Letter From Bill Baumann RLC Stewardship Chairman

May 13, 2014

Dear Fellow RLC Members,

This message is an update to the February, 2014 letter regarding the RLC financial situation, and to discussions on this topic at the April 27 RLC congregational forum and voters meeting. The February letter highlighted the goals RLC has undertaken, along with the corresponding financial challenges. While 2014 has been a challenging year so far, we must not lose sight of God’s continued blessings on our efforts, including:

• We have the privilege to be part of the WELs vicar program, helping train pastors who are now reaching more people with the good news of Jesus (and who share the RLC mission while here). The Lord has blessed us by enabling us to be part of this program for another year starting this July.

• We have commissioned nearly 40 members to Good News Lutheran Church in Mt. Horeb. Good News has 35-40 people in worship each week and new guests continue to come. Pastor Jonathan Bauer has accepted the call to serve at Good News, and will begin serving in July. This will allow Pastor Strutz and our vicars to re-focus on work in Verona.

• On an almost weekly basis, we have new people attending RLC worship services. The fields are ripe for harvest!

• While the commissioning of members to Good News has temporarily reduced attendance at RLC, our attendance still is higher today than it was four years ago. If one counts our combined attendance with Good News, total attendance is 30% higher than four years ago. What a blessing!

The charts included with this message detail the RLC financial situation for calendar year 2014. The charts show offerings compared to budget for 2014, both month by month and year to date through April, 2014. While offerings remained at 2013 levels for the first quarter of 2014 (resulting in a growing budget deficit), RLC members were moved by the Holy Spirit to increase support for the RLC efforts to carry out Jesus’ great commission, and offerings exceeded our approved budget for the month of April. We are thankful for the RLC members’ offerings of time, talents, and treasures, and pray that this will continue! As the Lord reminds us:

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up”. (Galations 6:9)

Please continue to watch the RLC website for updated financial charts and information provided by our Treasurer Rick Hermanson as we move through the calendar year.

In Our Lord’s Service,