Treasurer’s Update

Resources › Publications › Treasurer’s Update › April 2007

Great Commission Fund Results through March 31, 2007

Total year-to-date (YTD) revenues for the nine months ending March 31 equal $29,780,000, or 97.9 percent of the revenue budget of $30,433,000. Year-to-date expenses have been held to approximately 95 percent of the expense budget. Please pray that God would impress upon His people the need to reach the lost in the U.S. and around the world by supporting the Great Commission Fund.

Answered Prayer

Gifts totaling more than $1.6 million were received during the final days of March bringing YTD giving to the GCF to nearly 98 percent—up from just over 93 percent on March 26. This means that the April 1 reductions in missionary allowances and National Office staff salaries will no longer be necessary. When we receive good news like this, there can be a tendency to breathe a sigh of relief, offer a prayer of thanksgiving, and put our checkbooks away. Let's not shrink back from an opportunity God may be giving us to move into new areas of ministry with renewed fervor until the GCF is fully funded—or even overflows its banks! Your commitment to Great Commission Sunday next month is vital as we see how God blesses and multiplies our offerings.

What Else Can You Do?

Please remit your GCF and designated giving to the National Office monthly. Our cash reserves are limited, and we rely on the regular monthly giving received from our churches.

Great Commission Sunday Offering

Alliance pastors are encouraged to celebrate Great Commission Sunday 2007 in their churches in May and to bring their offerings to General Council in Orlando. This year, the focus is on living the Call together in places where the odds are stacked against us—but not against our extraordinary God. Ever since pioneer C&MA missionaries boarded ships for Africa and China in the late 1800s, The Alliance has proclaimed the gospel in the tough places. A full 25 percent of this year’s Great Commission Sunday offering will go directly toward our work among families impacted by AIDS, and 75 percent will go to the Great Commission Fund. The Church is the answer to the AIDS epidemic, and The Alliance is responding by providing medical care, antiretroviral medicine, and hope in Jesus.

Ministry Support Fee on Restricted Gifts

The Board of Directors has implemented a 15 percent ministry support fee on all restricted gifts except missionary vehicle and outfit specials to help fund GCF ministry and ministry support needs including missionary allowances and benefits. This will be effective June 1, 2007.

Treasurer’s Breakfast at General Council

A breakfast for church treasurers is being held on Friday, May 25 at General Council. This will provide an opportunity to discuss church financial and legal issues with C&MA personnel. To register or add the breakfast to your previous registration, go to www.cmalliance.org/council or call the Council office at 877-284-3262, option #5.

Contributions Substantiation Requirements

Effective January 1, 2007, donors will be required to maintain a bank record (e.g. cancelled check) or a written communication from the church for all contributions indicating the church name, date, and contribution amount. This will require all cash contributions to be receipted and detailed for the donor to qualify for a tax deduction.

Contributions for C&MA projects and missionaries should be mailed to the National Office to provide for full administrative and accounting control over the use of these funds. Contributions made directly by churches without such controls in place to C&MA fields or other foreign ministries are not tax deductible.

E-community News

If you would like to receive regular updates on what is happening within the Alliance, E-community News is a great way to stay connected. Sign up now at my.cmalliance.org.

Summer Internship Opportunities

The C&MA National Office and Alliance Development Fund (ADF) desire to identify potential candidates for four paid summer (2007) internships in Colorado Springs. For the C&MA, summer interns will be needed for a minimum of 10-12 weeks beginning no later than June 1. ADF will need interns to begin as early in May as their college schedule will permit.

We prefer students who are completing their junior year in an accounting major or business major with accounting emphasis. Desired course completion includes the following classes: Accounting I, Accounting II, Cost Accounting, and Intermediate Accounting.

Our goal is to interview and select students for summer internships within the next 3-4 weeks. There are still details to work out related to housing arrangements.

If interested in applying, please e-mail resume and Christian testimony to colonb@cmalliance.org.

Office of Employee Benefits

Are your pastors planning for retirement? Have you considered offering them the C&MA 403(b) Retirement Plan? Benefits from choosing the C&MA Plan:

• Choice of investment options.
• At time of retirement, distributions to official workers may be off-set by housing costs for tax purposes.
• Low fixed administrative fee.
• Manage account through web-access.
• No fees for reallocating investments.

For more information, contact the Employee Benefits at 800-700-2651 or by e-mail at benefits@cmalliance.org.

The Alliance Development Fund

The Alliance Development Fund offers commercial real estate financing without fees while striving to offer the lowest loan rates possible for Alliance ministries. The loan interest is then used to pay C&MA family members and friends who invest in ADF and make the project funding possible. ADF understands churches needs with over 29 years of experience. So do not forget ADF if you have a project coming up, either big or small. ADF is also a convenient place for your reserves, building project monies, and scholarship funds where you can have a values-based, Kingdom-building investment while helping churches make an impact in their community to see lives transformed by Living the Call Together. For more information, visit www.adf-inc.com.

Thank you for serving God and your local church. Your stewardship role is essential, and I’m grateful for you!

Ken Baldes
Vice President for Operations/Treasurer

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