If you have received a copy of the church budget (available in the lobby), then you've learned a little about our thinking concerning financing ministry during this next fiscal year. In this installment of my Messages About Purpose and Strategy, I'll refer to what we've written in response to the question: Why are we doing the GO campaign? "The simple answer is to balance the budget of a growing ministry in challenging economic times. From the earliest accounts of the church, members have provided support through both ordinary giving (tithes & offerings) as well as extraordinary gifts (see Acts 2.43 & 4.37). The Elder Board has determined it is wise to take a conservative approach to our General Revenue estimates. Several of the church's ministries are experiencing rapid growth. This means we have a choice to either cut back on ministry expenses (there are costs to doing ministry!) or raise the additional funds through the generous giving of our membership. In addition, we want to set up a modest emergency reserve fund that does not currently exist."