A Year Worth CelebratingFiscal Year 2010-2011 was a big year for Forest Hills Community Church. Among the major decisions we made as a church, none was more key than the decision to purchase $90,000 of equipment from Portable Church Industries (PCI) to enhance our Sunday Worship experience and move from the Midway Movie Theater to PS 144. This was our largest financial undertaking to date, and we are happy to report that the church has repaid 54% of the loan.
The key area of improvement in our move to PS 144 was in the expansion of our Kids Zone ministry. The children have been afforded a safe, clean, fun environment to learn about Jesus on their level and remain engaged throughout the service. This would never have been possible had we stayed in the Midway Movie Theater.
Other areas of celebration are our commitment to missions over the past year. We were able to consistently give $1,000 a month to missionaries around the world, supporting their work sharing the gospel with unreached people groups in fifteen different countries and five continents!
We also had several large-scale events and activities this year that were designed to bring people to Jesusʼ church and encourage fellowship among believers. Joining a flag football league, offering guitar classes, holding a Halloween alternative and Easter Eggstravaganza for neighborhood families, and our first Christmas Eve service were a few of the outreach activities and special events we invested in as a church.
Looking Ahead
Unfortunately, the financial story of the church is not all good news. While there is much to be proud of, the budget needed to maintain the church is simply not being met at the current rate of giving. In the past three months, weʼve seen a significant dip in weekly income to FHCC, and the last quarter (June through August) ran a deficit of $7,757. Immediate action is necessary to correct this trend and keep the church operating.
Pastor Jeremy does not presently, nor has he ever, taken a salary from FHCC; his salary is provided by churches and individuals who choose to support him as a missionary. Any other expenses we could potentially cut have been eliminated or reduced, and the budget for 2011-2012 has been set at $11,000 monthly.Based on current attendance of 40 adults per week, our monthly giving needs to be $275 per adult to keep the church afloat. That translates to less than $70 each week. We realize that for some, $275 a month is more than your current giving trends, however, this amount is beyond reasonable for most incomes and may in fact be under the amount God asks of you. We are asking people committed to Godʼs Church in Forest Hills to support FHCCʼs ongoing mission with their finances to ensure the church can continue to reach the lost.
