New budget process to enhance visibility
From the office of President Mark Schroeder
As the work of our synod moves into a new year, we are adopting a new budget process that not only will enable us to plan wisely and faithfully, but will more accurately represent the synod's entire work program.
The impetus for the new budget process was last summer's convention, where one recurring theme of discussion was the need to review and analyze the overall programs and activities of the synod. Doing so requires careful planning as well as complete and accurate financial information. Under the leadership of Chief Financial Officer Todd Poppe, much progress has been made in the financial area. Financial reports are timely, audits have been completed far sooner than in the past, and reliable support forecasts have become the norm. Financial information has been made available to our members on a monthly basis, and from what I can see, it has been much appreciated.
But more needs to be done. As we begin to plan the synod's ministry program and the supporting budget for 2009-11, we need a process that reflects the totality of our ministry. Of course the process will, like any good budgeting process, include the following important features:
- An overall strategy to adopt a plan for the synod's mission and ministry that reflects the direction adopted by the synod in convention.
- Careful planning by areas of ministry.
- Dependable financial information, both in terms of expenses and anticipated income.
But it will also involve two major changes.
1. A single budget that includes both operating and special funds
In the past the operating budget adopted by synod conventions has supported only a portion of the total work that is done by the four areas of ministry. The 2007-08 operating budget of $34.8 million is based on the anticipated unrestricted gifts from congregations and individuals for the synod's operations. It does not, however, include the dollars from special (non-budgetary) funds that are also used to fund the synod's program but are restricted by the donors to specific ministry. If the programs supported by special funds are included, the actual amount that will be spent to carry out the work in the four areas of ministry in 2007-08 is $45.1 million. Consider the example of World Missions. The 2007-08 operating budget for World Missions is $7.3 million. But when special funds are included, the actual amount to be spent on the work being done in World Missions amounts to a total of $10.6 million. A similar situation occurs in all of the areas of ministry.
We believe that there is a need to present a more complete picture of the budget and the programs it supports.
To help make this picture more complete, the 2009-11 budget will include all work planned by the areas of ministry—regardless of the source of the funding. The budget will combine funding from all sources, including Congregation Mission Offerings (CMO), offerings from individuals (IMO), and organizations, grants, and fees. As a result, we will be able to present a more complete and accurate portrait of the total work that is actually being done and the true cost of doing it. And because the use of special funds will be a part of the planning process from the beginning, we will also avoid many situations in which programs are carried out simply "because we have non-budgetary funds available."
2. A "program budget," which evaluates all work on the basis of adopted priorities
Another major change involves the process of forming the budget. Areas of ministry will not be assigned an arbitrary percentage of the synod's budget. Instead, each area of ministry will be asked to:
- Describe and prioritize in detail what they plan to do (the "programs").
- Indicate the cost to carry out those programs.
- Provide information regarding sources of funds other than from the synod operating subsidy (grants, fees, gifts, etc.).
- Indicate plans for new or expanded programs if additional dollars are available.
- Indicate priorities of programs if there is a need to reduce or eliminate one or more.
- Describe how each program relates to the overall mission of the synod.
Once the areas of ministry submit their program plans and funding needs, the president and the Synodical Council will evaluate and prioritize the plans in keeping with the available dollars and the priorities established by last summer's convention. As a result, the final budget proposal may include increased funding for some areas of ministry; for others it may be reduced. The Synodical Council will ultimately submit the proposed budget to the 2009 synod convention for approval.
Serving in Christ,
Mark Schroeder
Top Stories
Compiled by WELS Communication Services
Work begins to establish new congregations
WELS Board for Home Missions (BHM), in conjunction with district mission boards and neighboring congregations, is taking initial steps to establish new congregations near Reno, Nev., and Battlement Mesa-Parachute, Colo. The steps follow BHM's decision to allocate about $200,000 between the two missions at its meeting Dec. 14.
Shepherd of the Mountains, an existing WELS congregation in Reno, Nev., along with the district mission board and district president are considering whether to call a seminary graduate or a pastor from the field for a new mission planned for North Valleys, an area where 70 percent of the population is unchurched. The existing congregation will provide partial funding and lay workers to launch the mission.
"Shepherd of the Mountains is a wonderful example of a congregation that just recognizes the opportunities for gospel outreach among its neighbors and sees the value of helping to establish another congregation," says Rev. Harold Hagedorn, administrator for WELS Home Missions.
Plans for Battlement Mesa-Parachute include securing property in a planned development. "We really don't have anything [nearby], but it was a site that the district mission board and mission counselor researched. They are convinced that God can use us there to help establish a new congregation," says Hagedorn. Mountain Valley in Eagle, Colo., and St. Paul's in Grand Junction will be partners with this effort.
The BHM is aware of opportunities to open significant numbers of additional mission congregations, and it will continue to look to assist as it is in Nevada and Colorado. WELS President Mark Schroeder says, "This is a tangible start to what the convention asked us to do, to commit ourselves to expand mission efforts at home and throughout the world."
"Walking Together 2008" underway
WELS Ministry of Christian Giving (MCG) this week is launching "Walking Together 2008," an annual campaign authorized by the Conference of Presidents designed to strengthen the commitment of WELS members and congregations to carry out Christ's saving mission together.
Synod President Mark Schroeder notes the importance of this kind of emphasis: "The primary purpose of the synod is to provide a means to do together what we can't easily do separately. The Walking Together campaign isn't primarily a fund-raising effort. Rather, it's intended to help our congregations and members see examples of how God is working through our combined efforts as a synod."
A key component is a new DVD highlighting the story of Paul Thao—a WELS pastor in Appleton, Wis., serving the Hmong community there and in Thailand. The DVD demonstrates how the Holy Spirit worked faith in Thao through a WELS congregation and how he was trained for the ministry through a special program at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon.
"Mission work is not about programs," says Schroeder. "It's about people and souls. By giving a face and a voice to this effort to reach the lost, this video helps to make a real connection between the people in the pew and the real lives that are affected by their mission offerings."
MCG is encouraging congregations to use the DVD as part of a special Walking Together service—to be scheduled, at their convenience, anytime between now and the end of May. The service culminates with the opportunity for members of WELS congregations to support the work of their synod financially. Last year's Walking Together offerings totaled nearly $1 million.
A special Walking Together package is being sent to every congregation this week containing:
- The Walking Together DVD
- Promotional posters
- Informational brochures with attached offering envelopes
- Instructions for pastors and worship service helps
- WELS 2007 Annual Report
The Annual Report is a brief booklet summarizing the activities completed collectively by synod entities in 2007—and the role each plays in carrying out the direction spelled out by the synod convention. Also outlined are budget summaries which give a more detailed picture of synod's finances than reported in previous annual reports.
For an online version of the annual report visit: www.wels.net/jump/annualreport
To preview the Walking Together DVD or other service materials, visit: www.wels.net/jump/walkingtogether
Filed Under: annual report, Budget, Christian Giving, donation, Finance, MCG, walking together
Site, theme, and date set for 2009 youth rally
The planning committee for the 2009 WELS International Youth Rally has selected Iowa State University in Ames as the site for the event, to be held July 8-11. The theme for the rally, "Follow the Path, Lead the Way," is based on 1 Timothy 4:12.
"Going to a university campus is largely due to the teen committee members' interest in giving rally participants a taste of college campus life," says Dr. Joel Nelson, administrator for WELS Youth Discipleship. "And the theme passage really captures how this rally committee wants everyone to focus on the talents, abilities, and gifts teens bring to the ministry table."
"The most important thing we had to consider was the youth—which is the reason it is good to have teens on the planning committee," says 16-year-old Tatum Gormley-Nettles of Henderson, Nev., one of the three teen committee members. "We are the bridge between our adult leaders and our peers. As teens, we plan things that we would enjoy and benefit from. As for our peers, they are more apt to attend a rally organized by people their own age."
Tatum hopes that the rally will encourage teens and help them deal with their struggles. "One of the greatest challenges that our synod, and any congregation faces is involving the youth and inspiring them to trust, follow, and rejoice in God's Word," she says. "We are determined to overcome this challenge with our rally."
The committee will visit Iowa State University in June as part of its ongoing planning for the rally. Nelson says, "We hope that all the rally participants grow spiritually and in their desire to follow the path and lead the way in their churches, communities, and schools, and that WELS sees the amazing resource we have in our youth."
For more information, visit www.welsyouthrally.net.
Filed Under: CYD, Iowa, Youth Discipleship, Youth Rally
Civilian chaplain returns from Middle East
Rev. Paul Ziemer, WELS national civilian chaplain to the military and Armed Forces liaison, recently returned from the Middle East. While there, Ziemer was able to minister to many people but because of security measures he cannot disclose the exact number of troops he served, details of his visit, or even the exact date he returned to the United States.
"While I was over there British troops were turning the protection of Basra over to the Iraqi Army, which made many people nervous," says Ziemer. "Also during my tour, Turkey first sent bombs, then troops, into Northern Iraq. Both security and tension levels were the highest I ever encountered."
Despite many setbacks, including difficulty in contacting and connecting with troops in some regions, Ziemer says the trip was important. "The Lord used this trip to touch many hearts in a personal way with his gift of grace," he says.
WELS Special Ministries has submitted initial requests for clearance to military command offices in hopes that Ziemer or another WELS civilian chaplain can travel to the Middle East and serve troops this spring.
To learn more, read Ziemer's thoughts from the field, online at www.wels.net/jump/militarychap
Filed Under: chaplain, CSM, Iraq, Middle East, Military, Special Ministries
Rodewald called to be next LPS president
On Jan. 3, the governing board of Luther Preparatory School (LPS) in Watertown, Wis., called Rev. Duane Rodewald to be the school's next president.
Rodewald, currently pastor at Abiding Peace, Simpsonville, S.C., has previously served at Michigan Lutheran Seminary, Saginaw, Mich., and St. Paul, Tomah, Wis.
This is the third call issued to fill the vacancy left by Rev. Mark Schroeder, who was elected WELS president at the 2007 convention. Rev. Kenneth Brokmeier, chairman of the LPS governing board, and Rev. Paul Zell, professor at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, declined the previous calls.
Filed Under: LPS
WELS members involved in fatal Utah bus crash
Eight WELS members, plus the father of one of the members and his friend were onboard the tour bus that crashed in southern Utah on Sunday. None suffered life-threatening injuries, but eight other passengers were killed.
The group of ten was from Shepherd of the Hills in Tucson, Ariz. They were traveling on a bus carrying at least 50 passengers that ran off a highway, rolled over several times, and tumbled 41 feet down an embankment. The bus was returning to Phoenix after a ski trip to Telluride, Colo.
Pastor Alan Eckert of Shepherd of the Hills reports most of the WELS group were in their 20s and that the most serious injuries included crushed vertebrae, broken limbs, and a collapsed lung. "The parents are just so thankful," says Eckert. "That not one sustained a life-threatening injury is miraculous."
The injured among the WELS group were being treated in hospitals in three states—Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. Pastors from WELS congregations in Grand Junction, Colo., and Farmington, N.M., were ministering to the victims taken to hospitals in their communities.
Spotlight on Streams: Walking Together video
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The "Walking Together 2008" DVD demonstrates our collective work as a synod—through the life of Pastor Paul Thao, a missionary to the Hmong people both in Wisconsin and Thailand where he spent more than ten years as a refugee. Watch the video online: http://streams.wels.net/video/walking-together
Filed Under: Streams, walking together
