The 2018 proposed budget (click here to review proposed budget) was approved by the Finance Committee and the Diaconate at their November  and December meetings.The budget will be presented at the church conference on Sunday December 10th for approval by the congregation.

Overall spending to meet ministry objectives is projected to increase very slightly during 2018.  To meet the spending need, projected income for tithes/offerings and interest income (budget receipts) will need to increase to $1,767,212 from the 2017 budget of $1,765,360.  (2016 budget receipts were $1,742,590.  The current rate of budget receipts is trending below $1,700,000 for 2017.)

Ministry Program Income is projected to be down mostly due to lower parking receipts from UNCG, who discontinued their annual retention of reserving space for employees and functions.

The planned use of reserve funds to support the 2017 budget will increase from $126,350 to $130,000 and be allocated as follows:

  • $90,000 to fund major repair/capital improvements items from undesignated bequests.
  • $30,000 to help fund personnel transition explained below, and
  • $5,000 to fund a new mission partnership with Lesley-Ann Hix Tommey, and
  • $5,000 to support this year’s Upward Basketball Ministry (Funds that were unused from prior year allocations to this effort.)

Personnel Transition Plan:

The personnel committee recommends continuation of their multi-year transition plan presented last year.  The compensation and benefits for 2018 would decrease slightly overall by $4,163 less than the 2017 budget.  The decrease, which is the sum of many moving parts, is being requested by the Personnel Committee to allow smooth transition of future ministry responsibilities among the staff.  Below are listed some of the moving parts:

  • Pressley’s retirement at the end of June.
  • A new youth minister estimated to begin no later than May 1st.
  • Adding a part-time Associate Pastor: Spiritual Formation.
  • Increasing a part-time administrative support position to full-time.
  • Increase in cost of group health insurance (average 7.7% increase).
  • Raising salaries by 1.5%

Most other changes in ministry spending are minor from year to year.  A few of the changes are highlighted below:

Pastoral Care: Reduced in this area were some previously unused funds for attending conferences and a reduction in the expected cost of the Explore First class.

Music & Worship: The decrease in this section is related to expected cost reductions that will occur due to reallocation of resources to the Youth Choir mission trip.  Funding for the youth choir trip is presented in a separate section.

Adult Formation: The total change in this section is due to removal of the divorce recovery line item.  Currently Divorce Recovery is being offered by several local churches and was not offered at FBC this year and it is not anticipated to be offered next year; so this was removed from the budget.

Mission Trips: The Youth Choir trip to Thailand in 2018 is expected to cost more than the cost of the youth summer mission trip in 2017.

Communications: The net decrease in the line items is related to a decrease in overall advertising spending in local papers and other publications.

Missions and Mission Partnerships:  Overall allocations to mission partners increased by $4,650.  The most significant change was to add support for the ministry of Lesley-Ann Hix Tommey, now a CBF field personnel ministering in New York City.

Please feel free to contact Rob Young, Finance Committee chair, or anyone on the finance committee, Scott North, Church Administrator, Rob Wells, Personnel Committee chair, for questions and clarifications.

 

Proposed 2018 Budget