$ -

9% of $75,000 goal

Building A Strong Foundation for Ministry

Epworth Capital and Cash Savings Campaign 2021


     Epworth teaches tithing as one of the acts of discipleship and the basis for sustaining ongoing ministry. Using the Dave Ramsey model of Financial Peace, more and more Epworth families are growing closer to giving 10% of their annual earnings, actively paying off debt, and working towards 3-6 months of household expenses saved in the bank. This is part of our growth as individuals and as a church.

     We seek to use the same model for our collective finances as a church.

     Per biblical teaching, we believe the first 10% of earnings should go towards general support for Epworth’s vision and mission. This is the first priority.

     For those who are able to give above and beyond this tithe, Epworth is offering the option of giving to a combined capital and cash reserve campaign. Funds to this campaign will be used first for capital, then for cash savings.

     Both of these have important significance.

Capital Campaign for 2021

     Epworth’s 2021 capital campaign will be focused on renovating the sanctuary to accommodate digital and in person worship. It will include carpet replacement, construction of a sound booth at the back of the sanctuary to enable camera, sound, and tech to work together without interrupting in person worshippers, re-design of the front altar to create clearer view of the front altar, better organize instruments, hide cables so they are less visible and create more multipurpose space on the sides, instead of side facing choir loft.

Our target for this project is $25,000


Epworth Cash Savings Campaign for 2021

     In addition to this capital investment, Epworth’s Finance team has re-organized our financial holdings. Epworth has been and continues to be blessed by many temporarily restricted and permanently restricted funds with specific designations. Temporarily restricted funds include vital areas like organ maintenance, youth missions, local missions to name just a few. Permanently funds include our endowed gifts with permanent restrictions on their usage. And we are faithful to honor all of these!

     In addition to restricted funds, Epworth needs to grow our unrestricted operating cash reserves to reach, 3, 4 then 6 months savings. COVID has only made it more important to maintain healthy cash savings. In addition, cash savings on hand is in alignment with what we are teaching families; tithe, pay debt, and work towards 3-6 months of personal savings.

     Our target for 2021 is to add $50,000 to our cash reserves as we move towards the goal of 3-6 months of unrestricted operating cash savings on hand.

     We are grateful for your ongoing contributions throughout 2020 COVID shutdowns. We have seen your investment in the pastor’s discretionary fund grow as you have supported the ongoing food distribution and outreach to Cider Mill community. In addition, we were able to finish last year in the black using some of the unrestricted contributions to the pastor’s discretionary fund.

     However, we are very aware that a year of preschool closures impacted the preschool tithe to the church income. At the same time some of the grants we received from the Baltimore Washington Conference have ended. We are now actively looking for new sources of grant funding to add to our financial portfolio. We are grateful that our preschool is poised to open in the fall 2021. And we believe that you as the body will continue to respond to our mission/vision, our capital needs for hybrid worship, and our goals to have 3-6months of cash reserve on hand.

     In  summary, this means that now is a very important time to continue investing in the financial stability of Epworth and the vision/mission that God has given us. We are moving forward with faith!

     Especially as stimulus checks come out and individuals assess how best to support Epworth in this hard COVID times, we ask that you prayerfully consider these items:

     Continual movement towards giving 10% of your income to the mission and vision of Epworth that sustains our daily operations.

  • Additional gifts to our capital campaign focused on sanctuary upgrades and hybrid worship with a $25,000 goal for 2021.
  • Contributions towards healthy cash savings on hand, with a $50,000 goal for 2021.

     We believe that these are all essential to the mission and vision God has for Epworth.

     We are extraordinarily grateful for all the ways that you have sustained ministry over this past year and believe, in faith, that God will be carrying us forward to deep and powerful ways to be in service of Christ and to be faithful stewards of our financial resources – living in service and in peace.

Blessings,

Pastor Jen and the Executive Team

Verified

Organized by Epworth United Methodist Church
501(c)(3) Public Charity · EIN 52-1038712
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