Immanuel Lutheran Church

Stewardship and Finance Committees

August 6, 2006

According to Immanuel’s Bylaws, the Stewardship Committee shall…

§ Promote a vital sense of stewardship and social life of the congregation;

§ Develop and implement plans to increase the congregation’s financial and human resources;

§ Oversee the fundraising activities of the congregation;

§ Study the need for new activities and organizations and take steps to make them happen.

What this means is that the Stewardship Committee works to develop sufficient resources – including time, talent and financial – and employ them wisely in carrying out Immanuel’s mission.

The Stewardship Committee has a Vision…

§ Immanuel is many people serving many people in many ways that inspires members to be generous financially.

§ At Immanuel we are challenging ourselves to be the best that we can be in meeting the spiritual and physical needs among the congregation, community and beyond. Generous gifts of time, talent and financial resources will naturally flow as members engage in this process.

§ Annual giving will be sufficient to pay salaries, facilities and program expenses.

§ Capital Campaign pledges will be sufficient to pay the mortgage payments and retire the mortgage early (in fewer than 20 years).

§ Contributions of time, talent and financial resources will grow by three to five percent year after year, enabling corresponding growth in Immanuel’s mission: worship, welcoming and service.

On August 6 we launch the 2007 Stewardship Campaign, which will continue through October with weekly promotions about the life and activities of Immanuel. Each week’s feature will be available on a display in the Narthex, along with pledge cards.

Pledge cards will be collected on Stewardship Sunday, October 29.

You can join God’s work through your stewardship,

by sharing your time, talents and financial resources

as a member of the Immanuel family!
Immanuel Lutheran Church

Stewardship and Finance Committees

August 6, 2006

According to Immanuel’s Bylaws, the Finance Committee shall…

§ Prepare the annual budget of the congregation, in consultation with the other committees, and present to the council and congregation for approval at the Annual Meeting;

§ Oversee the financial affairs of the congregation – prompt payment of bills, investment of funds, and procurement of insurance coverage.

What this means is that the Finance Committee keeps Immanuel’s financial house in good order, and regularly reports Immanuel’s financial status to the congregation.

The Finance Committee has a Vision…

Like a renovation project, the Finance committee goals are to shore up Immanuel’s financial “house” –

§ Reinforce the “foundation” – update the set of accounts to make certain we have the income, expense, and Fund Balance accounts for each area of activity.

§ Upgrade the “plumbing and wiring” – strengthen the links between accounts so all financial gifts appear on members’ giving statements, in the church income account, in the appropriate fund account, and are tracked appropriately.

§ Spiff up the “décor” – create graphs and reports that are clear, accurate pictures of financial activity, promptly and with minimal rework.

§ Replace outdated “appliances” – purchase new, more functional computers and upgrade the networking systems.

And now a word from our Treasurer:

It has been very rewarding to serve as Treasurer of Immanuel since January. I’ve been a member for ten years now, and have long been curious about how the work I do in my job at the ELCA Board of Pensions might dovetail with the financial activity of the church. I really had no idea what an exciting & interesting challenge this post would be. I came into this role looking for opportunities for cross-fertilization -- to see how the Board’s mission of Stewardship and providing “business” support for the ELCA could also help my home church.

As an investment manager for the Board, I work with financial reporting daily. I’m not a professional accountant, but high quality financial reporting is a focus at work and now at church too. I hope I can bring my experience to bear on the financial practices and processes of Immanuel, and in turn, help find ways the Board of Pensions can better support the good work of the church. With the help of others – the Finance Committee, staff, and folks who’ve been involved in the accounting work at Immanuel – I have spent the past months “tidying-up” the financial house of the church. This has included exploring every single “room and closet,” re-structuring some of the account-keeping and reporting practices, and generally rolling-up my sleeves to organize the books so that we keep fluid, accurate accounts that paint the most realistic, timely picture of Immanuel’s financial situation.

I hope you find the efforts of the Finance Committee helpful as we continue to report on Immanuel’s finances throughout the year.

-- Diane Brehmer, Treasurer