I find myself in one of those places that Jessica Seay called “the liminal place.” The liminal place is the “in between place,” the place of knowing and not knowing for sure. On this Tuesday afternoon, all hands are “on deck” preparing materials for our two STATE OF THE CHURCH events, one on Wednesday night and one on Thursday night. The staff is excited about the program. We have worked very hard to put together an incredible night of celebration and testimony. It should be awesome!
But by the time you receive this midweek newsletter, the STATE OF THE CHURCH event for 2012 will be over. And the results, the effectiveness of our efforts to inform and to inspire, will still be unknown. That’s the liminal place I’m talking about.
The real effectiveness of the STATE OF THE CHURCH event is told in the turning in of Commitment Cards this Sunday and the two Sundays following. The STATE OF THE CHURCH commitment is the commitment we make annually to underwrite the budget of the church. The budget of the church is essential. It is the underpinning of everything we do. It provides the space and the place. It provides the program and the ministry. It provides the amazing leadership of our church staff. It provides the outreach, the missions, the caring of our community to the world.
Every line item in our budget is carefully considered and scrutinized. Every line item in our budget is accounted for and adjusted as needed. Our budget is as lean as we can make it without crippling our dreams or paralyzing our programs. We don’t spend it unless we absolutely need it and if we err, we err on the side of under-spend and delayed timing.
The truth is, we cannot do great things for God without the heartfelt investment of the people of God. We need the generous and committed support of all of our members, people who have taken a vow before Christ to support the church with their prayers, their presence, their gifts, and their service and witness. We need you! See you Sunday—Commitment Cards in hand!
Pastor Stan
Posted on
Wed, January 25, 2012
by Stan Cosby