District leaders get first glimpse of Funding the Mission

Louisville, Kentucky

Thursday, January 21, 2010

In the opening session of the stewardship track for USA/Canada Region district treasurers and financial officers, leaders saw the first glimpses of what Funding the Mission will look like in 2010. Details and answers to the "who, what, when, and how" questions were all addressed. Attendees like William Shotts, Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Illinois District treasurer, were impressed.

"The event was extremely valuable in information dissemination," Shotts said. "It was extremely well put together."

As district assembly years (church fiscal years) approach rapidly, momentum and pressure to release the final details of the plan have been growing. Funding the Mission, which will replace the aging budget system based on expenses and deductions, brings the Church of the Nazarene into the 21st century of raising, contributing, tracking, and organizing church treasuries - electronically.

Information for Funding the Mission is largely, and intentionally, web-based. Many pastors, treasurers, Nazarene Missions International (NMI) presidents, and laypeople are accustomed to receiving information via E-mail, checking balances electronically, and downloading resources from web sites. Developers at the Global Ministry Center worked to design a site that would enhance the unique needs of a connectional church, from sharing the rich mission history to extensive details and scenarios of how the plan will affect churches. The web site, www.fundingthemission.org, is a result of that work.

"The web site provides a very effective tool for Funding the Mission," said Mark Patrick, a Jacksonville, Florida, based CPA. "It takes the difficultly of calculating off the local churches and makes it easy to pay online."

Gary Daud, Missouri District treasurer, agreed. "The most valuable experience for me was to see the Funding the Mission dashboard for the first time," he said. "We're going back for training with the local treasurers and pastors on the district, and this will help in that training."

Pastors, treasurers, and NMI presidents will all appreciate the technological improvements, functionality, and resources of the web site. It is part philosophical, part practical. Additionally, it is a commitment from our leadership of their deep appreciation for the generosity of Nazarenes around the world. Inspirational videos, ready to be shared in board meetings and worship services, are all contained within the web site.

Within the next four to six weeks, an additional component - including the dashboard that Daud previewed in one of the sessions - of the web site will be released. The finishing touches and district-level training are being scheduled for an online calculator that will safely and securely pull records from Global Treasury Services and show users exactly where the church is in achieving giving goals and recognitions. More information about the calculator will be available shortly.

Funding the Mission is a result of extensive input and feedback from ministers, district superintendents, lay leaders, and missionaries. The new plan models a tithe principle of percentage giving for others, and creates the opportunity for the church to lead by example in generosity.

To schedule a teaching event about Funding the Mission, please contact Stewardship Ministries at 913-577-2710 or E-mail stewardship@nazarene.org.
--Stewardship Ministries

Related: Transforming receiving nations into sending nations (Engage magazine)

 

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