8/25/24 All Church Meeting Recap
Our church has been in its biggest season of growth since we began almost 6 years ago! We have seen an increase in attendance, in people serving, and in financial giving. We thank God for his provision for our community and His continued work in our lives.
The growth has not only been numeric, but spiritual as well. The Gospel has been impacting lives within our congregation! Two members – Jeremy Eshelman and Bob Ham – are anticipating installation as our first elders by the end of this calendar year. We have drafted a robust ministry plan that reaches every member, young and old. Most exciting of all, we have the opportunity to purchase the building that we worship in for only a fraction of its value.
With this growth comes wonderful opportunities to serve more people in our community, to develop deeper relationships with one another, and introduce more of our neighbors and friends to Jesus. As we continue to move by faith to the places God is leading us, it is going to take each one of us being faithful to the way the Lord is calling us to use our treasure, our time, and our talent to serve Him in His church.
Financial Update:
Our budget for this fiscal year is $180,000. This requires a monthly income of $15,000. We currently have a monthly income of $11,000 a month, which comes from both the generous internal giving from our congregation ($7500/mo) and the support of those outside our church ($4,000), who are excited about what God is doing in Connecticut!
Nevertheless, we face a $49,000 yearly deficit. We currently have a reserve fund of $31,000.
Our goal for this year is to balance our budget and leave the reserve fund intact. For this to happen, we are seeking $70,000 in outside support and $110,000 to come from giving within our congregation.
This is a critical time in the life of our church, and we all need to consider the ways in which the Lord is calling us to invest in His kingdom work. We are asking everyone who calls CPC Wallingford their church home to increase their monthly giving by at least $100/mo ($25/week).
To facilitate giving to CPC, we have switched to Tithely, a new online giving platform. This platform is incredibly user friendly and offers those who give the opportunity to cover the processing fees if they choose. We are asking everyone who gives to CPC online to do so through Tithely and to discontinue use of our current platform Acceptiva by August 31. If you need help stopping a recurring gift through Acceptiva, please email the church, and we will be happy to help you make the transition.
Building Update:
Our Building Campaign is currently live and as of this writing we have already raised close to $10,000. We are seeking to raise $75,000 for the purchase of the building and $50,000 to use for updating the building for a total of $125,000. You can view the progress of the campaign and share the giving information with family and friends by visiting www.cpcwallingford.org/building.
On September 1, we are giving White Oak Baptist Church a $5,000 deposit and have agreed upon a three-year, interest free term to pay them the remaining $70,000.
As CPC-W worshipers, our mission is to sustain the church over the long term. Therefore, we are asking all of our church members to first evaluate their regular giving before giving to the building fund. What we’re asking everyone to do is spread the word about the Building Campaign to friends, family, and other churches who might be interested in partnering with us to secure a permanent home for our church. We will soon have both digital and physical literature to send to those who would like to give.
Ministry Update:
We have an exciting ministry plan for the coming year, one that will help us all connect more deeply and intentionally with both one and another, with our community, and, above all, with Christ.
We are adding a Pre-k and Kindergarten class to our Sunday School program
We will be holding a midweek gathering once a month that will have classes and group meetings for everyone of all ages! Specifically, there will be a women's group, a men's group, a kids club, and a youth group for kids in fifth grade and up! CPC Mid-week will meet on Sep 11, October 9th, November 6th, and December 4th.
Our youth group will also be joining with CPC-Fairfield for a once month Fun Friday outing! More info will be coming about where and when.
There are also key opportunities to serve the church this ministry year. We are looking for Sunday School teachers, youth group volunteers, and people to serve on a dedicated Welcome and Hospitality team. If you would like to get involved in serving at CPC, please email the church.
We are thankful for all the things the Lord has placed before us and we are looking by faith to Him, assured that He will continue to provide for our church now as He always has done so graciously and lovingly thus far.
If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask!