On Giving
Grace Church,
I wanted to share some news about our Embrace Grace capital campaign.
It is important to recognize and celebrate what God has done through this effort. The campaign has been remarkably successful, as you, our partners in ministry have responded with extraordinary generosity toward the goal of eliminating our debt. I think we are all in awe of the incredible success we have achieved in such a short amount of time.
As we review our overall financial picture, it has become clear that we need to focus greater attention on the church’s day-to-day needs. While the success of Embrace Grace is something to be thankful for, it appears that some giving that might otherwise have gone toward regular tithes and offerings has been directed to the campaign. As a result, our operating budget is facing increased pressure at a time when consistent support for ministry, staffing, facilities, and ongoing church programs is essential.
I recommend that we place the Embrace Grace campaign on pause through December 2026. This would encourage our church family to refocus on regular tithing and sustaining the church’s current ministry priorities, while maintaining our long-term commitment to becoming debt-free.
It is important to emphasize that this is not an end to the campaign, nor a step away from our $500,000 goal. Rather, it is a strategic pause intended to strengthen the church’s overall financial health at this time.
Embrace Grace will resume in early 2027, at which time we can sprint toward the finish line and retire our mortgage debt. All current pledges and commitments made to Embrace Grace will be honored unless givers specifically request the funds to be redirected to the general fund.
I believe this approach allows us to honor the tremendous success of the campaign while also exercising wise stewardship of the church’s current financial needs. Thank you for your prayerful consideration of this recommendation and your continued leadership during this season.
Pastor Rick and the Grace Finance Committee
