Stewardship 2027:
Invest in the Future
This is the time of year when we consider how we will share our treasure, time, and talent with our Madison Christian Community, and in the process this year we are particularly inviting you to Invest in the Future. The investments that we make today are a tangible expression of our dreams for an MCC that is thriving and blossoming well into the future.
As we make these decisions and look forward together, it may be useful to look back and consider all the ways in which Advent, Hope, and the MCC have been valuable in your life. Over the next few weeks you’ll hear testimony from your friends and fellow parishioners as they share stories in our annual Temple Talks about what the MCC has meant to them as well as what it means now to look forward and invest in the time to come.
Regarding the nuts and bolts of the budget: a surprising number of people work hard to estimate what our expenses will be for the coming year, and take great care to get the budget number as low as we can. Next year we are expecting about a 6% increase over the current budget.
Our biggest expense category (almost 2/3 of the total) is for the staff who lead our ministry. A jump in health insurance costs account for a substantial portion of the increase, as well as meeting salary guidelines for pastors and supporting the rest of the staff.
Another component is the increase to hire a new Coordinator of Youth Ministry, hopefully to start sometime in the second quarter of 2027. The MCC has always given families a high priority, and both for the sake of the youth who are here now and those we hope will be joining us, we want to be in a position to offer meaningful and attractive ministry to young people. Again, a substantial amount of planning was done on this concept before we agreed to commit to it. You can read more here.
Some of the increase for next year is off-set by lower property maintenance costs compared to 2026. We made a strong investment in the future with the Focus on Energy grant that replaced old and expensive lights and HVAC equipment with energy-efficient upgrades. We’re also looking to the future for a new tenant to lease building space when Middleton Preschool closes after the school year, and hoping that is part of the MCC’s outreach to serve our community.
We hope your pledging decision is the result of contemplation rather than struggle. No one’s faith—or love for this church—is measured by the amount of their pledge. May it instead be a joyful reflection of devotion and hope, together sharing a commitment that enables us to keep doing God’s work for years to come. Thank you for all the ways you Invest in the Future!
