Dragging

I was in bed at 6:00 yesterday evening, and after 12 hours of sleep, I'm still dragging today. Tonight we meet to finalize the budget for 2012. Our stewardship campaign resulted in a nice increase in pledges, but we did a challenge budget, so we will have to do some cutting to balance the budget for next year. I think I'll go home and get a nap before the meeting-- it could be interesting and I will need to be at my best. In the past, the treasurer has taken recommendations to the finance committee. The finance committee has sent his recommendations to the board, and the board has approved those recommendations. I discovered this year that the treasurer and administrative assistant are the only ones who really understand the budget.
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This year, the committee leaders will meet to negotiate the cuts that need to be made with the finance committee. In January, the treasurer will go in and meet with each committee to explain their budget to them. The committee leaders will get reports on their line item budgets every month. It's part of communicating and equipping leaders, two of our priorities for this year.
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I'm beginning to make changes in the way things are done. For the most part, the congregation has been open to them. I don't generally think of administration as one of my strengths, but as I look at the changes I've made this year, I'm reassessing my perception of my strengths. We have made a number of changes to reduce costs and increase efficiency in the office. There will be more changes coming.
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We are moving forward as a congregation, and I am moving forward as an empty nester. I'm excited to see what the coming year will bring us.