Generosity: Past and Future

Thank you to those that have given faithfully in the past. Because of your generosity the officers of Rivermont have seeded the Missions Endowment Fund with an initial balance of $40,000. Income from this fund will benefit missions for years to come. Large or small gifts may be made at any time to add to the balance of the new fund, or if you have a particular mission or program in mind you may set up a separate endowment fund and designate the use of the funds. Speak to a member of the Planned Giving Committee for more information, or ask for a copy of the Planned Giving Policy. The policy can also be found online at www.rivermontpc.org on the Downloads page. Many thanks again to all of you that have made stewardship an annual choice, and a lifetime choice.

Dear Rivermont Congregation,

At the February 6 stated meeting of the elders, we had the great joy of deciding on how extra funds would be distributed. Because of your generosity and the careful stewardship of our church officers, we ended 2005 with $87,000 in extra funds. These funds came either from persons giving more than was pledged, or from the underspending of budget items. An ad hoc committee of elders Jim Ford and Dick Swisher, and deacons Susan Klapman and Alison Smiley, was appointed to recommend ways for those extra funds to be allocated.

After that ad hoc committee began meeting, they also decided to ask the session to amend a guideline in place for a number of years. That guideline had said that Rivermont Church would always seek to have three months of the operating budget in the bank. The guideline was amended by the session to keeping two months of the Buildings and Grounds and Personnel operating budgets in the bank (still, about $89,000). This changing of the previous guideline freed up an additional $80,000. Added to the above amount, this meant that the session had the joy of voting on the distribution of $167,000.

The subcommittee recommended, and the session approved, the following allocation of those funds:

-- $66,000 for paying off the mortgage on the blue house property;

-- $6,000 for missions, to bring 2006 Missions allocations up to what the Missions Committee had originally requested for this year;

-- $39,000 to bring the Church’s Emergency Reserve Fund back up to $50,000, where it was supposed to be, but had not been for several years;

-- $16,000 for a new church sign beside Hixson Pike;

-- $40,000 to begin the Mission Endowment Fund.

Each of these allocations will strengthen the Church for coming years. Paying off the mortgage means not having another capital campaign for now, and frees up funds in future budgets in 2007 and beyond. The goal of increasing missions spending year by year comes closer to reality. The Emergency Reserve Fund is available for major unexpected expenses or building repairs. The new sign will let more people know we are here and invite them in. The Mission Endowment Fund will begin to generate extra mission dollars now, instead of some future time.

All of this good news glorifies God, and shows what God’s faithful people we can do. The elders and deacons thank God for you, your faithfulness and generosity!

Sincerely,

Dr. Daniel N. Sansbury Mrs. Lucy Dethero

Moderator of session Clerk of session