Vancouver First United Methodist Church

It is the time of year when we begin thinking about our budget for 2027. Church leaders are contemplating what we will need financially in the coming year so that we can faithfully follow God's call for us. SPRC and Missions have shared their hopes and needs with the Finance Team, and other ministry teams are considering how best to resource their work. Then there are the unavoidable realities of maintaining a church building—things like insurance, utilities, and keeping the lights on! Budgeting is not particularly glamorous work, but it is holy work. It is an opportunity to ask not simply, "How much money do we need?" but "What is God calling us to do, and how can we faithfully use the resources we have?"

John Wesley offered some wonderfully practical advice: Earn all you can. Save all you can. Give all you can. These three principles are guiding our stewardship campaign this year, and they are also guiding our leadership as we plan for the future. We are working toward a church budget that is balanced, transparent, nimble, and focused on our calling. That means asking some hard questions about what we really need, what we can do differently, and where we can be more frugal without sacrificing the heart of our ministry.

Of course, we need financial pledges to plan responsibly for the year ahead, and we also need your wisdom, your questions, your creativity, your willingness to show up, and your desire to make God's love visible in the world. You should have received a stewardship letter and pledge card inviting you to consider all five of those promises. I hope you will take some time to prayerfully consider not only what you can give financially, but also how you might participate in God's work in the coming year—within our church and beyond its walls. When we join the United Methodist Church, we promise to uphold the church with our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. Those five promises remind us that stewardship is about far more than money, so we are asking you to pledge in all five areas as a faithful response to God. Please return your pledge to the office by November 22nd. You are also welcome to pledge online by clicking the button below.

Together, thoughtfully, strategically, generously, and transparently, we can continue building a church that cares for our neighbors, creates belonging, and helps make the world a little more like God's dream.

Blessings,

Pastor Eilidh

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