Here are answers to some questions that have been raised by friends and members of the church. If you have other questions, please direct them to a member of the Stewardship Committee.
Can we use our Capital Reserve Fund for shortfalls in our operating budget?
The use of our Capital Reserve Fund (CRF) is restricted to capital expenses only. Some recent examples include: painting the building’s exterior wooden and metal trim; replacing broken and missing slates and copper caps on the bell tower roof; replacing broken exterior glass protecting a stained glass window; replacing the back entrance door; and upgrading the elevator’s electronic control panels. The Building and Grounds Committee anticipates the need to replace our boiler and hot air furnaces sometime in the next five years.
If I/we/they do not receive a stimulus check can we still contribute?
Absolutely! Our intent with this effort is to leverage receiving a third round of stimulus checks with a call to consider contributing a portion to an operating reserve fund. During the last four years households that collectively contributed over $40,000 to our operating budget have either moved from the area or passed away, creating pressure on our current operating budget and future operating budgets.
Are we using the church’s endowment to support our operating budget?
We sure are. Since 2014 we have withdrawn $80,000 from our endowment in support of operations.