Learning how to do a BLOG has been a lot easier than I thought. The hardest part has been to remember how to get into the blogging program. Once in the program the challenge is to remember how to make sure the composition gets posted.
Now Jennifer Simms has introduced me to another new bit of technology – online surveys. I have seen online surveys and have filled them out. However, I never thought I would be part of developing such a survey. Now I learn we have the ability to do online surveying.
Yesterday, Jennifer posted a survey Pastor Steve and I, with Jennifer’s help, put together. It will be interesting to see the results.
A little background on the survey – As you might be aware we are in the process of developing the 2009 Platte Woods Church budget. We have talked with and received requests from most of the groups in the church. In developing a church budget it is fairly easy to come up with number of dollars we would like to spend. What is vastly more challenging is to determine what resources our members and friends provide for us to use. That is why churches conduct annual stewardship programs. The challenge is to determine if our expected income will meet our expected expenses for the coming year. During the remaining Sundays in October, our pastors will be addressing the issue of stewardship and how we use the resources God has provided for us.
What particularly complicates our process this year is the economic circumstances we are experiencing. We know the movement in the stock market. We hear the job statistics. We experience price changes, especially at the grocery store. We pay varying prices at the gas pump. We wonder where the economy is going. At the church, we begin to wonder how all the economic forces are going to impact the support we receive.
Thus a short, four-question inquiry on the subject of stewardship.
You may participate in the stewardship survey by going to http://www.plattewoodschurch.org/pages/pageshow.cfm?pageID=158.
Thanks in advance for your input.
