Draft financial guidelines

At Amazing Grace, we've been thinking about stewardship and fundraising. Our Executive Committee came up with this draft of financial guidelines, which have been tweaked by Council. Council will be voting on these on October 5. Members of the congregation who have thoughts about this draft are invited and encouraged to share their thoughts with me or any member of Council. This is still a draft.

Financial Guidelines
Whereas all that we have is entrusted to us from God, Amazing Grace will seek to meet all financial obligations of its mission and ministry through a yearly budget built upon pledged gifts and offerings from the members of the Congregation.

Gifts and Offerings
All gifts and offerings will be directed to the general fund, memorial fund or building fund at the
donor’s discretion. Undesignated offerings will be applied to the general fund.
Any gifts or in kind donations in excess of $300 for purposes other than contribution to the general fund, memorial fund or building fund will be reported to and reviewed by the Congregation Council.
All appeals for special offerings must be approved by the Congregation Council.

Fundraisers
All fundraisers will require approval by the Congregation Council. To aid in Council’s decision making, the following criteria will be considered.
Fundraising events should primarily be opportunities for evangelism and Christian togetherness.
A portion of the proceeds from each fundraiser will be directed to ministries external to Amazing Grace.
Fundraisers to benefit Amazing Grace should be for an identified, specific need, other than the general fund.
Games of chance are strongly discouraged.
In keeping with the Sabbath, fundraisers on Sunday mornings are strongly discouraged.

These guidelines have been informed by the ELCA document “Considerations Regarding Commercialism in the Church” (http://www.elca.org/What-We-Believe/New-or-Returning-to--
Church/Dig-Deeper/Commercialism.aspx).