Winter, 2006
The Journey Continues
 

by Fr. Paul A. Noble

State of the Parish 2006

 

It has been said that all I ever talk about is the need for more money.  Now I know, given the amount of time I spend talking about diets and food, this simply can’t be true.  At the same time, I am concerned that some people believe that this is all that is ever talked about here.  So to save you from constant appeals for more money for St. Matthew Parish coming from this pulpit, I pledge to address this concern from this pulpit only once per year in what I call the “State of the Parish” address.  And guess what? This is it!  So, if nothing else, after Mass today, go home and mark your calendar for the fourth weekend of February next year (the 23rd and 24th, 2007), because that is when I’ll be doing it again.  I also reserve the right to send the occasional update through the bulletin, quarterly newsletter, or direct mail, but only once per year from the pulpit.  Also, I would like to assure you that I take no pleasure from making this address.  It’s part of my responsibility as pastor so I won’t shirk it but quite simply, it ain’t the funnest part of my job.

 With any such address, one is bound to find both good news and bad news.  Let me start by stating that the parishioners of St. Matthew are very generous, regularly generous, and dependably generous.  So I am confident that once everyone understands our needs are real and immediate, we will receive the support necessary to cover those needs and more.

 Given our best projections, we will end this fiscal year (June 30th) with about a $100,000 operational deficit.  This will, for all practical purposes, exhaust any “rainy day fund” or reserves we may have had.  The bad news is we are operating in the red, the good news is, given our current rate of participation, it would only take the average contributor two junior bacon cheeseburgers (or about $2) per week over a 12 month period to make-up that difference.  That would be great if our only need was to make-up that difference.  I am afraid our need is greater than that.  When we began our new building program three years ago our parish was blessed, through your generosity and good stewardship, with almost $500,000 in parish reserves.  Had we not had access to such reserves, I would have been before you much sooner with much greater needs.

 Currently, as a parish, we need about $2,400,000 per year to cover our operations and the payment on our building loan.  Let me spend a moment on the building fund.  Currently, our loan from the diocese is about $6,000,000 with monthly payments of about $62,000 and we have about ten years to pay it off (and I’m happy to report that through your generous participation we have already paid about $2,000,000).  This covers the cost of the church (about 6 million) plus the cost of furnishings such as pews, altar, ambo, and font, PA system, stained glass windows, kitchen equipment, etc., plus interest on the loan plus the diocesan assessment on the project.  This loan also includes the balance of the cost of the Parish Activity Center.  When we built the Parish Activity Center we were counting on the refund from the Challenge in Changing Times campaign to help cover the project. The refund was that money raised above our parish goal. When we started the campaign for the church, the Challenge in Changing Times contributions dried-up (probably transferred to the church campaign).  So in effect we took a double hit, our costs were more than originally estimated and we had less revenue available than anticipated.

 We had a similar experience in the area of operating revenue.  You may recall from our Financial Report distributed this past October, our 2004-2005 operating revenue was $61,000 less than 2002-2003 while our expenses were $261,000 greater for the same time period.  We think two things happened during this time: some people did not join us for our prayer and worship in the Parish Activity Center (and neither did their money) and some divided their total regular contribution between the regular contribution and the new building fund contribution.

 I would also like to make a few remarks regarding the diocesan loan and diocesan assessment on the project.  We may be tempted to cry “foul” regarding paying interest on the loan or an assessment on the project revenue.  By paying the interest we are able to offer to others what was of benefit to us.  When we didn’t have the money for the project, the Bishop was able to loan us the money at about 4%.  By our paying this, we hope others will be able to benefit as we did.  Regarding the diocesan assessment, this money is used to help parishes in need.  One example of such a need: since Father Lumpe has become pastor of Christ the King Parish this past July, the parish has received over $700,000 in grants from the diocese to cover emergency capital expenses.  And Father Lumpe tells me there are still more emergency repairs needed.  Christ the King is clearly not in the position to afford such projects.  The Bishop is able to give such grants because the assessment on extraordinary projects such as this new church is used to help those less fortunate.

 We are a big parish that is growing and as the parish grows so does the scope of its offerings.  We have greater needs and greater expectations and as we strive to meet those needs and expectations so grows our staff and our expenses.  We now offer more adult faith formation opportunities such as GIFT (small faith communities) and the book club as well as the adult inquiry program.  We offer more youth opportunities and we are expanding to include more middle school opportunities.  We also offer a “staffed” Nursery at all of our weekend Masses.  Normally, parishes may offer a nursery service at one or two of the weekend Masses.  We have more outreach programs to the needy of our community and through our Neighborhood Ministries we are trying to build a parish on neighborhoods rather than census lists.  We have increased the building capacity of the campus by almost 30,000 square feet with the connected expenses of utilities and maintenance.  We have built and supported a web-page and our parishioners expect us to utilize up-to-date and dependable database and other information technologies.  And, to my knowledge, we are the only parish fortunate enough to offer professional individual and group counseling right here on our own parish campus.

 A few months ago, one of the staff asked me if the 2.5% rate of contribution I talk about was on the net or on the gross of household income.  My response was: God bless that person for asking…  Officially, the 2.5% is on the gross.  The 2.5% is reflective of our efforts to build a community on the discipleship model of prayer, service, and financial support.  One hour of prayer per week, one hour of service per week, and one hour of financial support (2.5% of weekly income) each week.  Some might wonder whether or not this 2.5% will provide enough.  Some quick and simple math: the average income per residence in Gahanna is $60,000 per year.  2.5% of $60,000 is $1,500 per year.  Our current number of families is about 2,300.  2,300 times $1,500 equals $3,450,000 per year. 

 So maybe the question isn’t: is that enough? but rather: what would we do with the extra?  Our vision, our future is not a mystery.  Our Generations Plan was borne of the parish survey, of neighborhood meetings and community listening sessions.  It is on our web page for your review.  It has been endorsed by our Parish Development Board and it is the subject of the Parish Council’s review and revision.  Right now, we are struggling to make ends meet but it is rather clear that 2.5% would cover what we need and help us build the kind of parish we wish for in our Generations Plan.

 Another way to look at the 2.5% of $1,500 per year is $30 per week.  We need that in any combination of the regular operating contribution and the building fund contribution. Actually, as a parish, we have exceptional participation in those financially contributing to works of the parish. Given those we can track (check, envelope, E.C.O.) and those who have contributed $1 or more to either the building fund or the regular operations fund or both, we have about 70% of the parish participating.  That number is fantastic!  We also have those who give cash faithfully each week and while we can’t track them, we don’t want to forget them.  And we have some who give more than 2.5% and maybe even generously more than 2.5%.  I pray you don’t grow discouraged as you realize there are those who are not as generous as you.  I can only assure you that it is my experience that God is never out-done in generosity.

 I would like to take this opportunity to highlight three programs.  The first is the Meijer Community Rewards Program.  You may recall my letter of last fall.  We have seen some return on the program but we have really only scratched the surface.  This should generate at least $100,000 per year.  I understand brand loyalty—I’m from Detroit.  When dad worked for Ford, we bought Fords.  When dad worked for Buick, we bought Buicks – dad never worked for Chrysler, we never bought any of those.  So I certainly understand when you want to buy your favorite things at your favorite store.  But when we are talking about the basics where brand doesn’t make a great deal of difference, the Meijer program offers money that is just waiting for us to collect and we shouldn’t ignore the opportunity.  For your convenience, we will help you sign-up after Mass in the Gather Space if you haven’t already done so.  An other program is the Electronic Contribution Option for our regular parish offertory.  This program provides us with a dependable and reliable source of income.  While we may go on vacation, our bills never take a vacation.  If you are interested in more information on the electronic option, that is available after Mass as well.  And finally, for those who haven’t had a chance to make a Building Fund pledge and would like to do so or who would like to make their building fund pledge payment an electronic fund transfer, that information is there too.

 

Through our Finance Committee and Parish Council, Stewardship Committee and Development Board and other parish committees we are trying our best to be accountable and good stewards of your gifts.  Should you have any questions, I know any of those committee members as well as myself would be happy to do our best to answer them.  Our work is important and our needs are real and we rely on you to help us meet all of our obligations as a faith community.  I ask for your increased and continued support in this time of particular need.  And I want to say it again: God is never out-done in generosity.  May God bless you for your generosity and together let us strive to become what we proclaim: One Parish, One Family, One Journey.

 

 

 

 

 
 
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