September 8, 2023
Labor Day and Calendars
This past Monday was Labor Day. Although summer technically ends about midnight, September 22nd this year, most people think of Labor Day as the last day of summer. For those in the Seattle Public Schools, Labor Day marks the end of summer vacation, but for First Covenant Church, Labor Day marks the beginning of the new year. That is, our new fiscal year, which to be specific, begins September 1st each year.
Last year, as was recounted in last week’s Life on the Vine, we have just concluded a very healthy fiscal year. Last year we also had a number of expenses that we needed to address, including repairs on our dome and roof, afforded in that case by refinancing our mortgage. However, to underscore what was written last week, we have not yet drawn money on our new mortgage, because our finances have been strong enough that we have been able to pay cash for our repairs so far. This is a significant savings long term for us.
Again, to echo last week’s report, there are multiple factors which have enhanced our church budget. First, we have a stable source of revenue in renting our Summit building to the Northwest School. Second, the faculty and staff of the school are renting spaces in our parking garage, which provides another stable source of income for us. This stability, when combined with the good work Premier Parking has done in increasing our overall parking income, has brought in more revenue than we were expecting.
This is all great news, for which we are most grateful. But this is not the best news. The best news in last year’s budget, is that congregational giving was stronger than we had expected. Since I became your pastor 32 months ago, you all have been consistently faithful and generous in your support of our church with your offerings of prayers, service, and finances. Thank you. Last year was no exception.
As was described recently in the New York Times, we are in the context of declining Christian churches in America, and in this context we are an exceptional church, bucking the trends. A typical Protestant church in the US today has 50 people attending. We are larger than that, and we are added more members than we are losing. We are not exploding, but we are healthy. Our financial position is allowing us to search for a second, full-time pastor. Our congregation is not “top heavy,” as we are truly an intergenerational church, with every age having representation. This is a testimony to you all and your faithfulness—all in response to God’s faithfulness to us. I applaud you for your steadfast support of our church and its ministries and ministers, even as I encourage you to continue your support. I invite you to prayerfully consider how we can build on the solid foundation we have established that we might increase and enhance our ministries within our congregation and to our world. And then prayerfully consider how you are able to support our ministries through your prayers, service, and finances.
My final word is one of gratitude. Gratitude for your loving support of First Covenant Church in all the ways you contribute to it. Gratitude for your embrace of our visitors, new attendees, and new members. Gratitude for your support and encouragement of our council and staff. And of course, gratitude for your welcome and encouragement of my ministry in this initial season of serving First Covenant as your pastor, and for the many generous expressions of support you have offered me—not the least being the recent bonus I received. Thank you one and all.
With God’s help, might we all keep up the good work in this ‘new year.’
With humility and appreciation,
~Pastor Todd