portion was also set aside for repairs and expenses associated with the new parsonage, so that this donated property would not create an additional strain on the budget either.
Although the cemetery is owned by Hayesville First UMC, it has its own fund, accounts, and oversight which is separate from the church. The cemetery receives no funding from the church budget. It is revenue-generating and self-sufficient. And, although the cemetery fund was significantly reduced by the purchase of the adjoining property, the purchase was paid for completely using designated cemetery funds.
Acquiring Sweetwater cost us next to nothing. The church was going to be closed and rather than sell it on the open market, the UMC decided to gift it to us. Annual expenses at Sweetwater are less than $2,000 a year and one group that is currently using the facility for monthly meetings is paying $300 of that cost. Other groups using the facility also make donations. Our goal is to eventually reestablish a worshipping congregation there and for it to become a second vibrant mission campus in the Clay County community.
The bottom line is that while we appreciate your generosity in designated giving for various programs and initiatives going on in this congregation and for special offerings, these types of donations should be what pastor Kirk calls “second mile giving.” You should not feel compelled to support every offering or special opportunity for giving. General tithes and offerings are the basis of our ministry here in this place and our ministry will suffer if the basic expenses cannot be easily covered by our giving.
To help get on top of this immediate situation, I am asking you to consider making an undesignated love offering on the fifth Sunday of this month (June 29). Now, before the visitors among us start running for the door, please understand that we have money in reserve. This is not a dire emergency like we’re not going to be able to pay our bills tomorrow. We’ve just seen an unsettling trend and are attempting to address it before we have to start dipping into diligently stored savings. I hope that you will appreciate our frankness within our church family and our collective work to solve problems as they arise.
I and other church leaders will be available in The Gathering Place after the [10:55] service to answer questions that any of you may have. There will also be opportunities coming up for you to give us feedback or express concerns related to the budget and finances of the church. My “door” is always open and I will be happy to give you my email address or phone number if you would like to contact me directly at another time.Again, this is an exciting time to be a part of Hayesville First United Methodist Church! We are working in a wide variety of ways toward our mission to Follow Jesus, Make Disciples and Transform the World! I hope you will join me in consideration of an extra undesignated love offering to the general operating budget on June 29th. It is my pleasure to worship and serve here with you.
Callie D. Moore, Chairperson
Administrative Council