tags:
I am not sure if you know this, but Humble Walk doesn’t financially function like most churches (huge shock, I know). We rely on a wide web of generosity. That wide web looks like: the national Lutheran church, our local Saint Paul Area Synod (a network of all the ELCA churches in St Paul), partner congregations who walk along side us, offering gifts on Sundays, passing the hat at Beer and Hymns, grants…and as of this week…a week-long online giving blitz. Mush that all together and you get…one duct-taped-together mission church budget.
Our budget is about $65,000 and provides: one part-time pastor (me), a quarter-time art and music coordinator (Justin), a weekly worship artist, weekly worship, monthly Theology Pub, monthly Beer and Hymns, a Wild Summer coordinator, a summer of Wild events, ice cream socials, bike blessing events, summer camp for kids, retreats, Summer Homework…and about 200 trips to make copies at FedEx (which I still call “Kinko’s”). (I also still call Macy’s “Dayton’s”). (Not really).
Humble Walk is growing like crazy. A congregation of singers and sinners and saints and drinkers and servers assembles at each event at Shamrock’s Pub. Our summers in the park teem with kids and the adults who love them. We welcome new faces into worship every single week. (And none of this fits into that stewardship model you might be thinking of…)
Two weeks ago, I met with my director to talk about our financial future (not as bad as it sounds…there were latte’s involved). At that point, we were going to end the year $18K in the hole. Blah. So…
Jodi,
Thanks for explaining this in the way that you did. Even for me, who knows the ins and outs of a lot of things, it was helpful.
Love being even a tiny part of Humble Walk!