Luke 21:1-4

Safe Harbor Convo

Finances

We are in a time of opportunity and challenge.

Opportunity: QC and Brick relationship growing. HC Network will launch with 4 HC's September 19. Being disciples who make disciples. Kingdom mission focus.

Financial challenge. Wednesday, we gathered for a difficult yet needed conversation on the financial picture that has been unfolding this year. In anticipation of this, we affirmed a 3 tier budget for 2021. Along with countless churches across the country, as you know, our financial situation is a growing challenge to our mission. For a couple of years, we've been looking at how we might address the problem that most of our budget is spent on salaries and property by growing the mission side. However, giving is down significantly and despite drastic spending holds, on September 15, tier 3 of our 2021 budget goes into effect.

What this means: reduction in payroll and staff which will hinder our ability to serve and support the HC's well and provide services such as live streaming.

In addition, the Finance and Administration team will be developing a tier 4 budget to help us get to break even by the end of the year. This will be presented to the congregation very soon. The cuts in a tier 4 budget will be much deeper including Jennifer and Jack's salaries and time.

During the Wednesday financial meeting we addressed the reality that our fixed costs (payroll and property or overhead) far exceeds our spending on mission. This is must change In order to become a fruitful House Church network. A plan is being worked on to explore and determine solutions.

Team

Coordinators: Dave and Cherrie

Worship:

Hosts: Rotate

Luke 21:1-4 Treasury

Section of the court of the women where the 13 collection boxes were located.

Designated Giving: Each one had written on them how what you put in would be used.

This is where Jesus saw the rich giving their gifts.

At least some were giving generously.

The Offering of the Poor Widow

Word for poor only used here in NT.

Poor enough to need help from others.

First century Judea - life was difficult.

A poor widow: received help from others: her family. Lived with them. They were poor likely poor as well.

Two copper coins: the minimum allowable offering.

Jesus Speaks

The monetary value of a gift isn’t everything.

She made the biggest gift of all.

Marshall: What matters is not the amount one gives but the amount one keeps for oneself.

Jesus’ words didn’t mean: more than any of them; but more than all of them together.

If the evaluation of how generous one is what is left over after giving, she outgave them all.

They gave out of their abundance and had a lot left over.

She gave all she had.