Stewardship and Budgeting in Times of Rising Costs

Dear Church,

We are in a moment when everything is expensive and costs keep rising. We see this everywhere from our grocery store receipts to healthcare costs (for example, our Portico rates are increasing next year by double digits). The synod at its assembly passed a budget that anticipated 7% increases in mission support from congregations in support of the work of the larger church. Churches are putting together budgets for 2027 and trying to make it all work.

In times like these, it is vital to keep our focus on our faith in the One who is, was, and will be our strength and our hope. The vision for our synod is that we see people coming to faith in Christ through churches and ministries that find ways to thrive and become more inviting and welcoming. We are hiring a part-time youth coordinator for our synod because youth and young adults are a priority. We seek justice and want to continue to develop leaders to serve our churches and help bring people to faith.

Good stewardship practices are most helpful now. Leading without reflecting our anxiety helps people cope and find solutions together. I commend to you this online recording of Stewardship in Times of Inflation to get ideas on how to respond in this moment. The synod will walk with you through this and provide more resources for stewardship in the near future. In the meantime, I will be praying for you, and the synod staff and I are here to help you in any way we can. Our God is one of abundance and who inspires generosity even when times are tough. May you find this to be true.

+Bishop Phil Hirsch