Faith in numbers

As a child, I always enjoyed numbers. Math was a favorite subject, perhaps because it offered exact answers in a world of much ambiguity, perhaps because it was neat and tidy when so much of life was the opposite. I particularly loved geometry and writing proofs, making connections between seemingly disparate pieces of information that allowed one to “solve” a problem. If only life worked that way!

Statistics class upended my understanding of the neat and tidy world of numbers. I learned that numbers can tell many stories. My independent research on rivers and streams helped confirm the need to look deeper at what the numbers are saying. 

The Annual Report for 2024 is included in this newsletter. On Sunday January 26 at 10 AM, we will gather for the parish Annual Meeting. This is a time when the congregation comes together to elect new vestry members, review the “budget vs. actual” numbers from 2024, look at the planned uses of our financial resources for 2025 and what this means for our collective ministry in the coming year.  The Church Treasurer, Vic Clark, along with the Vestry and the Finance Committee, has been working on these numbers very diligently. As well, for those interested in the details, there is an opportunity to go deeply into the numbers on Saturday, January 25 at 2 PM in the Church Parlor.

A preview of some of the good news: though the 2024 financial plan anticipated more than $27,000 deficit, we closed the year essentially even. This came from both lower than anticipated expenses and generosity of All Saints’ parishioners. Although some folks were unable to complete their estimated giving, 51 pledge units gave more than they had initially projected.

Wow, that means nearly half of those making estimates of giving gave more to support the mission and ministry God through All Saints’! Most amounts were not large, but collectively, they had quite an impact. 

Generosity.

Another place where the numbers may not tell the whole story is found in the budget for 2025. Comparing the estimates of giving for 2024 and 2025, the total looks to be essentially flat.

What the number for estimates of giving doesn’t show is that 19 people/households died or moved. In 2024, their giving totaled just under $60,000, so there was a lot of ground to “make up” just to get “even.” Of the 132 estimates returned for 2025, 14 decreased while 65 increased. And there were 21 new pledges.

Again, generosity. 

For me, this is how grace works in our community of faith. God is a God of abundance. This church is a place of generosity, generosity that comes in many forms, generosity that might not be obvious if you just look at the numbers. 

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday as we consider and celebrate what God is doing through the people of All Saints’ Concord.

With gratitude,
Nancy+