# 05 – Financial Plan & Generosity Mayflower's annual generosity plan — biblical language, communication cadence, giving touchpoints, and alignment with the Regulative Principle of Worship. # Overview: Financial Plan & Generosity ## Status **Implementation status:** In Process ## Principle (from Streamline) Lukaszewski's principle: A healthy church has an annual generosity plan — not just a budget — that names the biblical language of giving, identifies touchpoints across the year, and is aligned with worship rather than bolted on. ## Mayflower's Current Practice The year-round Generosity Plan was **adopted by the Board of Finance on June 4, 2026**, with owners and backups assigned for each element. See [Generosity Plan (Adopted June 4, 2026)](https://wiki.mayflowerkingston.org/books/05-financial-plan-generosity/page/generosity-plan-adopted-june-4-2026). A few items remain in process: a measurable giving-gap target and timeline, the online-giving target (ten-point vs ten-percent, by November 1, 2026), the ten-percent external designation on the February offering, and whether estimate-of-giving cards remain in the plan. ## Governance & Document References - Mayflower Constitution and Bylaws — Board of Finance, Church Treasurer, Financial Secretary sections - Position Descriptions #06 Board of Finance Member, #07 Church Treasurer, #09 Financial Secretary ## Open Questions - Final biblical generosity language - RPW alignment sign-off from elders --- *Page template: Principle + Mayflower Practice. Part of the Operations Plan, adapted from Michael Lukaszewski's Streamline: How To Create Healthy Church Systems.* # Q3 2026 Stewardship Arc — Elder One-Pager

**Seasonal document.** This one-pager serves Q3 2026 (July–September). After September 30, 2026, archive it out of the plan; seasonal documents do not remain in the plan past their season.

# **Q3 2026 Stewardship Arc — Elder Board One-Pager** *For discussion at the next Elder Tuesday meeting. Drafted by Anton Brown, Senior Pastor — May 4, 2026 (Revision 3, calibrated to monthly dashboards Jan 2025 – Mar 2026 and the March 2026 Attendance Trend Report).* ## **What I am asking the elders to do** Approve a four-week September stewardship arc preached from 2 Corinthians 8-9, paired with BFG study, congregational prayer, ministry updates, and FY27 estimate-of-giving cards — sequenced to land before the October 25, 2026 congregational vote on the FY27 budget. ## **Why now — what the data actually says**
**Indicator** **Value**
2025 Total Tithes & Offerings $204,332
2025 Avg Per Capita Giving (highest since 2022) $67.01 (+11% vs 2024)
2025 Avg Weekly Worship Attendance 63.3
2025 attenders/members lost (15 families) 29 people
FY26 budgeted income $259,154 (+27% vs 2025 actual)
FY26 YTD income through Apr 17 $57,783 (22.3% at 29% of year)
Q1 2026 Budget+Funds (highest in recent history) $48,327
Jan 2026 Per Capita ($97.35 — highest in 5 years) Strong
Jan 2026 Baptisms 4 (more than all of 2025)
2025 was a hard year. We lost 29 people across fifteen families. Worship attendance, BFG enrollment, and total dollar giving all declined. And — those who stayed gave more sacrificially: per capita giving rose 11% to $67.01, the highest figure since 2022. Q1 2026 produced the strongest first quarter on record for Budget+Funds giving ($48,327). EQUIP attendance is at a five-year high. January 2026 saw four baptisms — more than all of 2025. The 'gap' against the FY26 budget exists because FY26 was set 27% above 2025 actuals. That is not a generosity failure; that is an aggressive budget meeting a stabilizing reality. The September arc is not about plugging that gap. It is about inviting the congregation to fund the FY27 priorities the August Summit will name, anchored on a realistic baseline. ## **How the arc fits Mayflower's plan** - The arc preaches through a New Testament book passage — directly faithful to Mission #1 of the Two-Page Plan: faithful expository preaching of whole books of the Bible. It treats 2 Corinthians 8-9 as a brief expository unit; it does not displace the regular preaching schedule. - It tracks four of the Five Priority Ministries (Word, Lord's Day, Prayer, Membership/Shepherding) and uses Disciple-Making Pathways via paired BFG study. - It is timed to the FY27 planning cycle: BoF builds the FY27 budget in July; the August Summit names FY27 priorities; the September arc gives those priorities a stewardship voice; the October 25 congregational meeting approves the FY27 budget; FY27 begins January 1, 2027. ## **What I will need from the Elder Board**
**Ask** **Detail** **Form**
Approve the arc Confirm 2 Corinthians 8-9 as the September 2026 preaching text and the September 6-27 timing. Vote at Tuesday Elder Meeting
Affirm the lay testimony plan Approve a single congregational testimony on God's providence for Week 1 (not on giving levels). Pre-approve speaker
Greenlight estimate-of-giving cards Pastoral, non-binding, used for planning. Card text reviewed by elders. Approve template
Lend voice Each elder names FY27 stewardship in pastoral conversations between now and Sept 27, especially in shepherding teams. Ongoing through the arc
Set the FY27 budget assumption realistically Direct BoF to anchor FY27 income on 2025 actuals (Total Tithes & Offerings $204,332) plus a defensible growth assumption — not on the FY26 number we are running 27% behind. Standing direction to BoF
Bind the BoF July build to the plan Each requested FY27 budget line ties to a goal area on the Annual Goals Template, so the September arc speaks about funded priorities with specificity. Standing direction to BoF
## **Tone and posture** The arc is gospel-centered, not guilt-driven, and not anxious. The data does not warrant anxiety. The Macedonians in 2 Cor 8 give 'beyond their ability' from the joy of grace; Mayflower in 2025 has, in our own way, done the same. The September arc names that, gives thanks for it, and invites the congregation to walk into FY27 with confidence in God's provision. # **Q3 2026 Stewardship Arc — Detailed Plan** *The four-week September arc, supporting elements, and timing. Aligned to the Mayflower Two-Page Plan, Five Priority Ministries, and the FY27 budget approval cycle.* ## **Why 2 Corinthians 8-9** 2 Corinthians 8-9 is the New Testament's most concentrated treatment of giving. It is gospel-rooted (8:9), grace-named (8:1, 8:7, 9:14), free of compulsion (9:7), and ends in thanksgiving and prayer rather than budget rhetoric (9:12-15). For a Reformed Baptist congregation that values expository preaching and confessional clarity, it is the right text. It also matches Mayflower's actual moment: a congregation grieving real losses while quietly demonstrating sacrificial generosity. The Macedonian church is the closest biblical analogue we have. ## **The Four-Week Arc**
**Week** **Text + Theme** **Sermon Center** **Supporting Element**
Week 1 — Sept 6 The God Who Provides — 2 Cor 8:1-9 The Macedonians' joyful generosity flows from the gospel: 'though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor.' Set the foundation: stewardship is gospel response. Frame: God has been faithful to Mayflower across a year of loss; we steward into His provision. Brief congregational testimony (Week 1) on God's providence. Bulletin insert: Mayflower's purpose statement and a one-paragraph FY27 invitation.
Week 2 — Sept 13 Excelling in This Grace — 2 Cor 8:7-15 Generosity is named alongside faith, knowledge, earnestness, and love as a grace to grow in. Highlight that 2025 per capita giving rose 11% — those who stayed gave more sacrificially. Invite the whole congregation into that grace. Pre-service prayer for stewardship; BFG questions distributed; Director of Biblical Counseling available for budget-related counsel.
Week 3 — Sept 20 Sowing and Reaping — 2 Cor 9:6-11 Cheerful giving, not under compulsion. Tie to specific FY27 priorities the Summit will have named: visitor retention, BFG expansion, EQUIP momentum, missions. Show what gifts fund, concretely. Five-minute ministry update (one Priority Ministry leader). Lead with what God has done — the four January baptisms, the EQUIP momentum, the strongest Q1 giving in recent history.
Week 4 — Sept 27 Thanksgiving That Overflows — 2 Cor 9:12-15 The aim of generosity is overflowing thanksgiving and prayer. Close with the FY27 invitation: estimate-of-giving cards, recurring-giving sign-up, planned-giving conversations. FY27 estimate-of-giving cards distributed; QR code to set up Planning Center recurring giving; pastoral-conversation sign-ups.
## **Supporting Elements** The preaching is the central act. These elements support it without making the arc feel like a stewardship campaign rather than a sermon series.
**Element** **Description** **Owner**
BFG curriculum 4-week study guide on 2 Cor 8-9 paired with the sermon series. EQUIP team prepares; BFG leaders use in their groups during the arc. EQUIP Discipleship Leader / BFG Leaders
Bulletin inserts Each Sunday: Week 1: purpose; Week 2: 2025 per capita generosity; Week 3: priority ministries funded; Week 4: how to give & estimate-of-giving card. Church Secretary
Congregational prayer Before and during the arc, name FY27 stewardship in pastoral prayer. A church-wide prayer gathering Sunday Sept 13 evening. Prayer Team Leader
Lay testimony One brief congregational witness (Week 1) on how God has provided. A providence testimony, not a giving testimony. Vetted by elders. Senior Pastor
Ministry update Five-minute Sunday-morning update (Week 3). Lead with God's work — baptisms, EQUIP momentum, Q1 2026 generosity — then point to FY27 priorities. Senior Pastor / chosen ministry leader
Estimate-of-giving cards Pastoral, non-binding, used for planning. Distributed Week 4 with a clear two-week return window. Financial Secretary
Recurring giving lift Planning Center QR code on every bulletin and screen for two months. Goal: lift recurring giving share by 10 percentage points. Treasurer / Comms
Pastoral conversation availability Sign-up sheet for any household wanting to talk through stewardship questions. Senior Pastor / Director of Biblical Counseling
## **Timing — How September Fits the FY27 Planning Cycle** Mayflower's fiscal year runs January 1 to December 31. The arc lands during the FY27 planning cycle. FY27 itself begins January 1, 2027. - July 2026 (FY26 Q3): BoF opens FY27 budget build with a realistic income baseline anchored on 2025 actuals. - August 2026: Leadership Summit produces FY27 Two-Page Plan (refreshed) and FY27 Annual Goals. - Early September 2026: Officer elections, leadership handoff. Plan owners confirmed. - September 6-27, 2026: The four-week arc. - Early October 2026: Estimate-of-giving cards returned; staff and BoF revise FY27 budget assumptions if warranted. - October 25, 2026: Quarterly congregational meeting approves FY27 budget. - January 1, 2027: FY27 begins. ## **Targets — What 'Faithful and Effective' Looks Like** The aim is not a fundraising number. The aim is a faithful preaching of the text, a clear FY27 invitation, and the kind of cheerful response 2 Cor 9:7 names. That said, we should know what we are watching. - Recurring-giving share: lift by ten percentage points by November 1, 2026. Current state to be measured before the arc begins. - FY27 estimate-of-giving response: at least 60% of giving households return a card within two weeks of Week 4. - Average September 2026 weekly giving: tracking against — not necessarily ahead of — the FY27 budgeted weekly target. - BFG participation: at least 70% of regularly-attending members in a BFG running the parallel 2 Cor 8-9 study (March 2026 BFG/Bible Study attendance was 33; the goal is to lift further into the fall). - Pastoral conversation requests: any number is good. This indicates trust. ## **What Could Go Wrong — and How We Avoid It** - Anxiety bleeds in. — 2025 was hard. If the elder team is anxious about losses, the congregation will hear it in the preaching. Discipline ourselves toward gratitude and gospel confidence; that is what 2 Cor 8-9 teaches and what the data permits. - Numbers eclipse the text. — Resist the urge to show the FY26 budget gap. The Week 3 ministry update should focus on what God has done — baptisms, EQUIP, Q1 generosity — not on what is missing. - Cards feel like contracts. — Estimate-of-giving cards are pastoral and non-binding. Use that language explicitly on the card. - BFGs lag. — If BFG leaders cannot turn the parallel study around in time, simplify to a single discussion guide for use in any small group setting. - Lay testimony goes off-script. — Vet the testimony in advance. Frame it as 'how God provided,' not 'why I give to Mayflower.' *Source materials: Monthly dashboards Jan 2025 – Mar 2026; 2025 Annual Dashboard Report; March 2026 Attendance Trend Report; Two-Page Plan (adopted May 30, 2026); FY26 Stabilization Inventory (May 2026); QuickBooks Budget vs. Actuals through April 17, 2026; Donations export Jan 18 – May 3, 2026.* *Revision history: Rev. 3 (May 4, 2026) — recalibrated 'Why now' against the full monthly dashboard set. Earlier revisions framed the giving picture as 'meaningfully behind pace.' That framing was directionally correct but missed the context: the gap is largely a budget-design gap (FY26 set 27% above 2025 actuals), and Q1 2026 is the strongest first quarter on record. The recalibrated tone is grateful and confident rather than anxious — matching what the data warrants.* # Generosity Plan (Adopted June 4, 2026) ## Status **Implementation status:** Adopted by the Board of Finance, June 4, 2026. Individual elements below carry their own real timing and status; several remain in process even though the plan as a whole is adopted. ## The Plan and Its Posture The Generosity Plan is Mayflower's year-round giving and generosity work: how the church forms, thanks, and speaks to its givers across the whole year, not only in the Sunday offering moment. Its posture is gospel-driven, not guilt-driven. Generosity here is understood as a response to grace, not a fundraising tactic. This plan is the giving and generosity side of the church's finances. It is built on its own track alongside the FY27 budget, and the two meet at two points. First, the September Stewardship Arc names the funded FY27 priorities to the congregation, so the message speaks concretely. Second, the recurring-giving push feeds the FY27 income assumption. The plan does not rebuild the budget. ## Adopted Elements The Board of Finance worked through the generosity plan worksheet and adopted the following elements, each with its owner and timing. ### 1. September Stewardship Arc A four-week series on 2 Corinthians 8 to 9, preached September 6, 13, 20, and 27, 2026. This is the church's generosity message. It begins the Sunday after Back-to-Church Sunday, following the conclusion of Acts on August 30. Approved by the elders 2026-06-03. The board confirmed the arc as the generosity message and does not redesign it. - **DRI:** Anton. **Backup:** Jerry. ### 2. Financial Discipleship Teaching Adopted as a video series with an accompanying study guide, timed for January. - **DRI:** Jerry. **Backup:** Anton. ### 3. Recurring-Giving Push Adopted as a focused encouragement toward automatic, recurring giving, which steadies the church through summer and lean months. Ran late May to early June 2026, with Marge as primary spokesperson. - **DRI:** Marge. **Backup:** Anton. ### 4. Appreciation Gathering Adopted as an annual gathering that thanks the body for its giving and service. Folded into the January congregational meeting rather than held as a separate donor-only event. - **DRI:** Anton, Marge, Jerry. ### 5. Year-Round Giving Communication Adopted on a quarterly cadence, sent under a Board of Finance cover letter, with a pastoral discipleship article twice per year pre-approved by Gail. This is the rhythm of speaking to and thanking givers across the whole year. - **DRI:** Anton and Gail. ### 6. Annual Special Offering Adopted for February as a prior-year end-of-year offering addressing the prior-year shortfall, with prior-year giving clearly distinguished from current-year giving and tracked year over year. A possible model designates ten percent to an external ministry; that designation is not yet decided (see Open Questions). - **DRI:** Marge and Cindy. ### 7. First Element to Start Quarterly giving communication is the first element to begin, ahead of the elements timed later in the year. It launches with the July Bell Ringer and the July congregational meeting. - **DRI:** Jerry and Anton. ## Giving-Initiative Owners and Backups The board assigned owners and backups for each initiative so no task remains vague. "DRI" is Directly Responsible Individual. By design, the DRI is not, by default, the pastor.
InitiativeDRIBackup
Overall plan / board leadAntonMarge
September generosity message (arc)AntonJerry
Financial discipleship teachingJerryAnton
Recurring-giving pushMargeAnton
January appreciation gatheringAnton, Marge, JerryCindy, Gail
Year-round communicationAnton, GailCindy, Marge
Annual February special offeringMarge, CindyJerry, Anton
Giver follow-upCindy, AntonEdith
Estimate-of-giving cardsNot currently used; confirm removal---
## Governance & Document References - Mayflower Constitution and Bylaws — Board of Finance, Church Treasurer, and Financial Secretary sections - Board of Finance minutes, June 4, 2026 (on file) - Generosity Plan board worksheet, June 4, 2026 (on file) --- *Page template for the Mayflower operations plan, adapted from Michael Lukaszewski's Streamline: How To Create Healthy Church Systems.* # Diaconate Fund Financial Aid Policy *Migrated from the By-Laws attachments to the Church Operations Plan per Motion 3, adopted July 26, 2026. Recorded July 30, 2026.* - **Oversight Board:** Mayflower Board of Deacons - **Effective Date:** 1-26-22 - **Version Number:** 3 **Policy Statement:** It is the policy of Mayflower Church diaconate that funds donated to the diaconate be distributed responsibly to those in true need, with church members receiving highest priority, then the needs of others in our community and other ministries that minister to the needs of the poor. **Purpose:** The purpose of this Financial Aid Policy is to define the process and criteria used by the diaconate to distribute the monies donated by the congregation to the diaconate fund. **Description** Each request or recommendation for assistance is considered by the diaconate. Every case is considered on its own merits. - Church members and attendee friends are a priority. - Financial assistance will be for essential needs such as food, utilities, medical, vehicle gas or repair, or clothing. - Repeat help may be provided to the chronically poor, while also assisting them in identifying other available sources of help. - The repeated need for help may require financial counseling or budget assistance before further assistance is provided. - Financial assistance for community members not associated with Mayflower church will be normally be limited to food or gas debit cards. - A Deacons' Fund Request form must be completed - The individual will meet with a member of the diaconate to discuss their situation and provide us an opportunity for witness of the gospel and prayer. - In general, a community member will be helped once a year. - Forms of financial assistance include: - Bags of essential groceries - Food or gas gift cards - Payment a specific bill - Rarely, give undesignated money # Mayflower Church Purchasing and Reimbursement Policy *Migrated from the By-Laws attachments to the Church Operations Plan per Motion 3, adopted July 26, 2026. Recorded July 30, 2026. Migrated as amended by Motion 4(1) (CCCC Dues line struck).* - **Oversight Board:** Board of Finance - **Effective Date:** 5-17-23 - **Version Number:** 1 **Policy Statement:** It is the policy of Mayflower Church that all expenditures be within the available budget or fund limits and be pre-approved. **Purpose:** The purpose of this policy is to define how purchases are approved, allocated to the appropriate fund or budget, and how reimbursement is made for out-of-pocket expenses. **Description** *Prior Approval* - Prior approval by the appropriate board chair must be obtained prior to purchase (see table below). - The need and cost estimate should be communicated, and the approval received, "in writing" via email or other means. - The method of payment (cash, church credit card, or PEX debit card) will be determined by the board chair. *Purchases* - Purchases must be within the 'do not exceed' amount agreed during approval. - Purchases should be examined for damage and suitability and returned if needed by the purchaser. - All purchase paperwork should be returned to the approver (register receipts, packing slips or order acknowledgements) *Allocation* - The approver will submit appropriate paperwork to the Treasurer: a voucher for cash reimbursement or credit card purchase; the uploaded receipt for PEX card purchases. *Reimbursement* - Reimbursements or payment is not guaranteed for purchases made without prior approval. - Reimbursements will be made within two weeks for approved cash out-of-pocket expenses. **Approval Allocation by Board Chair (categories as listed in source):** - **Elder Chair:** Discipletown Curriculum/supplies; Discipleship & Evangelism supplies, devotionals; Pulpit Supply; Audio/visual; Worship Supplies; Funds: Outreach, Memorial, Music, and Youth Ministry. - **Deacon Chair:** Music; Hospitality; Funds: Flower, Coffee Hour, Hospitality Events, Nursery, and Audio/Visual. - **Pastor:** Web Technology, Strategic Plan; Computer/Website/Technical expenses; Biblical Counseling Lead Counselor; Biblical Counseling Resources. - **Trustee Chair (PEX Card and Credit Card):** Office Supplies, Copier Supply/Maintenance; Custodial Services, Trash Removal; Lawn Care, Snow Removal; Maintenance/supplies; Utilities, Fee/Licenses; Funds: General and Capital Improvement. [Note: the source document renders this allocation as a multi-column table; it is reproduced here as a list.] # Mayflower Church Sunday Sales Policy *Migrated from the By-Laws attachments to the Church Operations Plan per Motion 3, adopted July 26, 2026. Recorded July 30, 2026.* - **Oversight Board:** Mayflower Board of Elders - **Effective Date:** 12-4-2018 - **Version Number:** 1 **Purpose:** In order to strike a balance between allowing reasonable Church function-related activities, while not becoming "money changers" within the Church, the following guidelines are established: **Policy:** - Mayflower Church activities, such as leftover bake sale, or other, items from the Mayflower Club's Craft Fair; or Youth Group cookie or candy sales, will generally be allowed, barring other conflicting needs. - Outside missionary speakers/singers will likely be allowed to sell their CD's, DVD's, etc. on a one-time basis. - Private sales will generally not be allowed. - Any requests will be presented to the Board of Elders, who will make the final decision as to whether the activity will be permitted.