We are starting a new spiritual practice of providing you with a monthly financial update. With immense gratitude and joy, I’m here to report that The Church We Hope For, by God’s grace, is financially healthy. For nearly four years, we’ve witnessed His faithfulness through the generosity of this congregation and from special gifts from other churches such as Quest Church, Preston Trail, and Mosaic NY. God has consistently gone before us in miraculous ways to provide for our every need.
Budget
We don’t take God’s provision lightly and continue to do our best to be good managers of the money entrusted to us. One way we do this is with a fancy and somewhat boring budget prepared and maintained by a bookkeeper who is not one of the pastors or a spouse of a pastor. Just like your household budgets, our annual budget helps us categorize our spending and income. We had to submit a three-year budget projection to the IRS to secure our 501(c)(3) status which was approved just a few months ago.
The budget is not merely a financial roadmap but a spiritual tool that enables us to plan for giving to our community partners and project our future staffing needs. We’ve been privileged to share God’s blessings with organizations that align with our mission, including:
- the Racial Solidarity Project,
- the Immigration Resource Center of San Gabriel Valley,
- OC United,
- Greenline Housing,
- and Uganda Missions.
We also buy a fair amount of DoorDash gift cards for people in our church as a means of pastoral care.
Giving vs. Expenses
We believe that in the church, transparency is a cornerstone of financial stewardship. We continuously monitor our income and expenses, with board oversight required for any purchases above $5,000. This collaborative approach allowed us to invest in sound equipment last month, thanks to the early high-dollar gifts earmarked for such purposes.
As you can see from this bar chart, our monthly offerings and expenses are typically neck and neck when you don’t factor in the high-dollar gifts from outside the church. Starting this spiritual practice, we commit to sharing a high-level financial report with you at the beginning of each month. We want you to be informed and encouraged by the faithfulness that God has shown us, both in finances and in spirit.
While we consistently invite our church family to give generously, joyfully, and sacrificially, we also acknowledge the profound generosity that defines our community. You, our church familia, are not just asking whether to give or not. You are givers, always seeking ways to make a difference.
So, we invite and encourage you not only to give TO our church but to envision giving THROUGH our church. As a unified body, we can have a more significant impact, extending our mission beyond the walls of our sanctuary.
Ways to give:
- Zelle®
- Bank-to-bank transfer with no fees
- Church Center app & Give by text
- Use ACH instead of a credit or debit card to save almost 3% in processing fees
- Mail a check
- The Church We Hope For, Inc.
- 710 S Myrtle Ave #202
- Monrovia, CA 91016
- No fees, maybe a stamp
More detailed instructions are available at https://thechurchwehopefor.
Conclusion
Let us continue to praise God for His blessings, embrace a spirit of joyful giving, and seek new ways to be a source of love and support in our community. Together, we can make a lasting impact as a beloved community moved by the Spirit following the life, love, and justice of Jesus.
Regards,
Rob McBryde, Operations and Technology