By: Waylon Bailey

2015 will be an exciting year for First Baptist Church.

We are laying plans now for many of the exciting events for 2015 and beyond.

Today you will receive a summary of the 2015 budget for First Baptist Church. This proposed budget will be presented at our next congregational meeting Wednesday, November 19, at 6:15 PM. The budget will be presented at the congregational meeting and voted on in the weekend services December 6-7, 2014.

The Finance Ministry Team has proposed a 4% increase in the budget. Four percent is the average percentage increase in our giving over the past seven years. Therefore, this is a doable budget from an historical perspective.

While this budget is doable, it will only happen by our faith and our faithfulness.

Our plan is to use 4% for the foreseeable future as the plan to prepare us for our new building.

The increases in the proposed budget are in three general areas: missions (including Metarie Church), staff salaries and benefits, and facilities operations.

The largest increase is in “Building Debt Retirement,” allowing us to get ready to finance our new buildings.

The total proposed budget is $5,300,000.

Both the giving to the church budget and the Rise Up! Capital Campaign are going well. We are on schedule to meet the budget and to meet our giving goals for the capital campaign.

Your giving makes FBC ministries possible. Thank you for what you do for the work of God in our region and around the world.