MINISTRY PLAN + BUDGET 2017
They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. Mark 15:32-33 Dear Church, I can be fiercely independent. Recently, I completed some assessments for the Arrow Leadership program that I am currently a part of and independence was one measure. The Psychologist who looked over my results told me he almost never sees scores as high as mine for independence. I guess I’m gifted that way. Being independent comes naturally to me. This can be a good thing, but it can also be a bad thing. Being gifted with independence can lead to isolation and feeling alone. While my scores might be a little high, the truth is many of us are independent, whether we want to be or not. And many of us are lonely. According to a 2006 study by Statistics Canada, 26.8% of people in Canada would consider themselves lonely, meaning they have no one they trust enough to talk to about their life. In 1940, that number was only 6.8%. Loneliness is considered one of the fastest growing trends in recent decades. It does not discriminate with age, race or gender. Men and women of all ages and races feel lonely. I don’t believe that loneliness is
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what God intended for us. In fact, I believe he designed us for the opposite, but it’s easy to get stuck in a pattern of isolation and loneliness in our lives. In the story of Jesus found in the Gospels, have you ever wondered why Jesus, though he did spend time alone, often invited people to join with him? Consistently, we see in the Gospels that Jesus lived, loved, served, and suffered in the context of community, and those communities were never perfect. In Mark 15 Jesus invites Peter, James, and John to sit and watch while he prays before he is to be captured, tried and crucified. Those of us who know the story know that they fell asleep and Jesus was not happy with them. But why did he bring them in the first place? Maybe it was for protection, but Jesus knew what had to happen so I don’t think that was it. I think the reason why he brought them with him, even though Peter would deny him and the rest would scatter, is because Jesus models to us at the Garden of Gethsemane that in our most difficult moments we can choose to lean into community, even when the community
is not perfect. If we are expecting perfection, we will never find community. My hope for 2017 is that we, as a church family, learn to move through loneliness, past imperfections, and grow into a community that is connected, and that loves one another as Jesus loves each of us. To be a place where we can lean in and be there for one another. We have been through a lot in the last few years, and I feel strongly that God has made clear to me my own errors in this area. As we have sought to improve in some areas, our community and our connections with one another have suffered. So for the 2017 ministry year we are going to put renewed emphasis on reconnecting and being a community. 2017 will be the year to connect, serve and grow together. The pastoral staff and lay leaders will be creating opportunities and ministry environments where you can connect with others and be known, serve our community both inside and outside our church walls, and grow in a deeper understanding of God and yourself. We will work hard to provide these opportunities
and environments, but we need your help. You and I need to take the risk to try these opportunities, to meet new people, and to serve. We all need to put energy and effort into growing in our walk with Jesus. The results of the Reveal survey demonstrate that we are feeling disconnected as a church, and that we have become both complacent and stagnant in our faith. I don’t believe that this is God’s plan for BRBC, but rather His plan is for us to be a vibrant and healthy church family who love one another and join with Him to share His love with others. My prayer is that God leads us forward with hope, health, and a commitment to connect to each other and God. We are better and stronger when we are seeking God and His kingdom together, and as we lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ, one step at a time. In partnership,
Rob Sellitto, Senior Pastor
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BUILDING A BUDGET Ever wonder how the budget comes together? Here’s a look at the process:
MEMBERSHIP (ACTIVE MEMBERS)
1. In late August, begin the process of setting next year’s ministry plan through prayer and discernment.
ESTIMATED PROJECTED
2017 | 173 2016 | 175 2015 | 198
2. Determine goals and needed resources to reach the different aspects of the plan.
2014 | 200 2013 | 203
3. Look ahead to what God is calling us to do and forecast giving for the upcoming year. 4. Start at $0 and build the budget for ministry and operational needs. 5. Ensure that the 2016 strategies are funded. 6. You! The next step is up to you. Pray through this budget and vote at our Church Family Meeting taking place after church on November 20, 2016.
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2012 | 211
$
BUDGET GIVING (IN THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS) ESTIMATED PROJECTED
2017 | 332 2016 | 335 2015 | 355 2014 | 372 2013 | 352
2012 | 326
MINISTRY THEMES FOR 2017 This year’s budget supports three ministry themes: Connect, Serve and Grow. The Reveal survey painted a picture of where we are as a church and identified the ways in which we can improve. These three themes are intended to help us to be the church that God invites us, and wants us, to be. What follows is some background as to why these themes were selected and the plans that were discerned for each of us to grow closer to God over the coming year.
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CONNECT verb con·nect \kə-ˈnekt\ To join (two or more things) together
Western society is known for being individualistic. People lack community and connection, but desperately crave and need it. God designed the church to be a place of community and connection. Bromley will thrive and grow closer to God as we connect and strive to be in community. We’ve heard from some of you that you have not been able to find community or connection at our church. Through the Reveal survey, we know that over half of us participate in small groups, but that only half of the participants are satisfied with their groups. Similarly, only 39% would say we have spiritual friendships with someone they see once a month or more in their life. With that in mind, we want to provide opportunities for each of us to connect with others in the church. Some of the ways we’ll be doing this is by hosting parties for special events, like a Super Bowl or Grey Cup party where everyone is invited to join together and have fun cheering for your favourite team, eating, and being together. We will also be
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emphasizing casual and fun events like board game days, tobogganing/skating events, and movie nights to encourage connection and community intergenerationally. We will have a new photo directory to help each of us remember names. And organize a ‘Guess Who Is Coming For Dinner?’ event where host families host guests from the church for dinner, getting to know new people in the process. More details will come in the new year for thses events. We will also continue doing things that have helped us build community in the past like Shine On Sunday and barbeque, the Christmas potluck, and a pancake dinner to kick off Lent. Pastor Rob is also going to provide increased leadership to the small groups ministry at BRBC. Working with current small group leaders and participants, we will seek a better understanding of why some are dissatisfied with their small groups, and we’ll see how we can improve them. We’ll begin with leadership training for small group leaders and plan to relaunch small groups with more clarity in the spring 2017.
If you have thoughts on ways to encourage connection, and are able to volunteer your time to make them happen, Pastor Rob and Deacons would love to hear from you.
BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS Connection Events Shine On Sunday Newcomer Events ‘Coffee Hour’
$650 $1,000 $250 $400
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GROW verb \ˈgrō\ To become better or improved in some way To become more developed, mature, etc. Life is about growth and change. Our life with God should be no different! It has been said that the difference between an acorn and an oak tree is about 40 years, a lot happens in those 40 years of growth! We, as followers of Jesus Christ, should be able to look back and see how we have grown through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Unfortunately, one of the other things we learned from the Reveal survey results is that in general, we are not growing in our faith. In fact, as a church we are categorized as a troubled and complacent church. Our reality is that 73% of us have been attending Bromley for six years or more, but only 40% of us identified that we are growing in our relationship with Jesus Christ and in our understanding of ourselves. Only 1 in 5 of us is reading scripture on a regular basis, and only 1 in 3 of us spends time in prayer daily. Less than a quarter of us practice confessing our sins to God. We have some room to grow, and together, we hope to so in 2017. To encourage this, we’ll emphasize small groups as the primary way to grow deeper in
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community with others and our knowledge of God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and to provide and experience love and pastoral care. With the spring 2017 relaunch of Bromley’s small groups ministry, we will provide opportunities to experience and get connected into a small group. We are also hoping to host an Alpha group once again using the new Alpha film series that walks through the basics of the Christian faith simple and easily relatable way. There is renewed energy in youth, children, and family ministries of Bromley under the leadership of Nathan and Gabby. They are working to equip children and families to be passionate followers of Jesus Christ. We also plan to offer additional group learning opportunities that are different than small groups and may be an elective focusing on practical skills for growing your faith like understanding how to read different forms and styles of scripture, how to identify your gifts and grow them, and how to groups in your leadership abilities. Others may be focused on specific historical
realities that formed the early church and what we can learn and apply to our faith today. Still others may be on how to incorporate different spiritual practices in your daily life. More details to come in early 2017.
If you have thoughts on ways to encourage growth, and are able to volunteer your time to make them happen, Pastor Rob, Nathan, Gabby, and Deacons would love to hear from you.
BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS BRBCTots and BRBCKids Program BRBCYouth Program Parent Equipping Events BRBCGroups Leadership Development
$1,250 $2,000 $200 $1,700 $500
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KIDS, YOUTH + FAMILIES Kids
Youth
In 2017, BRBCKids will seek to provide a safe and engaging learning environment and facilitate an opportunity for children to encounter Christ while also, equipping volunteers through training and implementing policies.
Through regular Friday night programming and Sunday morning classes, BRBCYouth will seek to create a fun space where youth can experience Jesus, take their next steps in faith, and form Christian community. These programs will be supplemented with retreats like Avalanche and a camping trip. We’re hoping to recruit and train more leaders for this ministry as we fully implement the ‘Plan to Protect’ policy. We want to lead by example so the youth are encouraged to take a more active role in serving our church and our community.
To ensure that the learning space for children is somewhere that’s safe and a place where they can grow, the basement will go through a time of transition including painting, installing age-appropriate furniture, and an overall fresh of the space. Finally, in an effort to equip children, their parents and volunteers in helping develop children’s relationship with Christ, a review of the current curriculum and potential alternatives will be compelted. This will be done to ensure that the curriculum we use does what we want: engaging and helping children to encounter Christ, for the growth of a relationship with Him.
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Families We do not simply want to focus on individual age groups in our congregation, but also on the families that make up this church. We are going to host multi-generational events for families to grow together, but also to connect and build important relationships with others We’re also going to be hosting events specifically to further equip parents of children and youth to be more effective as the primary spiritual caregivers of their children.
SERVE verb \ˈsərv\ To perform duties or services for (another person or an organization)
I believe that a family that serves together stays together. The same goes for a church! When we serve, we put our personal struggles to the side for a moment and focus on being helpful to others. The benefits of serving others can also have a significant impact on our own lives. A study from Harvard Business Review showed that people who volunteered regularly found themselves to be happier than those who did not. Serving together is also another opportunity to connect in community; to grow genuine relationships; and to make a Kingdom difference. It can also be a lot of fun! The Reveal survey showed us that service is an area of strength for many of us at Bromley. 43% of us take the time to serve others outside of the church and 29% of us serve others in the church. This is a strength that we can build on together in 2017. To emphasize service this year we will strive to provide opportunities and environments that will challenge you to serve. Some of these will be one time introductory
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service opportunities to get involved as a community. These will be intentionally accessible to people of all ages and stages so that we can serve together. We’ll revisit spiritual gifts and highlight where you might be best suited for service. We’ll also be welcoming our refugee family in late 2016 and will have many opportunities to put our faith in action as we help them adjust to life in Canada. If you have thoughts on ways to encourage service, and are able to volunteer your time to make them happen, Pastor Rob and Deacons would love to hear from you.
BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS
Local Serving Opportunities Missional Opportunities Ottawa Baptist Association Partners in Mission
$300 $750 $4,176 $9,000
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PARTNERS IN MISSION Back in 2013, we went through an intentional process of choosing three Partners in Mission that we, as a church, could support both financially and with volunteers in achieving their mission. Over the past 3+ years, we’ve enjoyed relationships with Iglesia Bautista Emmanuel in El Salvador, Le Bouffe Partage in Chateauguay Quebec, and Bruno and Kathleen Soucy (CBM Field Staff). We committed to reviewing these partnerships every three (3) years, which includes a review for 2017. The Mission Team looked at the three partnerships, and specifically at our level of involvement with the groups. We’ve had visits from the Soucys, have sent a team to El Salvador to work with IBE, but in recent months have lost contact with Le Bouffe Partage. Upon examination, it was felt that this was a result of the distance to travel to visit, and the requirement that service take place on a weekday. Though we were able to send various groups of volunteers to assist at different times, the decision was made to pursue a local opportunity where we could be more actively involved in serving.
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While there are many worthy ministries to support here in Ottawa, it was felt that our greatest impact would be at Matthew House Ottawa. Bromley assisted in the establishment of Matthew House, and several members are still actively involved in its operations. The following pages provide a brief overview of the three proposed Partners in Mission moving forward, and the expectations accompanying each partnership.
BRUNO + KATHLEEN SOUCY Canadian Baptist Ministry Global Field Staff - Latin America During the period of the partnership BRBC will endeavor to provide: • Ongoing prayer support from the pulpit and through the congregational prayer line. • Financial support delivered to the Kathleen and Bruno Soucy through CBM. • Regular congregational updates on the ministry . • Promotion of the expansion of the partnership to sister churches and individuals Bruno and Kathleen Soucy will endeavor to provide: • Regular updates to BRBC on their mission activities through ministry updates as letters or email. • Regular updates to BRBC on the progress of projects receiving financial support from BRBC. • One or more visits to BRBC to provide more detailed updates as well as to build relationships.
As Latin America Team Leaders Bruno and Kathleen work with CBM’s Field Staff and church partners in Bolivia, Brazil, El Salvador, Cuba and Nicaragua. They also support CBM’s work and relationships in Argentina and Costa Rica. The Soucys are passionate about working with local churches in Canada, helping to develop their mission efforts and church engagement, locally and globally, through meaningful short-term mission experiences and partnership possibilities in Latin America. Prior to their roles as Latin America Team Leaders, Bruno and Kathleen served for 7 years as GFS in Rwanda. Bruno has broad experience in technical and management roles in Agricultural Credit in many areas of Canada. He has a passion to help program staff and partners enhance stewardship and financial processes. Kathleen worked in Pregnancy Resource Centers in Ontario, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick and as an area manager for the Canadian Cancer Society in New Brunswick. She has a passion for global discipleship, especially helping to develop appropriate short-term mission programs for donors and churches.
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IGLESIA BAUTISTA EMMANUEL A Baptist Congregation in San Salvador, El Salvador During the period of the partnership BRBC will endeavor to provide: • Ongoing prayer support of IBE ministries. • Financial support delivered to IBE through CBM. • Regular congregational updates on the ministry of IBE. • At least one mission team to El Salvador to work with IBE ministries. • Promotion of the expansion of the partnership to sister churches and individuals. IBE will endeavor to provide: • Ongoing prayer support of BRBC ministries • Regular updates to BRBC on IBE activities, ministries and opportunities. • Reporting as required by CBM for the issuance of partnership funds. • Regular updates to BRBC on the progress of projects receiving financial support from BRBC. • One or more mission teams to Canada to work with BRBC ministries.
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Iglesia Bautista Emmanuel, San Salvador is a Baptist Congregation that was founded in 1964. A few years later, in 1968 two members of the church were sent to seminary in Mexico. The challenges of mission work within the country in the early 1970’s as well as reflection on the reality of the gospel as well as further studies had a profound impact on the church. It resulted in a clear call to serve the poor, in fraternity as well as solidarity and justice. To help show the youth an alternative to gangs, IBE runs a youth house called “Cal Pilpiill” that provides training in the arts such as music and painting, cooking and computers. It provides an alternate family to the “family” that the gangs provide as well as the opportunity for testimony/modeling of the gospel. In parallel, a school provides the official curriculum with the gospel as well as a strong emphasis on building a culture of peace to replace the current culture of violence. In addition to the church in the capital city, San Salvador, IBE reaches out to the rural areas through twelve mission stations.
MATTHEW HOUSE OTTAWA A Refugee Shelter Residence and Furniture Bank for people in Need During the period of the partnership BRBC will endeavor to provide: • Ongoing prayer support of MHO. • Financial support delivered directly to MHO. • Regular congregational updates on the ministry of MHO. • Small teams to volunteer at MHO to prepare meals for the family, help out at the Furniture Bank Ottawa (FBO), and to help with fundraising events such as the Ride for Refuge. MHO will endeavor to provide: • Ongoing prayer support of BRBC ministries. • Regular written updates/reports to BRBC on MHO activities, ministries and opportunities. • Regular written updates/reports to BRBC on the progress of projects receiving financial support from BRBC.
Matthew House Ottawa: Refugee Services and Furniture Bank (MHO) is a faith-based, volunteer driven charity with the vision to be a transformative model of excellence caring for Ottawa’s marginalised population. MHO achieves their mission though two programs: The Furniture Bank distributes quality used furniture and household goods to Ottawa’s marginalised population. In 2015, MHO provided free furniture and household goods to 605 families in Ottawa. Refugee Services provides shelter, food, and refugee settlement assistance, including volunteer opportunities, in a family atmosphere to refugee claimants so that they may begin their journey to independence as members in Canadian society. In 2015, MHO provided a home for 24 refugee claimants from 14 countries. MHO is currently struggling to cover annual expenses and is actively seeking new partnerships.
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BUDGET AT A GLANCE P R O JECTED R EVENU ES
$355,529
Building Services
$47,400
Support Services
$16,285
Pay and Benefits
$228,298
Connect
$4,800
Grow
$10,050
Serve
$48,696
TOTAL DISBURSEMENTS
$355,529
Full details of the 2017 proposed budget are available online from: www.bromleyroadbaptist.org/mybromley or from the church office
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NOTES
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