November 2024
Dear Brown Line Church Family,
Thank you for being part of this community and for all your support, whether through your time, encouragement, or financial gifts. Since our financial board letter back in June, when it became clear to us that inflation and underemployment have impacted several of our people’s ability to give, we've made some strides as a group toward financial health—our monthly giving has increased, which is incredible!
However, we’re not quite there yet, and November has some deadlines. Here’s where we’re at:
We’re currently bringing in around $10,000/month—which is so close, but still shy of our $11,600 average monthly costs.
We no longer have enough money in the bank to safely operate at this deficit, so unless we can increase our recurring giving by $1,600/month, this month will include some hard choices, like rolling back Vince’s $500/month raise from last year (his first in years!), and making additional cuts.
The reality is, we need more help from the community to get us to financial stability. Here are two options we would be grateful for you to consider:
(1) If your income is stable currently, can you commit to increasing or starting a monthly gift today? Think of it this way: if just 16 of us add $100/month to our recurring giving here in November, we won’t have to cut Vince’s pay or anything else! (Actually, three of us on the board have already added $300/month to our recurring giving, so now it’s: if just 13 of us add $100/month, then no cuts!)
(2) If you have given larger gifts sporadically this year, could you commit to a monthly gift? One-time or quarterly gifts are always amazing, but monthly gifts are especially crucial since they allow us to budget and plan. Here’s an easy way to decide: could you take a look at what you’ve given in the past year, divide it by 12, and commit to giving that amount monthly? You can even round down a little to keep things manageable, and then make an extra gift at the end of the year if you find yourself able.
If you’re able to take one of these steps, please visit our donate page to set up or adjust your recurring gift, or you can set up your own recurring Zelle or check donation through your bank’s website or mobile app.
On Sunday, November 24th, at our Annual Meeting (during service) we will update the church on whether we will have to make cuts, and have some time for Q&A. Thank you for being part of Brown Line and for your generosity. Together, we can keep building the inclusive, welcoming church we all love!
With gratitude,
The Brown Line Church Financial Board
