Stewardship

At Foothills we believe that all believers have a responsibility to practice generosity by financially supporting the local church they attend. When someone gives to their local church, God wants us to view this as an act of worship and obedience to Him. Our giving should be done with joy, faith and in expectation of God’s provision for our needs.

Our giving provides resources for the vision God has entrusted to us as a body of believers.

Foothills Vision and Purpose: to reach the thousands of unchurched people in our geographic area with the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ and to equip them to experience His presence and to demonstrate His power.

Our giving also provides an opportunity to experience God in the area of finances. Giving affords us the privilege of experiencing just how much God loves us by watching Him work in this specific area of our lives.

Our giving makes a difference in the lives of people. As a church, Foothills is growing numerically, but the most exciting results are the lives God is transforming. We see people giving their lives to Christ. We saw over 20 adults pray to receive Christ on Easter and 34 children pray to receive Christ the Sunday following Easter. Over 100 adults have completed our Love and Respect class, positively impacting marriages this year. There have been hundreds of families helped by our Resource Center. We have opened a Pre-school this year, which is reaching even more unchurched families. Your giving makes a difference in the lives of people.

At Foothills, all the money received goes into one of two categories:

  1. General Fund Giving (We call this "The Ministry Storehouse")

  2. Designated Fund Giving (KAC - Kingdom Advancement Campaign)

General Fund giving covers monthly operating expenses. This money is used to pay for ministry expenses, leases on the buildings, utilities, salaries, supplies, copying costs, insurance, etc. We print a monthly budget amount needed in our bulletin that covers these expenses. We call this  General Fund "The Ministry Storehouse" because in Malachi 3:10 the Bible says, "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in MY temple". 

When all believers help shoulder the financial responsibility for the ministries and vision of their local church, there will be enough in The Ministry Storehouse to accomplish that work. Therefore, when you write a check to Foothills or place money in the offering box, that money goes into The Ministry Storehouse, the General Fund.

Foothills Ministry Storehouse Needs are $63,000 per month.  This is the 2008 monthly giving needed to support Foothills' vision, ministries and current attendance.

[See Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) below]

Designated Giving is what we call "over and above" giving. At times the Leadership of Foothills will give people an opportunity to designate their giving to a specific project. This is giving that is "over and above" our normal giving. Why should it be over and above? Because if everyone took their normal giving and placed it in the designated, we would not have enough money to cover the monthly ministry needs.

The Kingdom Advancement Campaign’s (KAC) goal is to raise $1 million.

Ways to give: There are a variety of ways to give at Foothills. You can give on Sunday mornings at one of the boxes at the back of the auditorium. You can utilize one of the envelopes included in your bulletin or find an envelope by the offering boxes. You can mail your giving directly to the church. You may also drop it off at the office during normal business hours. Currently, we do not have a way for you to give online, but we are investigating that possibility.

May we all believe in what God has called us to as His church, taking an active part in supporting the work He is doing.

Primary General Fund Expenses                                                        Top of Page

Why does it take so much money to pursue God’s vision for Foothills?

How many paid positions does Foothills have to help facilitate God’s vision?

It is very rare for a church our size to operate with only two full time positions. This speaks well of all those who volunteer countless hours fulfilling ministry. The number of staff positions required will increase as the ministry continues to grow. We must believe our primary focus should be on the great vision God has called us to, not the great cost it will require to get there. Jesus said to "count the cost". What He didn’t say was, "let the cost prevent you from moving forward". As we work hard at being good and faithful stewards (counting the cost), we must also trust God for His provision as we move ahead. If we shoulder this responsibility together, we will see God do great things in our midst

General Fund Expenses by Year

General Fund Expenses by Year

Four points explained about the General Fund on Stewardship Sunday, April 27, 2008:

Pursuing God’s Vision for Foothills

For 10 years, the expenses for following the vision God has given us have increased with each year. Why? Because we are a church that does not believe the vision remains static, or doesn’t grow. God is moving us forward with what He wants to accomplish and whom He wants to reach. Foothills started with about 30 people and now we are approaching 700 in Sunday morning attendance. Where does it end? It doesn’t! Therefore, when we think about finances, we don’t just consider how to pay the current bills, we take into consideration how much it will take to accomplish the vision God has called us to pursue.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)                                                     Top of Page

1.    Why does it cost so much to pursue the vision?

Operating a large church is simply expensive. A growing congregation with growing ministries in a leased facility with paid staff to help manage the expanding vision is increasingly expensive. The vision God has called us to is big.

2,    What are the benefits of my tithe supporting this vision?

Changed lives! The ultimate result of having facilities, warm buildings, printed materials, and a variety of ministries is to see God change lives.

3.    Who decides how my giving is spent and is this spending prioritized to support
       the vision?

The approval of the Foothills budget and the priority of spending is decided upon by our team of Elders.

4.    Can Foothills survive and God’s vision advance without my giving?

Foothills is not about surviving. We are about chasing after what God has called us to. Can we survive without your giving? Yes. Can we achieve what God has for us? No. Your giving matters no matter how small you may think it is.

5.    What are the biggest costs involved pursuing the vision?

Ministries, Salaries, and Facilities

6.    Are the costs for the overall vision tracked, re-evaluated, budgeted?

Yes. The finances of the church are monitored very closely by the Elder Team so we can be faithful stewards of the resources God gives us. The costs are under constant review and evaluation because we are a growing church. Growth requires continuous evaluation and adjustment of budgeted items.

7.    Is Foothills financial situation similar to other churches chasing after God’s vision
       for them?

Statistically, churches that are similar in size to Foothills in small rural areas across the country have an average annual budget of $1.2 million ($100,000 a month). Therefore, Foothills operates below the national average.
(Source: The 2007 Compensation Handbook for Church Staff)

8.    How long has financing the vision been an issue?

In a growing church, finances will always be an issue simply because the needs do not remain static. What was at one time enough is no longer adequate to meet the growing needs. Throughout the years we have addressed the congregation when the needs of the church have dramatically changed.

9.     How are salaries determined as part of following the vision?

Salaries are determined by considering the average wage for that position in other churches like ours across the country. We utilize an objective standard such as The Compensation Handbook for Church Staff.

10.    I want to give to the vision of the church but my family is young and money
        is tight. How do I choose between the two?

What’s important is to begin the habit of giving no matter how small. The habit is more important than the amount as you begin something new and trust God. God will grow your faith as you begin to trust Him even with a little. Start with an amount, trust God with it, and be consistent. You will see God work in wonderful ways.

11.    Is tithing the only biblical way to generate funds for the ministry of Foothills
        or do other opportunities exist?

Tithing is the primary way to generate operating funds. We do not want to go to the surrounding community asking for money. Therefore, most "fund-raisers" are discouraged. We want to be known for giving and blessing the community rather than asking them for support. There are opportunities for grant money that may exist for ministries such as our Resource Center, but we have yet to extensively investigate, apply for, or receive this type of funding on a regular basis.

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