A Word from Finance team

On behalf of the Session, I am eager to present the operating budget for 2019 and to point out several key items.   Please hold in your heart this question as you hear about the budget — What speaks to me?  Is there a place I feel called to engage.  I say this with all earnestness and enthusiasm: a church is bound by faith, while powered by US … we are this church, and we all together make all this happen!

This is an ambitious budget, reflecting investments in operations to move forward together in stronger ministries for you, the congregation, and for those we serve through mission.  This is like any organization emerging from a leadership transition — often revenues are down, and therefore the Session decided that this is the time to invest … not the time to retreat and retract.  Therefore this budget shows an investment of funds from savings so that we can:

• provide some much needed maintenance for the organ from the “organ fund”.  

• deepen our educational offerings for adults of all ages, which could include engaging external speakers

• (most significantly) hire a designated associate pastor to provide hands on leadership of our work with children and youth, as well as to focus on expanding our work in mission in a way that could also attract financial support from beyond our congregation — grants and other possible revenue sources.  The Marion Woods fund – some dedicated funds from a generous parishioner – will also be able to support this work with children.

• invest in building out key programs called for by our congregation and so that we have the capacity to serve many more new members over the coming few years.

In addition, various members are working together on plans for expanding outreach to Austin’s ever expanding population of downtown and near downtown residents

Sarah de la Fuente is also developing plans to expand the use of our beautiful sanctuary for weddings, and as an ordained associate pastor, she is also able to offer the pre marriage couples counseling so valued by engaged couples.

Others are exploring how the church space may help generate more revenue as a downtown location.

Each of these projects welcome your gifts of time, talent and treasure….energy and involvement and, if you feel moved, your gifts to specific aspects of our work in this coming year.