Money Matters

Hey Church Family –

Create a Ripple concludes on Sunday, November 18^th. It is a three-year debt reduction campaign that will allow us to do two things:

1. Spend less money on interest and more money on ministry and missions.
2. Strategically put The Water’s Edge in a position so that we can expand our facilities and campus in the future.

The Water’s Edge is strong financially. This debt reduction campaign is part of our long-term financial plan. We will be turning in two pledge cards on November 18^th.

1. Create a Ripple. This is a three-year debt reduction campaign, described above, with donations beginning on January 1^st, 2019 and ending on December 31^st, 2021. Every dollar given to this campaign will go to reducing our debt. Our goal is a total of $2,400,000 for the three years.
2. Start Where You Are. This will fund our 2019 Financial Plan for Ministry. Our church has grown about 40% in 2018. Our staff and leaders have worked hard and smart to limit the growth in expenses. Our 2019 Financial Plan for Ministry is increasing 9% to $1,008,000.

It is important to note that our priority is Start Where You Are. This pays the bills: ministry, salaries, building expenses, interest on our loan, and missions. Giving to Create a Rippleis a gift above our support of the annual budget. 100% of the proceeds from Create a Ripplego to reduce the principal on our debt.

I announced in worship a few weeks ago that twenty families have pledged to give $806,000 to Create a Ripple. That is an average of $40,000 over a three year period! Six percent of our families have got us over one-third of the way to our $2,400,000 goal! My prayer is that 100% of us will participate in Create a Rippleand Start Where You Are.Here is how:

1. If you haven’t begun practicing generosity at The Water’s Edge, make a plan to support Start Where You Are. About half our donors give electronically on a monthly basis. Or you could give on Sundays. Either way, start where you are and challenge yourself to grow in the area of generosity.
2. If you are practicing generosity, take the next step. Some people systematically are moving toward a tithing (giving ten percent of their income to the church). Make a two to six year plan to move from where you are to tithing. Some people will look at their past giving—both to the yearly budget and our capital campaigns—and gradually or not-so-gradually increase their generosity in both yearly giving and three-year capital giving.
3. If you are one of our most generous families, keep moving forward and inspiring the rest of us. You have discovered that generosity has been a blessing to you and you have seen amazing returns from your investment in our church.

I’m excited to turn in my pledge cards on November 18^thand I’m more excited about what God is going to do in us and through us in 2019 and beyond.