Dear Church Family,
Once again fall is upon us as the day grows a little cooler. Like the weather, the strong giving trend
seen during the first eight months of the year showed some signs of cooling in September. But
overall the church’s finances remained healthy through the first three quarters of 2023.
Specifically, through September, giving to the Unified Budget totaled $348,000 year to date, which
was up 7.5% over the same period last year. However, you may recall that last September we were
concerned at how far down total giving was from the year before. Furthermore, this September’s
giving, at $28,400, was the first month all year that monthly giving was below $30,000. Therefore,
we hope September will prove to be just an outlier and that giving will trend upward again for the
remainder of the year.
Unfortunately, not only was September’s revenue down, but expenses were higher due to a
couple of reasons. First, our quarterly ministry shares were due, which is what we contribute in
connection with other United Methodists to make a difference around the world. It was also a 3-
payday month instead of a 2-payday month (which happens only twice a year). Therefore, due to
weak revenue and increased expenses, it was necessary to consume some of our Unified Fund
balance to pay all the bills in September. This decreased the fund balance to $52,000, down from
$68,000 at the beginning of the year. We expect October expenses to be more “normal” with just
two paydays and revenue to be higher simply because October has five Sundays. Such are the ebbs
and flows of the church’s monthly finances while its ministry continues unabated every day.
In fact, our church’s ministry continues to grow and thrive all around us! The recently distributed
Fall 2023 Annual Report documents so many of the exciting things that have happened at FUMER
in the past year. Just in the past few months the church’s ongoing commitment to families has
been seen in the hiring of a new staff member to lead casual worship and another to oversee the
nursery. This follows the hiring of a youth director earlier in the year and a discipleship director the
year before. These folks, together with Pastor Melany and Brenda Austin, are hard at work
building the foundation for growth and vitality in our congregation that manifests itself in so many
ways.
It’s exciting to witness how your financial support for God’s work is producing fruit for his kingdom
through our church in Eaton Rapids. Thank you for being generous with what God has given you!
On behalf of the Finance Committee,
Steven Peters, Chair
Once again fall is upon us as the day grows a little cooler. Like the weather, the strong giving trend
seen during the first eight months of the year showed some signs of cooling in September. But
overall the church’s finances remained healthy through the first three quarters of 2023.
Specifically, through September, giving to the Unified Budget totaled $348,000 year to date, which
was up 7.5% over the same period last year. However, you may recall that last September we were
concerned at how far down total giving was from the year before. Furthermore, this September’s
giving, at $28,400, was the first month all year that monthly giving was below $30,000. Therefore,
we hope September will prove to be just an outlier and that giving will trend upward again for the
remainder of the year.
Unfortunately, not only was September’s revenue down, but expenses were higher due to a
couple of reasons. First, our quarterly ministry shares were due, which is what we contribute in
connection with other United Methodists to make a difference around the world. It was also a 3-
payday month instead of a 2-payday month (which happens only twice a year). Therefore, due to
weak revenue and increased expenses, it was necessary to consume some of our Unified Fund
balance to pay all the bills in September. This decreased the fund balance to $52,000, down from
$68,000 at the beginning of the year. We expect October expenses to be more “normal” with just
two paydays and revenue to be higher simply because October has five Sundays. Such are the ebbs
and flows of the church’s monthly finances while its ministry continues unabated every day.
In fact, our church’s ministry continues to grow and thrive all around us! The recently distributed
Fall 2023 Annual Report documents so many of the exciting things that have happened at FUMER
in the past year. Just in the past few months the church’s ongoing commitment to families has
been seen in the hiring of a new staff member to lead casual worship and another to oversee the
nursery. This follows the hiring of a youth director earlier in the year and a discipleship director the
year before. These folks, together with Pastor Melany and Brenda Austin, are hard at work
building the foundation for growth and vitality in our congregation that manifests itself in so many
ways.
It’s exciting to witness how your financial support for God’s work is producing fruit for his kingdom
through our church in Eaton Rapids. Thank you for being generous with what God has given you!
On behalf of the Finance Committee,
Steven Peters, Chair