Dear Church Family,
Greetings!
We wanted to inform you about a couple of updates to FUMC Denton’s approach to financial administration:
1) The timing of when you will be asked to submit “Estimates of Giving” (aka “pledge cards”)
2) Our fiscal year
1. Estimates of Giving Now in January and February
Historically, FUMC Denton has distributed Estimate of Giving cards during the Fall season (typically October) as part of a seasonal emphasis on generosity. Moving forward, the season of distributing and returning Estimates of Giving will take place in January and February. This means you will not receive a card now, but you will receive one at the start of the new year.
Why the change? Historically, churches conducted Stewardship Campaigns as a means of funding the annual church budget, but the kind of generosity Jesus preached and lived was not about an institutional ledger; it was (and is) about personal and communal spiritual practice. Folks that study generosity have discovered that most people find it’s best to think about personal finances and annual giving in January, not October. We believe shifting our timing on this important practice will allow more people to participate with greater confidence. You will receive everything you need via mail and digitally in January 2027, and Commitment Sunday will be February 7, 2027.
Clarity on Timing: When you submit an Estimate of Giving, you will be estimating your giving to the General Fund for the calendar year of 2027.
2. Fiscal Year Update
This one is a purely internal process, but it may be of interest to some, and we always want to err on the side of overcommunication and transparency.
The fiscal year for FUMC Denton will be shifting from “January 1 – December 31” to “July 1 – June 30.”
Why the change? Fall is an incredibly busy season for FUMC Denton, both for ministry and administration. By shifting our fiscal year, we can allow the season of budget preparation to fall in a slower administrative time of year (April and May) which will help us to be even more thoughtful and focused on this important annual project.
Does this change anything for me? For most members and donors, this administrative change will not impact you; odds are, you probably were not aware of our fiscal year until now. That being said, it might be helpful for some donors to know the end of our fiscal year will now fall in June, which may affect the timing of some gifts.
Thank you for your generosity, and we hope this message is clear and helpful to you. If you have any questions, please reach out to Candice Saffle, Director of Operations, at csaffle@fumc-denton.com.
Grace and Peace,
Raegan and Scott Gilliland, Co-Lead Pastors
Candice Saffle, Director of Operations
Carla Flowers, Chair – Finance Committee
Angie Matthews, Treasurer