reFOCUS 2015 MINISTRY PLAN + BUDGET
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BRBC 2015 Ministry Plan + Budget
Pastor Rob Sellitto SENIOR PASTOR
Dear Church, In 1 Samuel 7 an amazing story unfolds. God has been guiding His people to this point, but His people have not always been following Him. When a difficult time comes their way, the people turn away from the idols they have been worshiping and worship God. Amazingly God Delivers His people from the harm coming their way. In Verse 12, we read that “Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us.’” Samuel established a monument to remind the people of what God has done. That God has been their help to get to where they are right now. In many ways 2014 was a monument year for us. While we may not have raised a stone to commemorate it, 2014 served as a year were we reflected and remembered all that God has done for us in our 100 year history. Together we celebrated with joy the story that God has been unfolding in our community. Together we remembered that, “Thus far, the Lord has helped us.” You may have noticed that the story of scripture does not end after Samuel raises the Ebenezer stone. In the same way our story as a church does not end at year 100. Together, we will continue to discover what it is that God has in store for us. 2015 will be a year of great discovery as we focus on what God is calling us to. We are here to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. We have been here to do that for 100 years, and we will continue to do it. That is why we are a church. For this coming year, we hope to give some focus on how we will do that as a church together. In partnership, Pastor Rob BRBC 2015 Ministry Plan + Budget
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The 2015 Ministry Plan & Budget for Bromley Road Baptist Church is a product of several months of discussion and prayer on behalf of the leadership and staff of BRBC. Through the use of the “Where Are We?” survey and discussions, we gathered a sense of where we are as a church. In times of prayer and reflection, we have sought to discern God’s vision for BRBC at this time. This document is a strategy and budget that is meant to help us to be the church God desires us to be. One of the clear comments you shared with us from the “Where are We?” survey is that some of us feel we are lacking direction as a church. What follows are what we are calling priorities for this coming year. They will guide us as we continue to discover God’s direction and vision for us as a church together. Three priorities have shaped the budget and ministry plan for 2015. All that we do will be evaluated against our goal to focus our ministry on one of these priorities. Together we will strive to focus on these three priorities as a community. Our hope is that we will continue to be a church that is focused on Christ and His mission - that we will be a church that is passionate in worship and in helping others to connect with Christ, and one where we challenge each other to take the next steps in our faith journeys. We hope that you’ll take the next step with us as we work towards this.
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BRBC 2015 Ministry Plan + Budget
Priority 01
SPIRITUAL FORMATION To encourage one another to embrace the inward working of God’s Holy Spirit in our lives.
Priority 02
SMALL GROUPS To encourage everyone within the church to connect in a small group. Small groups are more than a Bible Study – they are a community that is there to support each other in all of lifes ups and downs.
Priority 03
NEWCOMERS To remove roadblocks and build relationships with people as they come to our church for the first time. Encouraging them in their search for faith, and doing whatever we can to help them connect with God and others while at our church.
BRBC 2015 Ministry Plan + Budget
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BRBC 2015 Ministry Plan + Budget
In 2014, we celebrated 100 years in the mission of Bromley Road Baptist Church. God has blessed us with so much over these 100 years, just as He continues to do today. This past year we’ve had much to celebrate, including another successful Shine On Summer Camp that saw 93 camp participants made possible by 52 scholarships. We’ve also been blessed by the presence of our Senior Pastor, Rev. Rob Sellitto, and appreciate the leadership that he is bringing to the ministry of the church. Our history is long and we have much to be thankful for. In many ways we could call ourselves successful as a church. But one of the biggest challenges to our future success can be our past and even our current success. We can keep looking back at what was, and forget to imagine what could be. In some ways we have fallen into the routine of doing church - doing the same thing, year after year, just because that’s what we have done before and it seemed to work well. This has caused us to do too much sometimes, we have spread ourselves out. When we spread ourselves out, are we really doing anything to the best of our ability? In 2015, through the following Ministry Plan and proposed Budget, we seek to reFOCUS, to focus on what God wants from Bromley Road Baptist Church, and to do our best to provide faithful and excellent ministry in these areas. As you’ve read above, the budget this year focuses on three priorities which include: spiritual formation, small groups, and newcomers. As you read through the following pages, please remember that these are more than simple words and numbers. This is a strategy for the future of Bromley Road Baptist Church that supports a number of kingdom-expanding initiatives. On Sunday November 16 at 11.45am or Tuesday November 18 at 7.00pm you’re invited to join us for information sessions where more details of the proposed 2015 Budget will be presented and where you’ll be able to have your questions answered. Please plan to attend one of these sessions as you prepare to vote to adopt this budget during our reFOCUS Church Family Meeting on Sunday, November 23 at 11.45am. BRBC 2015 Ministry Plan + Budget
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01 SPIRITUAL
FORMATION
What is Spiritual Formation? Spiritual Formation is the process of becoming more Christ-like. It is about drawing closer to God as He draws closer to you, being made wholly aware of the inner workings of His spirit in your life. It is a lifelong process, and it is said by some to be the most important process in the world. Why is this a priority? Spiritual formation is what we are called to as people. We are to pursue intimacy with God, and as we draw closer to God, He draws nearer to us. Jesus uses the imagery of a vine and branches in John 15 to illustrate how important it is for us to pursue intimacy with God in our lives. What does spiritual formation as a priority look like? Spiritual formation can look different in practice for each person. Our journey in formation can be as unique as we are. It may involve spending time reading the Bible, praying, fasting, periods of silence, etc. But it does not need to be extravagant or extraordinary. It could start as 10 minutes or as 2 hours. Like any relationship, your relationship with Christ requires input from you. Ultimately, the inner work of God’s Spirit is best identified with the outer workings of our lives. The fruits of the spirit spoken of in Galatians 5:22-23 are evidence of Gods inner working in our life.
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BRBC 2015 Ministry Plan + Budget
How will we prioritize spiritual formation at Bromley in 2015? Spiritual formation is not a new concept. Those who have been a Christian, or who have attended church for a long time, may be well acquainted with the concept. In 2015, we will work to promote spiritual formation through individual spiritual practices, but also corporately as a church. Plans for 2015 include: •
Sunday morning teaching for both adults and children will focus on establishing spiritual practices so that all ages are growing closer to God
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Helping students develop an understanding and spiritual practices in their daily lives to help them draw closer to God in Senior and Junior youth groups
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Developing resources for individuals to join together in spiritual practices
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A church-wide small group study will take place in September 2015 along with the relaunch of the small groups’ ministry
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The opportunity to, as a church, learn and practice different spiritual practices. Evening and/or weekend sessions will be held where we can experience these practices together
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Encouraging pastoral staff to meet with spiritual directors on a regular basis. Our pastors are our leaders and we will encourage and support them in their faith through the coaching of a spiritual director. A spiritual director is someone who will encourage and challenge staff in their own faith journey, pray with them, and to help them grow.
$4,050 BRBC 2015 Ministry Plan + Budget
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02 SMALL
GROUPS
What is a small group? A small group is an intentional gathering, meeting regularly for the purpose of joining God’s mission and sharing life. It is a dedicated group who makes time to be together and who desire to be formed as Christ’s disciples.
Why are these a priority? They are a community within the larger community. They foster new relationships throughout the church. They promote connectedness and unity. Group members care about, and for, one another.
What do small groups as a priority look like? Making small groups a priority will mean an increase in the promotion of existing groups, and encouraging those who are not part of a group to join one. Our staff will prioritize small groups, matching people with groups that are right for them, providing volunteer training for group leaders, and creating a consistent learning experience for the whole family.
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BRBC 2015 Ministry Plan + Budget
How will prioritize small groups at Bromley in 2015? Many of us are already part of a small group. The intent is not to stop those groups that are meeting, but to come alongside them to encourage and support them, while also working to multiply the number of groups that are active in the church. And help necomers, or people who are not yet connected to a group, to find the group that is right for them. Plans for 2015 include: •
Relaunching small groups in September 2015 with a church-wide study. Relaunching the ministry will include promotion of new and existing groups, and working with groups to make sign-ups easier
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Building a resource library for small groups including videos, studies, and other resources for groups at all stages. This will include a continued subscription to RightNow media
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New online search and registration tool for small groups at www.bromleyroadbaptist.org. This will allow people to find the group that is right for them, at a location that is convenient for them
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A focus on connecting newcomers into existing small groups to promote community
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Small group leader training to ensure new and existing leaders are well equipped to lead their groups
$2,500 BRBC 2015 Ministry Plan + Budget
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03 NEWCOMERS Who is a newcomer? A newcomer is anyone who attends Bromley but has never been here before. This could be a long-time Christian who is looking for a church home, an individual investigating Christianity, or someone visiting for one Sunday. They may join us for a Sunday morning service, or they may drop in for youth group on a Friday night. Why are they a priority? Our reality is that every week new people seem to be showing up to church, but they are not staying for the most part. An important part of the Christian journey is us seeking to join God in what He is doing. Bringing new people through our doors is something He is doing. God calls us to go and make disciples of all nations. As a church, we recognize that we should be helping to connect newcomers with God and others, and to remove all barriers for them to do that.
What do newcomers as a priority look like? Prioritizing newcomers not only impacts how we do church on a Sunday morning, but also plays into the decisions we make in the upkeep of our building, what our signage looks like, and how we work on a Sunday morning.
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BRBC 2015 Ministry Plan + Budget
How will we prioritize newcomers at Bromley in 2015? Removing road blocks for people to connect to God will be one of our primary objectives 2015 and will impact on the way we do things throughout the entire church. Plans for 2015 include: •
Creating a connection centre to welcome visitors and provide a “onestop shop” for information about BRBC
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Rethink our worship service, youth and kids’ programs – asking the question in what ways can we improve to help newcomers connect with God?
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Improve wayfinding throughout the church to let visitors know how they get where they want to be
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Renewing our church building with fresh paint and new decorations. In 2015, we will repaint the gym and remove clutter throughout the building
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Provide high-quality programs for children that are fun and educational in a safe and secure environment
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Pay special attention to newcomers with greeters and regular opportunities for newcomers to learn about our church and our beliefs
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Create high-quality communications in print and online that convey our church activities, vision and mission
$22,550 BRBC 2015 Ministry Plan + Budget
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OPERATIONS While our priorities for 2015 will be spiritual formation, small groups and newcomers, we must also continue to be good stewards of what God has given us. The Operations budget resources the support services that are essential for all ministries, including facility maintenance, grounds, utilities, housekeeping, IT, and office functions.
$56,800 13
BRBC 2015 Ministry Plan + Budget
PERSONNEL The personnel budget provides compensation and benefits to church staff. It also accounts for the Shine On Summer Camp seasonal employees, and supplies for regular staff during their holidays.
$221,910 BRBC 2015 Ministry Plan + Budget
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2015 BUDGET OVERVIEW PROJECTED REVENUES
$382,440
BUILDING SERVICES
$52,780
SUPPORT SERVICES
$14,070
PAY AND BENEFITS
$221,910
BOARD OF DEACONS
$6,750
FAMILY MINISTRIES
$21,000
WORSHIP PLANNING
$2,800
PASTORAL CARE
$300
MISSIONAL INITIATIVES
$750
CANADIAN BAPTIST MISSIONS
$62,064
TOTAL
$382,423
Full details of the 2015 proposed budget are available online from: www.bromleyroadbaptist.org/mybromley or from the church office
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BRBC 2015 Ministry Plan + Budget
BRBC 2015 Ministry Plan + Budget
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OPPORTUNITIES TO GIVE We are excited about the plans that God has for Bromley that have been detailed in the pages of this plan. If you are already supporting the church, thank you! We appreciate your support. If you’re feeling like you would like to start donating to Bromley, or even if you’ve been donating for a long time, consider the most effective way for you to give:
PRE-AUTHORIZED DEBITS Have you considered giving by Pre-Authorized Debits (PADs) straight from your bank account? PADs makes it easier for you - your donations are evenly spread throughout the year, you never have to remember to write a cheque, and if you ever miss a service, your donation is not missed. It also makes things easier for the church by reducing the overall work for our volunteers, decreasing risk, and allowing the church to plan and How often do you think about how you designated your givings? Often, we receive designated offerings for the Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec or our Partners in Mission, that exceed our budget targets. At the same time, we’re ofter behind in our Operating budget. Why not consider simply designating your offerings to the Operating budget line. This money will go a long way to funding the programs described in this Ministry Plan throughout 2014.
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BRBC 2015 Ministry Plan + Budget
execute missions with some certainty that funds will be forthcoming. Get registered for PAD giving quickly and easily! Visit the giving page on the church website, or contact the church office.
ONLINE GIVING Make your donations quickly and easily through the church website. Just click the links and process your donation through CanadaHelps. You can set your donation up to happen just once, or schedule regular donations. It’s fast and easy!
ENVELOPE GIVING Giving through the offering envelope is still an easy way to give to Bromley. If you’re looking for your own set of envelopes, please contact the church office.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT GIVING AT BROMLEY Visit www.bromleyroadbaptist.org/giving to download forms, give online, or learn how to get started with your donations.
BRBC 2015 Ministry Plan + Budget
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