Are You Getting Your Money's Worth?

As a number of churches are preparing to put together their budgets for the coming year, most will be looking to cut wasteful spending and tighten their belts in these uncertain economic times. For most churches one of the largest single expenditures will be the denominational assessment. The assessment for our church amounts to $80 a member in 2009. The average family in our church has 3 members, so about $240 a year.

I have a question. Is the average family in my church and your church getting their money's worth? We don't receive any denominational aid. Most of our programs don't use denominational material. We use Faith Alive for Sunday School, but we pay a pretty penny for it. Only rarely do we see a supported missionary. We get bulletin inserts that people don't read, which they leave in their pews. 

Money is tight this year and we could certainly find better uses for the $16,000 that the denomination is asking for the upcoming year. We have a number of outreach programs we have had to shelve for lack of funds. We have some capital repairs that are on hold. $16,000 would come in handy this year.

So I ask the question again - Is the average family in your church getting its money's worth?

Scott Nichols

Hi!

Welcome to my little corner of the blogosphere. Feel free to look around. Ask questions. Handle the merchandise. Just remember if you break it - you bought it!

Allow me to introduce myself...Scott Nichols, currently senior pastor of Faith Reforemd Church of Midland Park, NJ, a position I have been privileged to have for almost 12 years now. I am a transplant from the Midwest. Born, raised and educated in Iowa. I worked at churches in Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan and South Dakota, before God in his infinite humor sent me East. My goal has been to bring a little midwestern common sense (as well as a love for church potlucks) to the original Dutch Reformed Church.

I am blessed with a loving wife (Jodie) and two great kids (Robert - 6 and Jonathan - 3).

I got started blogging about 5 years ago now as an outlet for some of the dreams and concerns I had about the Reformed Church. You can read my personal blog - Random Responses - here.

I'm looking forward to the interaction here on the Church Herald site.

Scott Nichols
Faith Reformed - Midland Park