Blessings and peace to you as we continue to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

My purpose in writing to you as your administrative and assailant pastor is to provide you with a brief update of various things that have occurred and will occur in the new fiscal year.

We completed our fiscal year end as of March 31^st with a revenue exceeding our budget thanks to the generosity of all of our members and guests who worship with us. This allowed us to fulfill our mission and operational goals. It also allows us to set aside some funds for the care and use of our facilities. The properties board, working with our business manager Sharon Sutton, is also working on a longer-term plan to estimate cost of future repairs and maintenance. I would also like to thank all those that have budget spending authority for the care they took in keeping to or just under last year’s budget goals. One of the things we should be most proud of and thankful for is that we were able to spend a substantial amount of funds to support out missions, as well as provide support to those suffering in the aftermath of hurricane Ian, or who are having difficulty meeting everyday expense because of job loss or the impact of inflation. We also completed the construction of a large storage room which was very much needed, and which will enable us to have a private prayer and meditation room just off the Narthex. We hope to have this ready for use soon.

Our 2023-2024 budget was approved by the congregation. It is close to a balanced budget, but I want to point out that a budget is not a straight jacket to control expenses but a plan for us to reach all our congregational goals. WE like all of you are affected by inflation and one of our challenges will be our insurance costs which we expect a substantial increase which could result in a 75 to 100 percent increase in premium.

We are extremely grateful for the many volunteers who have assisted us using their unique talents and interests. WE always have the need for more volunteers in our services. Assisting at worship services as greeters, ushers, or readers, as well as volunteering your time in any other part of the life of our church, is all a part of Christian stewardship.

I would also like to take this time to remind you that we have an Endowment fund. This fund was set up by our early church leaders as a way of ensuring that funds are available for future needs.  The fund is under the direction of a committee that acts as trustees and the funds are invested by professionals. If you are interested in having additional information, or may want to include it in your estate plan, please contact me, and I will be more than happy to talk with you.

Barb and I will be leaving in the next two weeks to spend the summer in New Jersey. If I don’t get to see you in person, I wish you a happy and healthy summer.

In Christ,

Pastor Brad Hildebrandt