December offerings followed the trend of recent months. We are currently 11.5% behind budgeted income for this fiscal year (FY) and 10% behind actual giving over the same six months last year. That being said, it is worth pausing to express gratitude for the entirely free-will donations that come in from our congregation. People have given nearly half a million dollars already this FY - to general operations and ministry alone - and that is something for which we can truly give thanks. (We're still behind though, so here are the numbers...)

 

Offerings for the month of December were $129,826. This was $21,078 (14%) below budget and 8.5% behind December 2016 actual giving. This brings us to $63,231 (11.5%) below budgeted offerings for the FY and 10% behind actual giving over the same time period last year.

 

Expenses were $1,853 (2%) under budget for December, bringing us to $16,100 (3%) under budget for the FY. Reasons for this remain the same as in preceding months, with the biggest impact coming from savings realized through staff reconfigurations.

 

Given that income is below budget, but expenses are too, we now have $44,134 less in the General Fund than we had budgeted. We generally expect the first half of the FY (July through December) to have a net inflow (i.e., income greater than expenses given the holidays) and the second half of the FY (January through June) to have a net outflow (i.e., income less than expense). Given that the General Fund is now sitting essentially flat (-$562), this puts us in a challenging position going into the first part of 2018, when we already anticipate spending more than we bring in.

 

Please feel free to contact Jennifer Droubay or Mike McKeller in the Church office (253-752-4966) with any questions. Thank you!

 1.  A request for funding for a cover for the Harpsichord and a stool to go with it was made and approved.  Jackie Stenger, one of the committee members  offered an antique stool which will be suitable and her gift is greatly appreciated.

  2. A request for funds was made and approved to purchase new communion chalices as the current ones are showing wear.

  3. The courtyard furnishings are continuing to go forward with funds held in reserve.

The Memorial Committee will meet again on March 14 for their quarterly meeting.

Are you and your family travelers?  Our church would enjoy sharing your travel memories through a special "world" Christmas Tree.  Share and keep a memory of your trip on a special Christmas tree for the lobby of the downstairs Sunday/Preschool area.  To participate we ask you to purchase an ornament from your travels anywhere in or outside the US and we will place it on our "kids world tree" Christmas 2018.  You will see a basket inside the downstairs entrance and in the main upstairs office area marked Christmas Travel Ornaments.  You can also give it directory to Mim Krabler or contact her at mimkrabler@gmail.com.  Please place ornament in tissue for protection and make sure that the travel destination in on the ornament.  For years to come you can enjoy your travel memories through browsing St. Mark's Kids Tree Every Christmas.  Happy traveling and thank you for helping us decorate our "World Kids Tree".  

We're excited to share with you that St. Mark's received a small energy conservation grant as part of our recent office window replacement project. This past fall - using some of the funds that our congregation has set aside for long-term maintenance - we replaced all the old, single pane office windows with energy efficient ones. We contacted Puget Sound Energy as part of our efforts and were awarded a grant that paid for more than 25% of our project! These new windows are helping St. Mark's be a better steward of our environment and our finances. (And keep your eyes open for new smart thermostats around the building...) If you have any questions or would like more details, please contact Jennifer Droubay in the church office.