“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
- 2 Peter 3:18
Growing in Grace
ABOUT GROWING IN GRACE
God has done great things at St. Andrew’s in 2023. Our vision of growing in grace in 2024 is to keep growing in the same direction, much like a growing tree becomes a bigger version of the same shape. We do plan new shoots of growth, especially in outreach and family ministries, but our aim is grace-filled growth into the full stature of what God is calling us to be.
WHY YOUR PLEDGE MATTERS
Imagine planning your monthly budget for mortgage, groceries, utilities, streaming services, entertainment, and clothing without knowing what your take home pay would be. The pledges we collect help the finance committee plan our budget for the coming year. From the building and staffing to our ministries inside these four walls and beyond, your pledge lets us know how we can best put your generous gifts to use in God’s Kingdom.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?
First, pray. We encourage you all to join us in committing to pray for our growth each day through this campaign. Call upon God and ask for his guidance in estimating your giving for the next year. Go knowing all comes from him, God’s grace to you allows you to give. Be thankful for all that he has provided us.
Second, we’re asking you to grow in grace with us by completing the attached card with an estimate of your 2024 giving. We know that this is an estimate and could change, but your prayerful commitment on your intention of giving card will allow us as a parish to create a budget where we all continue to grow in God’s grace. Thank you.
Watch: “Why I Give”
Breakdown by Ministry Areas
19% Worship, Music, Hidden Springs $176,500 (2023: $164,000)
I write to our newcomers: “worship is at the heart of all we do; it’s what enables all the rest of our life together.” That’s true on both sides of McKinney Ranch Parkway. Our Spirit-filled worship is also the primary entrance point for all the people God is bringing to St. Andrew’s.
14% Children, Youth & Family $131,500 (2023: $121,000)
We’ve seen great growth in our families this year, and plan to build upon this growth in the year to come. Most of our expense in this area is staff, because the ministry staff are the ones who plan, build, and lead the programs that help our families grow in Christ. To that end, the 2023 number includes an additional part-time children’s and family staff person.
7% Formation, Fellowship & Pastoral Care $62,900 (2023: $56,100)
From Christmas carols at Advent Fellowship Night to a tearful hug with the bereaved, these are the programs and ministries that bind us together in Christ. For the first time in 2023, people have asked “are we finally back” (from COVID)? The answer is yes! Our common life of small groups, fellowship events, and care for one another has reached the fullness and richness that we had before — but we’re not stopping there.
8% Outreach $75,300 (2023: $50,800)
We talk a lot about being the Hands&Feet of Christ at St. Andrew’s. We also put our money where our mouth is. This number includes the staff outreach position, as well as a portion of our total outreach program spending (but much of our outreach spending comes from non-operating budget sources not included here).
8% Leadership & Evangelism $75,200 (2023: $70,600)
Growing in grace requires reaching out to our community. Our proposed budget includes money to advertise, our website and software budget, as well as the staff resources to do so.
19% Facility & Grounds $183,200 (2023: $170,400)
We have great facilities and use them nearly every single day of the year. We are richly blessed, but it does come with a cost, especially now that our buildings have reached that age where we’re two things are true at once: we’re still paying the mortgage and we’re facing increasing costs of upkeep and maintenance.
16% Administration, Bookkeeping, Technology $148,100 (2023: $125,300)
This is the part of our budget (and the people behind it) that make St. Andrew’s just work. We are blessed to have faithful, careful, and caring stewards who run the office, care for our finances, and make sure we have the supplies and technology to communicate the gospel in this age.
9% Diocesean Assessment $80,100 (2023: $80,000)
Every local church is a part of Christ’s great Church. This is the financial side of that faith commitment, which goes to support the ministries of the diocese and the wider Episcopal Church. Our assessment is determined by a formula based on annual revenue.
INTENTION OF SPENDING 2024
Total: $932,800
A WORD ON SALARIES
Our personnel budget is $530,000, or 61% of the total. The Church, after all, is people. We have made a best effort to divide up the personnel costs among our ministry areas in order to help show how our staff costs are shared among our ministries.
Watch: Sermons from Growing in Grace
