Mt. Lebanon United Presbyterian Church     
 
Pastor Tim Janiszewski - "Plain Talk on Church Finances"

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Messages of Grace

(Past Recorded Sermons) 














 
This Sunday
Nov. 9, 2014

Sermon Title:
"Just Give It
to Me Straight"


Scripture:
1 Thessalonians  
2:1-6





Picture of Pastor Tim
November 6, 2014

 

Dear MLEPC Members and Friends:

 

This weekend, we celebrate Ingathering Sunday. During the service, we'll walk forward for the Offering to present our 2015 Financial Faith Commitment Cards and our Time and Talent Survey Sheets. This is a tangible way for us to express our dedication of time, talent, and treasure to God's work for the coming year. In these last few days before Ingathering Sunday I encourage us to take the card and sheet in hand, get on our knees before the Lord, and ask Him to direct us as we then fill them out and bring them with us to worship on Sunday. (If you are unable to attend, please submit your card/sheet to Shannon Hohowski in the Business Office.)

 

Here is one final perspective for our consideration as we prepare to make our commitment of time, talent, and treasure for 2015. As many of us know, our church journeyed through a very difficult time in 2011-13. Our Senior Associate Pastor of 25 years revealed that he was gay and that he and his wife of 29 years were divorcing. After a long and challenging discernment process, he resigned in January 2012. Since then he has become engaged to be married to a man. At the same time, our previous denomination and presbytery were rushing toward new beliefs and practices that moved clearly outside the biblical and historical Christian faith. In November 2012, our church family disaffiliated from that organization and was later received into full membership by the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in September 2013.

 

To use a figure of speech, within twelve months our Body of Believers at MLEPC underwent two major surgeries which together took a serious toll on our congregational health. Some people left us due to the Associate Pastor crisis. Others left due to the change in denominations. Still others simply grew weary of the struggles and went elsewhere. I'm grateful for the many of us who stood fast despite the challenges and pain experienced.

 

All of this predictably has made an impact on our financial resources. Since 2011, total annual contributions to our church have dropped by $100,000 from about $1,030,000 to $930,000. Thus far, we have maintained our staff and programs because we know that it takes time to recover from those two major events in 2012, even as it takes a human body time to recover from two major surgeries. But to do so, we have dipped into church savings with deficit spending. I thank the Lord that we have an extra financial margin to shore us up in the short run, while we begin to set a fresh direction into a promising future.

 

Nevertheless, our contributions must once again catch up to the cost of maintaining the high quality of ministry we enjoy at MLEPC. If donations do increase and close the $100,000 gap, we can seamlessly continue to pursue excellence for God along our current vision and mission trajectory. If the gap is not soon closed, we shall have to make changes to live within our financial means. In other words, we'll be required to reduce both staff and programs in order to match our money.

 

Our servant-leaders do not want to apply such reductions because we believe that we are charting a positive course. We are affiliated with a good, Bible-centered denomination in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. We are blessed with a gifted and hard working staff. We offer biblically based programs and ministries for all ages that many churches can only dream of providing. We are committed to reaching beyond ourselves to people who need Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. And we truly are having dozens of visitors coming through our doors to see what is going on at our church. Our most recent "Meet MLEPC" Inquirers Seminar had 16 people present. Youth group recently had 29 students in attendance. Our Fired Up Friday children's event is averaging about 80 kids each time it meets. Sunday morning worship attendance has stabilized. These are promising signs of recovery.

 

One more sign of recovery that we need to see, however, is the closing of the $100,000 gap in contributions. We do not necessarily need to make it all up in a single year; however, we do need to see the margin begin to shrink significantly. And we need to see it shrink significantly in 2015. So when you take your Financial Faith Commitment Card and bring it before God this week, ask: "What can I do to help reduce the financial deficit in contributions that is threatening the full mission and ministry of our church? What can I do to help with the needed financial recovery that will support the spiritual recovery that we are already witnessing?" Ask these questions. Act in faith. Make a difference for the financial future of our church and its ministry to the glory of God in 2015 and beyond.

 

Pastor Tim

  

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