Financial Updates – Saint Columba's Episcopal Church

Financial Updates from Gail Hill, Treasurer

On Behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee

May 1, 2024

We are in positive territory for the month and the year! The 2024 budget deficit was projected to be $58,000 because of the increase in expenses from having a full-time rector. We are planning to use reserves, including the excess funds from 2023 and past years, and increase fundraising to cover the remaining deficit. You all are very generous, giving extra gifts when you can! It’s too early in the year to see how much of our parishioners’ generosity will reduce the amount of reserves we have to use.

The Vestry, under Fr. Michael’s leadership, is already starting to work on fundraising ideas and events. The Budget & Finance Committee is also working on ideas such as purchasing CD’s with the excess funds we have in the bank.

The Buildings & Grounds Committee only had one large project this past month: the water heater in the rectory failed and it was replaced. By the time you read this, there will be three more trees that will have been severely trimmed in the area between the labyrinth and the rectory. The Committee is working on other projects that need to be done.

There are more grants from the Endowment Committee that can be spent on ministries or Buildings & Grounds projects. The Vestry, under Fr. Michael’s leadership, is starting work to determine what to do. We purposely waited for Fr. Michael to arrive so he could help lead us in what needs to be done.

It’s an exciting time in our life as a parish! Everyone paying your pledge enables us to stay afloat, plan for the future, and support the work of our parish here in Camarillo! This can never be repeated enough: We continue to bless each of you as we count your pledge on Sundays or receive it via PayPal. You are all helping to support our efforts as we move into the next phase of having a new rector and our bright future together.

If anyone would like to join us on the Budget & Finance Committee or see what we’re doing in more detail, you are more than welcome. We can truly use more help, thoughts, and ideas. We want to be transparent with expenses and income. We don’t take anyone and their contributions for granted. Thank you all!

Gail Hill, Treasurer

On Behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee (Bev Pearson, Doug Miller, Maria Fernandez & Sarah Monroe-Allen)

April 1, 2024

We are still in positive territory for the year, but the month was over budget because we finally started paying salary and benefits for our wonderful new rector, Michael. (We owed 2 months of benefits as the billing system for the Church Pension Group caught up.) The 2024 budget deficit is still projected to be $58,000, because of the increase in expenses from having a full-time rector. We are planning to use reserves, including the excess funds from 2023 and past years, and increase fundraising to cover the remaining deficit.

The Vestry, under Fr. Michael’s leadership, is already starting to work on fundraising ideas and events.

The Buildings & Grounds Committee finished projects preparing for our new rector. The rector’s bathroom in the sacristy area has been upgraded. And the rector’s office has been totally refurbished. The funds came from the 2021 and 2022 Endowment Grants. The funds utilized are not available for day-to-day expenses. In addition, Bob Waite refinished the old desk so it’s like new for our new rector! If you haven’t seen the office, I’d encourage you to visit Fr. Michael and see it.

The Labyrinth group installed solar lights so we can use the Labyrinth better in the early evening hours. Others are helping with other items that need replacement. We thank those parishioners and everyone else who is stepping up to help our parish.

It’s a busy time in our life as a parish! Our new rector has arrived! Everyone paying your pledge enables us to stay afloat, plan for the future, and support the work of our parish here in Camarillo! We continue to bless each of you as we count your pledge on Sundays or receive it via PayPal. You are all helping to support our efforts as we move into the next phase of having a new rector and our bright future together. Fr. Michael Anderson started working for us at the end of January. He and his family have already added a bright light for our parish family.

Gail Hill, Treasurer

On Behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee (Bev Pearson, Doug Miller, Maria Fernandez & Sarah Monroe-Allen)

March 1, 2024

We are starting off 2024 in positive territory! We had several parishioners prepay their pledges and Fr. Michael’s salary was less than budgeted since he didn’t start work until mid-January. The budget deficit is still projected to be $58,000, because of the increase in expenses from having a full-time Rector. We are planning to use reserves, including the excess funds from 2023 and past years, and increase fundraising to cover the remaining deficit.

The Buildings & Grounds Committee finished projects preparing for our new Rector. The Rector’s bathroom in the Sacristy area has been upgraded. The Rector’s office has been refurbished with windows, new paint, and refinished cabinets. Carpet, window treatments, and new lighting have been added. The funds came from the 2021 and 2022 Endowment Grants. The funds utilized are not available for day-to-day expenses. In addition, Bob Waite refinished the old desk so it’s like new for our new Rector! If you haven’t seen the office, I’d encourage you to visit Fr. Michael and see it.

It’s an exciting time in our life as a parish! Our new Rector has arrived! Everyone paying your pledge enables us to stay afloat, plan for the future, and support the work of our parish here in Camarillo! We continue to bless each of you as we count your pledge on Sundays or receive it via PayPal. You are all helping to support our efforts as we move into the next phase of having a new Rector and our bright future together. Fr. Michael Anderson started working for us at the end of January and we are expecting our parishioners and the community to respond positively to this energetic, spiritual leader.

Thank you all! Gail Hill, Treasurer

On Behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee (Bev Pearson, Doug Miller, Maria Fernandez & Sarah Monroe-Allen)

February 1, 2024

We are blessed to have about $49,000 in excess funds at the end of 2023, but we will need every dollar in 2024! Fr. Michael Anderson started working for us at the end of January and we are expecting our parishioners and the community to respond positively to this energetic, spiritual leader.

To reiterate my last months’ update: The Vestry is stepping out in faith and with the Holy Spirit in the budget for 2024. The Rev. Dr. Michael P. Anderson is the right Rector to lead us forward and we are so blessed to have him! Our new Rector has a large family which is expensive, especially for housing and benefits. We are so excited to welcome his wife, Francina, and their four (4) children! We have faith that the Parish will grow to support these additional costs in the future. So far you all have pledged $16,000 more than 2023! Thank you so much!

The budget deficit is currently projected to be $55,000, because of the increase in pledges. We are planning to use reserves, including the excess funds from 2023 and past years, and increase fund raising to cover the remaining deficit.

The Buildings and Grounds Committee continues to move ahead with projects preparing for our new Rector. The Rector’s bathroom in the Sacristy area is completed. A small wall has been added to the Rector’s office to match the other office; and, windows replaced in both offices with double pane, solar efficient windows. The Rector’s office has been refurbished with new paint and refinished cabinets. Carpet, window treatments, and new lighting have been added. The funds are coming from the 2021 and 2022 Endowment Grants. The funds utilized are not available for day-to-day expenses. In addition, Bob Waite refinished the old desk so it’s like new for our new Rector! If you haven’t seen the office, I’d encourage you to visit Fr. Michael and see it.

It’s an exciting time in our life as a Parish! Our new Rector has arrived! Everyone paying your pledge enables us to stay afloat, plan for the future, and support the work of our Parish here in Camarillo! We continue to bless each of you as we count your pledge on Sundays or receive it via PayPal. You are all helping to support our efforts as we move into the next phase of having a new Rector and our bright future together.

If anyone would like to join us on the Budget & Finance Committee or see what we’re doing in more detail, you are more than welcome. We can truly use more help, thoughts and ideas. We want to be transparent with expenses and income. We don’t take anyone and their contributions for granted. Thank you all!

Gail Hill, Treasurer

On Behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee (Bev Pearson, Doug Miller, Maria Fernandez & Sarah Monroe-Allen)

January 1, 2024

We are blessed to have about $35,000 in excess funds at the end of 2023, but we will need every dollar in 2024! Continuing to have a part-time Interim Pastor through the end of the year is less expensive than our budget.

To reiterate my last month’s update: The Vestry is stepping out in faith and with the Holy Spirit in the budget for 2024. The Rev. Dr. Michael P. Anderson is the right Rector to lead us forward and we are so blessed to have him! Our new Rector has a large family, which is expensive, especially for housing and benefits. We are so excited to welcome his wife, Francina, and their four (4) children! We have faith that the parish will grow to support these additional costs in the future. The pledge campaign is about over. So far, you all have contributed $10,000 more than 2023! Thank you so much! Please pray about this: If you are able to reconsider your pledge and increase the amount, please do so. We need every dollar.

The budget deficit is currently projected to be $65,000, because of the increase in pledges. We are planning to use reserves, including the excess funds from 2023, some Special Gifts, and increase fundraising to cover the remaining deficit of over $30,000. This means these funds will not be available for the future. So, this is a time when every dollar counts. Please don’t be put off by the large number; we want everyone to contribute to the parish’s success with whatever they can provide.

The Buildings & Grounds Committee continues to move ahead with projects preparing for our new Rector. The Rector’s bathroom in the Sacristy area is completed. A small wall has been added to the Rector’s office to match the other office and windows replaced in both offices with double-pane, solar[1]efficient windows. The Rector’s office has been refurbished with new paint and refinished cabinets. Carpet, window treatments, and new lighting are in progress. The funds are coming from the 2021 Endowment Grant. The funds utilized are not available for day-to-day expenses. In addition, Bob Waite is refinishing the old desk so it’s like new for our new Rector!

It’s an exciting time in our life as a parish! Our new Rector is coming soon! Everyone paying your pledge enables us to stay afloat, plan for the future, and support the work of our parish here in Camarillo! We continue to bless each of you as we count your pledge on Sundays or receive it via PayPal. You are all helping to support our efforts as we move into the next phase of having a new Rector and our bright future together.

If anyone would like to join us on the Budget & Finance Committee or see what we’re doing in more detail, you are more than welcome. We can truly use more help, thoughts, and ideas. Maria Fernandez has recently joined us. We want to be transparent with expenses and income. We don’t take anyone and their contributions for granted. Thank you all!

Gail Hill, Treasurer

On Behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee (Bev Pearson, Doug Miller, Maria Fernandez & Sarah Monroe-Allen)

December 1, 2023

To echo November: Financial results in 2023 continue to be better than we budgeted and we’re projecting to have excess funds! Continuing to have a part-time Interim Pastor through the end of the year is less expensive than our budget.

Most of you heard me provide a Narrative Budget for 2024 a few weeks ago indicating that having a full-time Rector will be even more expensive than we anticipated. The Vestry is stepping out in faith and with the Holy Spirit. We know that The Rev. Dr. Michael P. Anderson is the right Rector to lead us forward! Our new Rector has a large family. We are so excited to welcome his wife, Francina, and their four (4) children! The cost of health insurance and housing is straining the budget. We have faith that the parish will grow to support these additional costs in the future. In the short term, we will be using reserves if parishioner pledges or fundraising are insufficient. I don’t have the results of the Pledge campaign yet, but if pledges did not increase, we would have a budget deficit of $75,000. I know our parishioners are generous and I pray enough of you can increase your pledge by a little or a lot, depending on your circumstances. This is a time when every dollar counts. Please don’t be put off by the large number; we want everyone to contribute to the parish’s success with whatever they can provide.

The Buildings & Grounds Committee continues to move ahead with projects. The rector’s bathroom in the sacristy area should be completed by the time you receive this article. A small wall has been added to the rector’s office to match the other office, and windows replaced in both offices with double-pane, solar-efficient windows. The rector’s office will soon be refurbished with new paint, refinished cabinets, carpet, window treatments, etc. The funds are coming from the 2021 Endowment Grant. The committee also installed a rain gutter on the north side of the office to protect the new A/C unit. The funds utilized are not available for day-to-day expenses.

Another financial goal has been achieved! We’ve invested $35,000 of the funds that have been given to the Columbarium funds. Two-year T-bills were purchased from the U.S. Treasury Department with a return of 5%.

It’s an exciting time in our life as a parish! Our new rector is coming soon! Please pray about whether you can pledge more than before. Every extra dollar will be used to support the increased costs. Everyone paying their pledge enables us to stay afloat, plan for the future, and support the work of our parish here in Camarillo! We continue to bless each of you as we count your pledge on Sundays or receive it via PayPal. You are the ones helping to support our efforts as we move into the next phase of having a new rector and our bright future together.

If anyone would like to join us on the Budget & Finance Committee or see what we’re doing in more detail, you are more than welcome. We can truly use more help, thoughts, and ideas. Maria Fernandez has generously agreed to join us! We want to be transparent with expenses and income. We don’t take anyone and their contributions for granted. Thank you all!

Gail Hill, Treasurer

On Behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee (Bev Pearson, Doug Miller, Maria Fernandez & Sarah Monroe-Allen)

November 1, 2023

Financial results in 2023 continue to be better than we budgeted and we’re projecting to have excess funds! Continuing to have a part-time Interim Pastor through the end of the year is less expense than our budget.

Before you get too excited, please know we are finalizing the expenses for a new Rector in 2024. It is considerably more expensive than we’ve experienced in the past. Our new Rector has a family! We are so excited, but the cost of health insurance has risen considerably since Fr. Greg’s whole family was covered. It costs $13,000 more a year for coverage than it did in 2020, the last time we had this expense. Housing costs have also risen in Camarillo, and we need to provide extra assistance for renting a home. We have faith that the parish will grow to support these additional costs in the future. In the short term, we will be using reserves if parishioner pledges or fundraising are insufficient. I’ll be sharing more information on November 5 during the Narrative Budget talk at the Sunday service.

The Buildings & Grounds Committee continues to move ahead with projects. The Rector’s bathroom in the sacristy area should be completed shortly. A small wall will be added to the Rector’s office to match the other office and windows replaced in both offices with double-pane, solar-efficient windows. Then the Rector’s office will be refurbished with new paint, refinished cabinets, carpet, window treatments, etc. The funds are coming from the 2021 Endowment Grant. These funds are not available for day-to-day expenses.

More work needs to be done on the Buildings and Grounds. If you might be interested in giving a Special Gift for any purpose, either for a specific project or in Memory or Honor of a loved one, please don’t hesitate to contact me or any member of the Vestry or Budget & Finance Committee.

It’s an exciting time in our life as a parish! Our new Rector is coming soon! Please pray about whether you can pledge more than before. Every extra dollar will be used to support the increased costs. Everyone paying your pledge enables us to stay afloat, plan for the future, and support the work of our parish here in Camarillo! We continue to bless each of you as we count your pledge on Sundays or receive it via PayPal. You are the ones helping to support our efforts as we move into the next phase of having a new Rector and our bright future together.

Thank you all!

Gail Hill, Treasurer

On Behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee (Bev Pearson, Doug Miller & Sarah Monroe-Allen)

October 1, 2023

Financial results in 2023 continue to be better than we budgeted and we’re hoping not to use any Reserves at all. Income is staying steady, and we will continue to have less expense with a part-time Interim Pastor through the end of the year. (It is unlikely that our new Rector will join us until early 2024.) Utilities are running a little higher than budgeted but we still want the staff to use the new air conditioning in the office. We are starting to plan the expenses for a new rector in 2024.

The Buildings & Grounds Committee continues to move ahead with projects. The rector’s bathroom in the sacristy area has started being put back together. The tile floors have been installed and hopefully by the time you read this the new toilet and sink will have been installed and the project completed. A small wall should be added to the rector’s office to match the other office and windows replaced in both offices with double-pane, solar-efficient windows in October. Then the rector’s office will be refurbished with new paint, refinished cabinets, carpet, window treatments, etc. The funds are coming from the 2021 Endowment Grant. These funds are not available for day-to-day expenses.

More work needs to be done on the buildings and grounds. If you might be interested in giving a Special Gift for any purpose, either for a specific project or in Memory or Honor of a loved one, please don’t hesitate to contact me or any member of the Vestry or Budget & Finance Committee.

It’s an exciting time in our life as a parish. Everyone paying your pledge enables us to stay afloat, plan for the future, and support the work of our parish here in Camarillo! We continue to bless each of you as we count your pledge on Sundays or receive it via PayPal. You are the ones helping to support our efforts as we move into the next phase of having a new rector and our bright future together.

Gail Hill, Treasurer

On Behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee Bev Pearson, Doug Miller & Sarah Monroe-Allen

September 1, 2023

Financial results in 2023 continue to be better than we budgeted. Income is staying steady and we have less expense with a part-time Interim Pastor than a full-time Rector. Utilities were running higher but are pretty close to budget in spite of running the heat so long this spring and starting to use the new air conditioning in the office this summer. We are still hoping to use less of the Reserves to balance the budget this year.

The Buildings & Grounds Committee continues to move ahead with projects. The rector’s bathroom in the sacristy area has started being put back together. The walls are back up, it’s been painted, and tile floors will be installed soon. A new toilet and sink will follow. The Vestry just authorized adding a small wall to the Rector’s office to match the other office and replacing the windows in both offices with double-pane, efficient windows. Then the rector’s office will be refurbished with new paint, carpet, window treatments, etc. The funds are coming from the 2021 Endowment Grant. These funds are not available for day-to-day expenses.

Thank you to everyone for continuing to pay your pledges and support the work of our parish here in Camarillo! We bless each of you as we count your pledge on Sundays or receive it via PayPal. You are the ones helping to support our efforts as we move into the next phase of the rector search and our future together.

If anyone would like to join us in this work or see what we’re doing in more detail, you are more than welcome. We can truly use more help, thoughts, and ideas. We want to be transparent with expenses and income. We don’t take anyone and their contributions for granted.

Thank you all! Gail Hill, Treasurer

On Behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee Bev Pearson, Doug Miller & Sarah Monroe-Allen

July 1, 2023

Financial results in 2023 are still better than we budgeted. Several more parishioners have paid their entire annual pledge and expenses continue to be lower than budgeted, primarily because the arrival of the new Rector will be later than budgeted. The only expense that is higher than budgeted right now is Utilities because we heated the church on Sundays during the extraordinarily cold weather. We are still hoping to use less of the Reserves to balance the budget this year.

The Buildings & Grounds Committee met and has re-prioritized the next projects that need to be done. The Rector’s bathroom in the Sacristy area has been taken apart and is now ready for refurbishing. The next priority is probably upgrading the office area. We will be doing a combination of repairs and upgrades to both the buildings and grounds. We are paying for projects either through funds Designated for these specific purposes, funds from Endowment Grants, Special Gifts from parishioners and the Children’s Learning Center, and income from the Rectory rental. These funds are not available for day-to-day expenses.

If you would like to help pay for or do some of the work, please contact Susan Doswell or Carlos Barraza, the Chair of the Buildings and Grounds Committee. We could use assistance with managing some of the work.

If you might be interested in giving a Special Gift for any purpose, either for a specific project or in Memory or Honor of a loved one, please don’t hesitate to contact me or any member of the Vestry or Budget & Finance Committee.

If anyone would like to join us in this work or see what we’re doing in more detail, you are more than welcome. We can truly use more thoughts and ideas. We want to be transparent with expenses and income. We don’t take anyone and their contributions for granted. Thank you all!

Gail Hill, Treasurer

On Behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee John & Bev Pearson, Doug Miller & Sarah Monroe-Allen

June 1, 2023

2023 continues to do better than we budgeted. Several more parishioners have paid their entire annual pledge and expenses continue to be lower than budgeted. The only expense that is higher than budgeted right now is Utilities because we heated the church on Sundays during the extraordinarily cold weather and gas has gotten more expensive. The Utility bill is starting to go back to normal. Based on the current schedule for hiring a new Rector, we are still hoping to use less of the Reserves to balance the budget this year.

The Buildings & Grounds Committee met and has re-prioritized the next projects that need to be done based on the Search Committee’s tour. The Vestry has agreed to move ahead with the first part of refurbishing the Rector’s bathroom in the Sacristy area. The next priority is probably the office area. We will be doing a combination of repairs and upgrades to both the buildings and grounds. We are paying for projects either through funds Designated for these specific purposes, funds from Endowment Grants, Special Gifts from parishioners and the Children’s Learning Center, and income from the Rectory rental. These funds are not available for day-to-day expenses.

If you would like to help pay for or do some of the work, please contact Susan Doswell or Carlos Barraza, the Chair of the Buildings & Grounds Committee.

Gail Hill, Treasurer

On Behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee John & Bev Pearson, Doug Miller & Sarah Monroe-Allen

May 1, 2023

2023 is already doing better than we budgeted. Several more parishioners have paid their entire annual pledge and expenses continue to be lower than budgeted. The only expense that is higher than budgeted right now is Utilities because we’ve been heating the church on Sundays during the extraordinarily cold weather and gas has gotten more expensive. The Utility bills should go back to normal soon. Based on the current schedule for hiring a new Rector, we are hoping to use less of the Reserves to balance the budget this year.

The Buildings & Grounds Committee met and is re-prioritizing the next projects that need to be done based on the Search Committee’s tour. The Vestry is balancing being good stewards of the buildings and grounds and preparing to welcome a new Rector. This means we will be doing a combination of repairs and upgrades to both the buildings and grounds. We are paying for projects either through funds Designated for these specific purposes, funds from Endowment Grants, Special Gifts from parishioners and the Children’s Learning Center, and income from the Rectory rental. These funds are not available for day-to-day expenses.

If you would like to help pay for or do some of the work, please contact Susan Doswell or Carlos Barraza, the Chair of the Buildings & Grounds Committee.

Gail Hill, Treasurer

On Behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee John & Bev Pearson, Doug Miller & Sarah Monroe-Allen

April 1, 2023

2023 is already doing better than we budgeted. Several parishioners paid their entire pledge in January and February and expenses continue to be lower than budgeted. The only expense that is higher than budgeted right now is Utilities because we’ve been heating the church on Sundays during the extraordinarily cold weather and gas has gotten more expensive. The Utility bills should go back to normal soon.

The Buildings & Grounds Committee met and is prioritizing the next projects that need to be done. The Search Committee walked the tour route they would use for prospective candidates and provided further input. The Vestry wants to be good stewards of our Buildings and Grounds and prepare to welcome a new Rector. This means we will need to do a combination of repairs and upgrades to both the buildings and grounds. We are paying for projects either through funds Designated for these specific purposes, funds from Endowment Grants, Special Gifts from parishioners and the Learning Center and income from the Rectory rental. These funds are not available for day-to-day expenses.

If you would like to help do some of the work, please contact Susan Doswell or Carlos Barraza, the Chair of the Buildings and Grounds Committee.

Thank you to everyone for continuing to pay your pledges and support the work of our Parish here in Camarillo! We bless each of you as we count your pledge on Sundays or receive it via PayPal. Thank you!

Gail Hill, Treasurer

On Behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee John & Bev Pearson, Doug Miller & Sarah Monroe-Allen

March 1, 2023

2023 is already doing better than we budgeted. Several parishioners paid their entire pledge in January and expenses are lower than budgeted. The budget shows us getting a new Rector—at a much higher expense than we pay Mark—starting later in the year. These costs are averaged over the year in the budgeted amounts.

The budget shows us having to use about $14,000 in Reserves from previous years and Special Gifts. Based on the latest schedule that Mark shared with us during the Annual Meeting, it appears that the timing for a new Rector will be delayed a bit vs. what we budgeted, so we shouldn’t have to use as much of our Reserves.

Hopefully everyone has seen the new doors in the parish hall and kitchen! These were paid for by specific donations from parishioners and a grant from the Endowment Fund. The Buildings & Grounds Committee met and is prioritizing the next projects that need to be done. The Vestry wants to be good stewards of St. Columba’s buildings and grounds and prepare to welcome a new Rector. We are paying for projects either through funds Designated for these specific purposes, funds from Endowment Grants, Special Gifts from parishioners and the Children’s Learning Center, and income from the Rectory rental. These funds are not available for day-to-day expenses.

If you might be interested in giving a Special Gift for any purpose, please don’t hesitate to contact me or any member of the Vestry or Budget & Finance Committee.

Thank you to everyone for continuing to pay your pledges and support the work of our parish here in Camarillo!

Gail Hill, Treasurer

On Behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee John & Bev Pearson, Doug Miller & Sarah Monroe-Allen

February 1, 2023

2022 ended up much better than we budgeted. We actually had more income than expenses, thanks to your generosity! Our expenses were much lower than expected and income from pledges was more than budgeted and pledged! The Children’s Learning Center increased their monthly pledge earlier in the year and it is so appreciated. Our Reserves increased by over $10,000! Those funds will be used for future years’ expenses.

The budget for 2023 is completed and approved by the Vestry. We have less money pledged than 2022 but our expenses will continue to be lower than usual since Mark will be with us for the first portion of the year. We anticipate getting a new Rector by August 1. We are planning to pay the new Rector salary, pension, and benefits for 5 months. 2023 will work out okay. The Vestry decided to give staff salary increases.

We don’t look at the pledges, but in the Counting process on Sundays, we can see that many of you increased your pledge in 2023. Thank you so much for your generosity!

In setting the 2023 budget, we also looked at the expenses for 2024. We’ll be paying for a new Rector for the entire year. When we look at income vs. expenses, it’s a lot tighter. We want to develop the most attractive compensation plan for our new Rector we can offer.

We’ve looked at all the housing and pay options, and the funds we have, and the Vestry will decide by the end of January on the range of salary and housing options we can offer. We are still moving ahead with the improvements and repair projects authorized by the Vestry to be good stewards of the Buildings & Grounds and prepare to welcome a new Rector. We are paying for all this either through funds Designated for these specific purposes, funds from Endowment Grants, Special Gifts from parishioners and the Children’s Learning Center, and income from the Rectory rental. These funds are not available for day-to-day expenses.

If you might be interested in giving a Special Gift for any purpose, please don’t hesitate to contact me or any member of the Vestry or Budget & Finance Committee.

Gail Hill, Treasurer On Behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee

John & Bev Pearson, Doug Miller & Sarah Monroe-Allen

January 1, 2023

It is the week before Christmas. It looks like 2022 will end up better than we budgeted. Our overall financial picture shows that income is a bit lower than anticipated but so are our expenses. The Children’s Learning Center increased their monthly pledge earlier in the year and it is so appreciated. We thank everyone for their generous support of the parish! We should be able to minimize the dollars that we pull out of our Reserves. Reserves are from previous years when income exceeded expenses.

We are working on the budget for 2023. We currently have about $20,000 less in funds pledged than 2022. If we can make that up, we can minimize any money needed to balance the budget for 2023. The point in our favor is that Mark is only working part-time for us until August. We are planning to pay the new Rector salary, pension, and benefits for 5 months. 2023 should work out okay.

2024 is another conundrum. We’ll be paying for a new Rector for the entire year. When we look at income vs. expenses, it’s a lot tighter. We want to develop the most attractive compensation plan for our new Rector that we can offer. So, we’re going to look at all the housing and pay options, and the funds we have, and make a budget plan. We’ll be presenting a firm budget for 2023 and a proposed budget for 2024 in mid-January.

The Vestry and Budget & Finance Committee will be studying all the options and data and coming up with an approved budget in time for the Annual Meeting at the end of January.

We need each and every parishioner to give what funds they can. And if you can make a pledge, it would really help us in this time of great budgeting uncertainty. We realize that not everyone can give the amount they’d like to give to support our parish family. Please know that each dollar is very appreciated and carefully spent.

We are still moving ahead with the improvements and repair projects authorized by the Vestry to be good stewards of the Buildings and Grounds. We are paying for all this either through funds Designated for these specific purposes, funds from Endowment Grants, Special Gifts from parishioners and the Children’s Learning Center, and income from the Rectory rental. These funds are not available for day-to-day expenses.

If you might be interested in giving a Special Gift for any purpose, please don’t hesitate to contact me or any member of the Vestry or Budget & Finance Committee.

Gail Hill, Treasurer on behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee

John & Bev Pearson, Doug Miller, and Sarah Monroe-Allen

December 1, 2022

Our overall financial picture shows that income is a bit lower than anticipated but so are our expenses. The Celtic Christmas Faire was a huge success! We raised just over $3,700!! The Children’s Learning Center’s increased monthly pledge to the church is so appreciated. We thank them for their generous support of the parish. This means that we’ll minimize the dollars that we pull out of our Reserves from previous years when income exceeded expenses.

As I shared during the Narrative Budget talk during the service, the coming year is full of unknowns.

Salaries are our largest expense. We will start paying for a full-time Rector mid-year. Mark is only working part-time for us until August. We will pay the new Rector salary, pension, and benefits. Those we can plan for. The biggest unknown is what we’ll have to provide in the way of housing support. Rentals in Camarillo are expensive. The Rectory is already rented (we count on those proceeds) and may not be a place a new Rector would want to live. Purchasing a home is also expensive and it’s unlikely our new Rector would have a sufficient down payment. So, we’re going to look at all these options, and the funds we have, and make a budget plan. We want to develop the most attractive compensation plan we can offer.

We also want to give raises to the rest of our staff in the new year. They work hard and we want to compensate them fairly for that work and in lieu of the economy.

Your pledges also pay for expenses like utilities, office expenses, and insurance. This past Sunday showed we had $161,000 in pledges. Last year, our pledges totaled $202,000 so we’re about $40,000 below last year’s commitments. If you haven’t pledged, please do. As you can see, there are plenty of other uncertainties in our finances.

The Vestry has authorized: replacing several doors in the parish hall; installing air conditioning in the office areas and having some of the woodwork in the church chancel refinished. In addition, we’ll be doing some major tree trimming and some repairs. We are still moving ahead with those improvements and repair projects to be good stewards of the buildings and grounds. We are paying for all this either through funds Designated for these specific purposes, funds from Endowment Grants, Special Gifts from parishioners and the Children’s Learning Center, and income from the Rectory rental. These funds are not available for day-to-day expenses.

If you might be interested in contributing to any project, please don’t hesitate to contact me or any member of the Vestry or Budget & Finance Committee.

If anyone would like to join us in this work or see what we’re doing in more detail, you are more than welcome. We can always use more thoughts and ideas. We want to be transparent with expenses and income. We don’t take anyone and their contributions for granted. Thank you all!

Gail Hill, Treasurer on behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee

November 1, 2022

The financial data from the end of September shows that we’re close to where we expected to be this year with regard to income-vs.-budgeted expenses. We still need the income from the upcoming Celtic Christmas Faire, and we need the pledged income from each of you. That means that we’ll minimize the dollars that we pull out of our Reserves from previous years when income exceeded expenses. The Children’s Learning Center just increased their monthly pledge to us which is so helpful and thoughtful! We thank them for their generous support of the parish. Please plan to support the Celtic Christmas Faire by bringing your family and friends!

As we move into Pledge season, I thought I’d share some more thoughts on our financial position.

Your pledges pay for our everyday expenses like salaries, utilities, office expenses, and insurance. The expectations of what we’ll have to pay a new priest are probably going to change. The Diocese has reviewed the salaries for clergy and staff, and we are expecting an update at the Diocesan Convention this month on what expected salaries will be going forward. In 2011, the expectation was that the minimum salary for a priest was $60,000. As a priest with 30 years of experience, we were paying Fr. Greg about $94,000 plus generous health benefits for him and Nancy. Our total annual budget for 2022 for all these expenses was just under $254,000.

We need each and every parishioner to give what funds they can. We realize that not everyone can give the amount they’d like to give to support our parish family. Please know that each dollar is very appreciated and carefully spent. We are moving ahead with some improvements and repair projects to be good stewards of the Buildings and Grounds. We are paying for all this either through funds Designated for these specific purposes, funds from Endowment Grants, Special Gifts from parishioners, and income from the Rectory rental. These funds are not available for day-to-day expenses.

The Vestry has authorized: replacing several doors in the parish hall, installing air conditioning in the office areas, and having some of the woodwork in the church chancel refinished. In addition, we’ll be doing some major tree trimming and some repairs.

We are also looking to improve the Rector’s office before our new Rector arrives. This is one item that has already come up as we continue to view our buildings and grounds through the eyes of a prospective new Rector. We’re sure more will be added to the list. Some of the projects may be ones that you are interested in and able to contribute to. If you might be interested in contributing to any project, please don’t hesitate to contact me or any member of the Vestry or Budget & Finance Committee. The Children’s Learning Center gave us $3,000 towards Buildings & Grounds projects, which is very appreciated!

Gail Hill, Treasurer on behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee

October 1, 2022

We’re still dependent on each of you paying your pledge and a successful Celtic Christmas Faire, but we’re close to where we expected to be this year with regard to income vs. budgeted expenses. Our parishioners continue to be very generous; people have contributed more year-to-date than they’ve pledged. The Children’s Learning Center just increased their monthly pledge to us! We thank them for their generous support of the parish. Please plan to support the Celtic Christmas Faire by bringing your family and friends!

As we move into Pledge season, I thought I’d share some additional thoughts on our financial position.

Your pledges pay for our everyday expenses like salaries, utilities, office expenses, and insurance. Salaries and benefits cost us about 60% of our budget. We want to continue to pay employees what they merit in today’s job market. We would like to give raises to our employees and increase what we give to the Diocese to our historical level of 12%; we’re currently only giving 10%. Our total annual budget for these items is just under $254,000.

We have kept track of surplus funds during years when our income exceeded our expenses, and we use those funds to pay for expenses during years when expenses exceed pledge income. 2022 is expected to be one of those years.

We realize that not everyone can give the amount they’d like to give to support our parish family. Please know that each dollar is very appreciated and carefully spent.

We are moving ahead with some improvements and repair projects to be good stewards of the Buildings & Grounds. The Vestry has authorized: replacing several doors in the parish hall; installing air conditioning in the office areas, and having some of the woodwork in the church chancel refinished. In addition, we’ll be doing some major tree trimming and some repairs.

We are paying for all of this either through funds Designated for these specific purposes, funds from Endowment Grants, Special Gifts from parishioners, and income from the rectory rental. These funds are not available for day-to-day expenses.

We will continue to view our buildings and grounds through the eyes of a prospective new Rector and add more to the list. Some of the resulting projects may be ones that you are interested in and able to contribute to. If you might be interested in contributing to any project, please don’t hesitate to contact me or any member of the Vestry or Budget & Finance Committee.

We couldn’t continue St. Columba’s work as a parish and an important part of the community without you. We still bless each person as we do the counting on Sundays. You are all appreciated! If anyone would like to join us in this work or see what we’re doing in more detail, you are more than welcome. We can always use more thoughts and ideas. We want to be transparent with expenses and income. We don’t take anyone and their contributions for granted. Thank you all!

Gail Hill, Treasurer on behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee

September 1, 2022

We are beginning our Transition in earnest and learning to work together as a parish family under Mark’s spiritual leadership. I thought I’d share a larger picture of how our finances work. First of all, we have three main ways we pay for items:

Your pledges pay for our everyday expenses like salaries, utilities, office expenses, and insurance. We have kept track of surplus funds during years when our income exceeded our expenses, and we use those funds to pay for expenses during years when expenses exceed pledge income.

Thank you to everyone who contributed toward Fr. Greg’s retirement party! Because of you, we have funds in Parish Events to use for other events with our parish family.

The rental income from the rectory is paying for the repairs around the church buildings and campus.

We have a number of Designated Funds that people have donated in the past for specific purposes. We grow those funds over time, or supplement them with unrestricted Special Gifts, to fund those specific larger projects and improvements. In addition, the Endowment Fund has provided grants for at least the past five years for new ministries and larger repairs or physical improvements. This year’s grant is $20,000, which will be used for major work that is coming up.

The Buildings & Grounds Committee is busy prioritizing the list of projects that need to be done and that we’d like to do. As we continue to view our buildings and grounds through the eyes of a prospective new Rector, there will be more added to the list. Some of those projects may be ones that you are interested in and able to contribute to. We will keep you up to date. If you might be interested in contributing to any project, please don’t hesitate to contact me or any member of the Vestry or Budget & Finance Committee.

We continue to be blessed by financial support from every member of the parish and ongoing support from the Children’s Learning Center. We couldn’t continue St. Columba’s work as a parish and an important part of the community without you. We still bless each person as we do the counting on Sundays. You are all appreciated!

Gail Hill, Treasurer on behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee

July 1,2022

Year-to-date, our finances are still not quite as good as budgeted, but we made some progress in May. Our parishioners are being very generous; people have contributed more year-to-date than they’ve pledged. We still expect to have more income from fundraising, but it is not expected until later in the year so stay tuned for opportunities.

We are still planning for a part-time interim priest who could begin between August 1-15. We are working out a compensation package and job description.

Susan Doswell, our Senior Warden, will be more involved in the finances as well as she becomes our CEO in the eyes of the bank, our Endowment investment partners, and the State of California.

The larger construction projects have begun on the front of the parish hall and one of the buildings in the Children’s Learning Center. There are more in the works and I’m sure we’ll find more things that need attention as we view our buildings and grounds through the lens of a prospective new Rector in the future. We have a $20,000 grant from the Endowment Fund to help with expenses in 2022. There will be more projects coming where we might need assistance. We will keep you up to date.

We can always use more thoughts and ideas. We want to be transparent with expenses and income. We don’t take anyone and their contributions for granted. Thank you all!

Gail Hill, Treasurer on behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee

June 1, 2022

Year to date, our finances are still not quite as good as budgeted. Our income from the plate, those who are visiting or who don’t pledge, is the main issue. We made a little progress due to Easter but are still behind. We expect to have more income from fundraising, but it is not expected until later in the year. The budget is different than previous years because we are planning for a part-time interim priest (someone who has retired) after Fr. Greg’s retirement at the end of June. But we are not discouraged. Things will be okay because we have generous parishioners like all of you!

The larger construction projects are expected to begin soon. We have a $20,000 grant from the Endowment Fund to help with expenses. There will be more projects coming where we might need assistance. We will keep you up to date.

We are so blessed by financial support from every member of the parish and ongoing support from the Children’s Learning Center. We couldn’t continue St. Columba’s work as a parish and an important part of the community without you. We bless each person as we do the counting on Sundays. You are all appreciated!

Gail Hill, Treasurer on behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee

May 1, 2022

Year-to-date, our finances are not quite as good as budgeted. Our income from the plate, those who are visiting or who don’t pledge, is lower than anticipated and more income from fundraising is not expected until later in the year. The budget is different than previous years because we are planning for a part-time interim priest after Fr. Greg’s retirement mid-year. But we are not discouraged. Things will be okay because we have generous parishioners like all of you.

We lent Fr. Greg and Nancy Larkin money to help with the down payment on their house many years ago. In preparation for retirement, they have repaid us our share of the shared equity in their home. We are so appreciative of this. We have put the funds aside for housing for the next Rector.

The larger construction projects have been a bit delayed due to work on sewer lines, repairs to the sprinkler system, and tree trimming. There will be more projects coming where we might need assistance. We will keep you up to date.

If anyone would like to join us in this work or see what we’re doing in more detail, you are more than welcome. We can always use more thoughts and ideas. And we want to be transparent with expenses and income. And finally, we don’t take anyone and their contributions for granted. Thank you all!

Gail Hill, Treasurer on behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee

April 1, 2022

Year-to-date, our finances are not as good as budgeted. February ended up with less income. Our income from the plate, those who are visiting or who don’t pledge, is lower than anticipated and income from fundraising hasn’t occurred yet. The budget is different than previous years because we are planning for a part-time interim priest after Fr. Greg’s retirement mid-year.

The Vestry and the Buildings & Grounds Committee are working on several options for major repairs where we will use the excess funds from 2021 along with a grant from our Endowment Fund. The first project appears to be redoing the wood front on the south side of the parish hall (facing the street) and removing a similar wood wall on the Children’s Learning Center and replacing it with stucco. There will be more projects coming where we might need assistance.

We will keep you up to date. We continue to be blessed by financial support from every member of the parish and ongoing support from the Children’s Learning Center. We couldn’t continue St. Columba’s work as a parish and an important part of the community without you. You are all appreciated!

Gail Hill, Treasurer on behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee

March 1, 2022

Our finances are progressing as budgeted. January ended up a little in the red but only because we paid our big quarterly property & casualty insurance bill. Your new Vestry got acquainted with the financial statement and our budget. There are some differences because we are planning ahead for an interim priest after Fr. Greg’s retirement mid-year.

The Vestry and the Buildings & Grounds Committee are working on several options for major repairs where we will use the excess funds from 2021, along with a grant from our Endowment Fund. We will keep you up to date.

We were finally able to give our staff pay increases in 2022 and we are giving the Diocese 10% of our pledge and plate income. We couldn’t do that without continued financial support from every member of the parish and ongoing support from the Children’s Learning Center. You are all appreciated!

I got asked a question after the Annual Meeting about whether Amazon Prime gives us much money. The answer is Yes! Between Amazon Prime and Ralph’s, we received over $420 in 2021. All your purchases and designating St. Columba’s as your charity of choice definitely contributed to our bottom line. Please keep it up!

If anyone would like to join us in this work or see what we’re doing in more detail, you are more than welcome. I thank each and every one of you for your generous donations to enable St. Columba’s to continue its mission as an Episcopal Parish and a member of the Camarillo community. We don’t take anyone and their contributions for granted.

Gail Hill, Treasurer on behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee

February 1, 2022

We ended up the second year of the pandemic in the black! Our income was greater than our expenses by over $11,000. We continue to have very generous parishioners! The Children’s Learning Center was also able to start giving us funds and reimbursing us for utilities, none of which we budgeted for. They made a pledge of $1,700 per month plus utilities for the 2021-2022 school year. These contributions are greatly appreciated! We don’t take any donations for granted.

We were also able to get two $5,000 grants from the County of Ventura because we were impacted by the COVID pandemic. In the end, we were able to meet expenses but had to dramatically cut our pledge to the Diocese in 2021. Instead of 12%, we were only able to contribute just over 6% of our income. This is the main reason that we had more income than expenses. The pandemic has been a huge challenge for the parish budget. We wouldn’t have survived 2020 and 2021 without each of you.

We are finally able to give our staff pay increases in 2022. We are also projecting to give the Diocese 10% of our pledge and plate income. But as you’ll hear at the Annual Meeting, we have new challenges ahead of us that we won’t be able to overcome without continued help from all of you.

Gail Hill, Treasurer, on behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee

January 1, 2022

It looks like we’re going to have enough income to cover all of our expenses in 2021. You all have been so generous and helped us make this happen! The fundraisers in the last few months really made a difference. The Children’s Learning Center has also been very generous, and we received two $5,000 Grants from the County of Ventura. We didn’t budget for any income from the Children’s Learning Center or additional help from the government, so everything combined to help us not to have to use reserves as we had budgeted.

Our church family is amazing! We almost have as much pledged for 2022 as we had for 2021. Everyone has continued to pay their pledges and many people have provided extra gifts. We pray for blessings for each of you whether you send us funds by check, cash, or donate via PayPal. We could not have gotten through 2021 and we won’t get through 2022 without your continued donations. If you have any questions about our expenses or how we spend your donations, please don’t hesitate to talk with me. I’m happy to answer any questions.

We are so appreciative of everything you give us, whether it’s a pledge payment or any donation or participation in our fundraising. You really are all amazing for helping St. Columba’s continue its mission as an Episcopal Parish in Camarillo. I know you all prayerfully considered your pledge for 2022. If you haven’t decided on a pledge yet, we will always take them. And if your finances are uncertain, its fine to give us whatever donations you can. Together, we can continue providing amazing things for our parish family and the community. Thank you for your continued support of our parish!

Gail Hill, Treasurer, on behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee

December 1, 2021

Due to the generosity of our parishioners, the Children’s Learning Center, and the Grants from the County of Ventura, I think we’ll be close to having enough income to meet our expenses! If we’re a little short, we have reserves set aside that we can draw from. The Children’s Learning Center generously gave us an additional $3,000 in addition to their new regular pledge and money towards utilities. These additional funds are truly appreciated! We didn’t budget for any of them.

Our church family is amazing! Everyone has continued to pay their pledges, and many people have responded to Fr. Greg’s request for extra gifts. We know that many of you are providing these extra gifts in Thanksgiving; well, we are giving Thanks for all of you! We pray for blessings for each of you whether you send us funds by check, cash, or donate via PayPal. We can’t get through this year or 2022 without your continued donations.

We also appreciate you participating in our fundraisers. The BBQ raised $1,900! And the Celtic Christmas Faire appears to have raised about $2,000! And we’re just waiting to hear how much money was raised from the last restaurant fundraiser.

We are so appreciative of everything you give us, whether it’s a pledge payment or any donation or participation in our fundraising. You really are all amazing for helping St. Columba’s continue its mission as an Episcopal Parish in Camarillo. I know you all prayerfully considered your pledge for 2022. If you haven’t decided on a pledge yet, we will always take them. And if your finances are uncertain, its fine to give us whatever donations you can. Together we can continue providing amazing things for our parish family and the community. Thank you for your continued support of our parish!

Gail Hill, Treasurer, on behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee

November 1, 2021

Our income is improved vs. what we budgeted for the year. Ventura County gave us another $5,000 Grant, for a total of $10,000! The Children’s Learning Center has continued giving us money toward utilities and has started giving us a pledge each month in addition. These additional funds are truly appreciated! We are still projecting to need to use some reserves to balance the budget at the end of the year, but we have those funds available.

We never take you, our regular pledgers and givers, for granted. You are still the most amazing of all! You have continued to pay your pledges, which have kept us afloat, especially during this second challenging year. We pray for blessings for each of you whether you send us funds by check, cash, or donate via PayPal. We can’t get through this year without your continued donations.

We also appreciate you participating in our fundraisers. The BBQ appears to have raised about $1,000, and we’ll have a Celtic Christmas Faire in November. There is also another opportunity to visit a local restaurant to support the parish this month. See the Courier and weekly bulletins for details.

We are so appreciative of everything you give us, whether it’s a pledge payment or any donation or participation in our fundraising. You really are all amazing for helping St. Columba’s continue its mission as an Episcopal Parish in Camarillo. Along with the Vestry and Stewardship Committee, I ask you to prayerfully consider your pledge for 2022. Together, we can continue providing amazing things for our parish family and the community. Thank you for your continued support of our parish!

Gail Hill, Treasurer, on behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee

October 1, 2021

Our financial situation has improved! It looks like Ventura County is going to give us another $5,000 Grant. Please pray for the check to arrive in the next month. They almost begged us to apply again for an additional grant. The Children’s Learning Center has continued giving us money towards utilities and started giving us additional funds which are truly appreciated! We are still projecting to need to use reserves, but we have those funds available.

You, our regular pledgers and givers, are still the most amazing of all! You have continued to pay your pledges even throughout the summer when income usually lags. We pray for blessings for each of you whether you put an envelope in the plate at services or in the slot of the parish office door or donate via PayPal. We can’t get through this year without your continued donations.

We also appreciate you participating in our fundraisers. The BBQ is in early October, and we’ll have a Celtic Christmas Faire later in the year. And there may be more opportunities to visit local restaurants to support the parish.

Thank you for your continued support of our parish family!

Gail Hill, Treasurer, on behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee

September 1, 2021

Our financial situation continues to be the same during these summer months. Expenses are about as budgeted, and income is higher than budgeted. The Children’s Learning Center has continued giving us money towards utilities for which we are truly grateful! We are still projecting to need to use reserves, but we have those funds available.

You, our regular pledgers and givers, are the most amazing of all! You have continued to pay your pledges even throughout the summer when income usually lags. It’s still exciting to see the envelopes in the plate at services or in the slot of the parish office door or receive notification of a donation via PayPal. We thank everyone for their donations. We also appreciate you participating in our fundraisers. There are more in the coming months.

We are so appreciative of everything you give us, whether it’s a pledge payment or any donation or participation in our fundraising. You really are all amazing for helping St. Columba’s continue its mission as an Episcopal Parish in Camarillo. I’ve seen many of you at services and look forward to seeing everyone else. Thank you for your continued support of our parish family!

Gail Hill, Treasurer, on behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee

July 1, 2021

Our financial situation is improving as we prayed for. Expenses are about as budgeted, and income is starting to increase. We received a grant check from Ventura County for $5,000! The Children’s Learning Center has started giving us money towards utilities and other funds as they can. The outside groups like AA have started using the (outside) facilities again and provide a donation for that service.

You are the most amazing of all! You have continued to pay your pledges, and it’s so exciting to see the envelopes in the plate at services or receive a notification of a donation via PayPal. Also, people who weren’t able to pledge or who relocated have continued to send us funds. We thank everyone for their donations. We also appreciate you participating in our fundraisers. There are more in the coming months.

The Buildings & Grounds Committee is busy figuring out the costs of the more expensive repair and maintenance projects that need to be done on our property. We’ll keep you updated on any plans to pay for all of that. We want to be good stewards of everything we have.

We are so appreciative of everything you give us, whether it’s a pledge or any donation or participation in our fundraising. You really are all amazing for helping St. Columba’s to continue its mission as an Episcopal Parish in Camarillo. I’ve seen many of you at services and look forward to seeing more as the summer progresses. Thank you for your ongoing support of our parish family!

Gail Hill, Treasurer, on behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee

June 1, 2021

Our financial situation is slowly improving as we hoped. Expenses are as budgeted, and income is starting to increase as the Children’s Learning Center’s financial situation has improved and we received a grant from Ventura County for $5,000—we’re just waiting for that check. The outside groups like AA have started using the facilities again and provide a donation for that service.

But the biggest help is all of you! You have continued to pay your pledges even when you couldn’t attend services and for that, we give you many thanks. We also appreciate you participating in our fundraisers. There are more coming in the next months.

We’ll apply for any other grants that are available. If we receive extra income from the CLC, other grants, or donations, we will ensure we make the most fiscally responsible and yet generous decisions of where to spend the funds.

We received the first reimbursement from the City of Camarillo for the new St. Columba’s Pantry, which operates on the Thursdays that Project Hope does not. We have to pay for the food and other items like PPE and then submit requests for reimbursement to the City quarterly.

We are so appreciative of everything you give us, whether it’s a pledge or any donation or participation in our fundraising. Maurice and I ask for blessings on each and every one of you while we do the counting every Sunday. You really are all amazing for helping St. Columba’s to continue its mission as an Episcopal Parish in Camarillo. Looking forward to seeing all of you in the coming months, as you feel comfortable returning to services.

Gail Hill, Treasurer, on behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee

May 1, 2021

Our financial situation is about as we expected. Expenses are exceeding income right now, as we expected income from things like Fundraising and Outside Groups to come later in the year and we have several large quarterly bills early in the year. But it may be getting a little rosier. The Children’s Learning Center is not only able to reimburse us for utilities, but they sent us an additional $1,800. This is a huge help.

The amazing thing each month is seeing that you all are paying your pledges or regular donations and some even giving us a little more. Your continued generosity is keeping us going. This is so much appreciated!

We received confirmation from the bank and the Small Business Administration that our PPP Loan was totally forgiven! This was a relief, even though we knew we had spent the funds as directed under the program. We have also applied for a $5,000 grant from Ventura County. Churches are finally eligible for grant monies. We’ve received follow-up questions, and Fr. Greg received a visit from an inspector to make sure we were following the County’s COVID guidelines, so we know the application is under review. We’ll apply for any other grants that are available. If we receive extra income from the CLC, other grants or donations, we will ensure we make the most fiscally responsible and yet generous decisions of where to spend the funds.

You may have read elsewhere about the new St. Columba’s Pantry which provides food to low-income members of the community who have been impacted by COVID on the weeks when Project Hope doesn’t operate. We have completed the first quarter’s report to the City of Camarillo and expect reimbursement shortly. We have to pay for the food and other items and then submit requests for reimbursement to the City quarterly.

We are so appreciative of everything you give us, whether it’s a pledge or any donation. I ask for blessings on each and every one of you while we do the counting every Sunday for your generous donations to enable St. Columba’s to continue its mission as an Episcopal Parish in Camarillo. Looking forward to seeing all of you as the year progresses.

Gail Hill, Treasurer, on behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee

April 1, 2021

Our financial situation is about as we expected. We’ve spent more than we’ve taken in year-to-date but not more than budgeted. (We have some larger quarterly bills that are due at the beginning of the year.) The Children’s Learning Center is able to reimburse us for utilities, which is a big help. As a reminder, we primarily had to balance the budget by cutting back on the amount we give the Diocese. Its less than half of what we were able to give in the past.

Your continued generosity is keeping us going. Everyone is paying their pledges and even some families that were not able to pledge are giving regular donations. This is so much appreciated!

We will be applying for a $5,000 grant from Ventura County at the end of March. Churches are finally eligible for grant monies. We’ve received communications from our bank that our PPP Loan is being reviewed by the Small Business Administration and appears to qualify to be totally forgiven. That will be a big relief when it’s finalized. We’ll apply for any other grants that are available. If we receive extra income from the CLC, other grants or pledges, we will ensure that we make the most fiscally responsible and yet generous decisions of where to spend the funds.

We are very lucky to have a grant in 2021 from our Endowment Fund to spend on live-streaming equipment, extra PPE, and general repairs this year. This will fill in a lot of the extra funds we have to spend to continue to live in this altered world and continue to work to be good stewards of our buildings and grounds.

We so appreciate everything you give us, whether it’s a pledge or any donation. I ask for blessings on each and every one of you while we do the counting every Sunday for your generous donations to enable St. Columba’s to continue its mission as an Episcopal Parish in Camarillo. Looking forward to seeing each and every one of you as the year progresses.

March 1, 2021

2021 has started! To summarize my report at the Annual Meeting, we’ve reduced the total expenses and expected income to just over $260,000 for the year 2021, from last year’s expected budget of just under $310,000. We ended 2020 at $285,000 of expenses and $295,000 in income. The excess income was your generosity, in combination with the PPP Loan/grant of $15,376. We had to use every bit of that extra income, along with some reserves from prior years, to balance the 2021 budget, since we’re not counting on any income from the Children’s Learning Center (typically around $30,000 plus utilities reimbursement). As a reminder, we primarily had to balance the budget by cutting back on the amount we give the Diocese.

We thank you for your generosity. In January, parishioners gave us some excess funds which helped to offset a large quarterly payment for property casualty insurance. And the CLC reimbursed us for utilities. This is so much appreciated.

We analyzed the numbers and, unfortunately, we’re not eligible for another PPP loan from the Federal government, at least under the current conditions. Frankly, we’re blessed that, with your generosity, we only had 20% less income in 2020 than 2019. The threshold was 25% less income in any fiscal quarter vs 2019. We’ll apply for any other grants that are available. If we receive extra income from the CLC, other grants or pledges, we will ensure we make the most fiscally responsible and yet generous decisions of where to spend the funds.

We so appreciate everything you give us, whether it’s a pledge or any donation. I ask for blessings on each and every one of you for your generous donations to enable St. Columba’s to continue its mission as an Episcopal Parish and a member of the Camarillo community. Looking forward to seeing each other in 2021.

Gail Hill, Treasurer, on behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee

February 1, 2021

We have some very generous parishioners! Unlike the trend during the year, the Parish ended 2020 in the black, with income greater than expenses. We were able to include the Paycheck Protection Program loan as a grant (unencumbered income) as we are completing the forgiveness process with Bank of America and the Small Business Administration. In 2021 we will be able to cover our projected expenses by using all the excess income from previous years. However, we are not able to give the Diocese the 12% of our income toward the Mission Share Fund that we normally pledge; we’ll be giving about ½ that amount.

We are unable to give our staff any increase in pay in 2021, in spite of their extra hard work during the pandemic. The Children’s Learning Center (CLC) income is greatly reduced since they have about ½ the number of children – but all of the expenses – all due to the pandemic. Based on this, the budget has been constructed with no income expected from the CLC, other than some reimbursement for utilities, as they are able. Normally we receive about $30,000 from the CLC plus utilities reimbursement.

The pandemic has been a huge challenge for the Parish budget. The PPP loan/grant of $15,376 was a godsend. We’ll apply for any other grants that are available. Those of you who were able really helped with excess donations. We wouldn’t have survived 2020 and won’t get through 2021 without each of you. If we receive extra income from the CLC, other grants or pledges, we will ensure we make the most fiscally responsible and yet generous decisions of where to spend the funds.

If you haven’t pledged please turn in a pledge card. We don’t carry pledges over from year to year. We need a pledge card to make it official. We so appreciate everything you give us, whether it’s a pledge or any donation.

I wish to thank the Budget & Finance Committee for helping with the work: Cliff Aggen, Bev and John Pearson, Doug Miller and our Financial Secretary, Sarah Monroe-Allen. I ask for blessings on each and every one of you for your generous donations to enable St. Columba’s to continue its mission as an Episcopal Parish and a member of the Camarillo community.

Gail Hill, Treasurer, on behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee

January 1, 2021

Financial Update—December

As we close out 2020 and look toward 2021 there is hopefulness and trepidation. Our parish family has been incredibly generous, continuing to send their pledges. We especially appreciate the extra donations for Christmas and Thanksgiving that many parishioners were able to provide. And we really appreciate the money that came from the St. C’s candy fundraiser. It appears to have raised about $1,900. We don’t have the final numbers for 2020, but we think we can make everything balance with the Paycheck Protection Program loan/grant, your generous donations, and Special Gifts that people have provided.

The budget for 2021 is not set yet. We’re waiting for final pledge numbers. As mentioned previously, we have become more dependent on the Children’s Learning Center for income over the years. We are building a 2021 budget based on only receiving utilities reimbursement from them for all of 2021, because of the uncertainty of when preschools will be allowed to operate at full capacity. This leaves about a $30,000 dent in our budget. We expect to maintain our staff and pay utilities and insurance but not much else. We’re not anticipating having any funds to send to the Diocese for the Mission Share Fund. The Vestry is trying to be creative with fundraising and we will apply for any grants that are available through the Federal government or the State. We still have money in the bank, primarily in Designated Funds; we need income from pledges to meet current expenses, like payroll and utilities.

We hope that you are participating in all the online programs or mailed materials that the parish is providing. The church is still here, working to serve your needs and those of the community. The Food Program is alive and well, and we look forward to opening the parish hall to outside groups once it is safe for us and them to meet in person. We need you to continue to send your pledge to us to support all of this. Your financial support is critical. You can pay via check—mail it, drop it off in the slot in the office door, or set it up so your bank sends it. There is also a PayPal button on our website that you can use to send funds electronically to the church. PayPal is linked to our bank account. Maurice and I are in awe of your generosity every time we count on Sunday afternoons. We ask for blessings on each and every one of you.

We thank you for supporting the church! We look forward to a time when we can all see each other again. I can hardly wait until I can exchange the Peace in person with each of you. In the meantime, we are still the Church; we are still a Parish family. I miss you all. As with our own families, since we’re apart, please reach out and give a call to those you especially miss.

If you need help, please reach out to your Vestry contact, Fr. Greg, or Maurice Hill.

Looking forward to seeing you all in person. Praying for all of you!

Gail Hill, Treasurer, on behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee

December 1, 2020

We are very blessed! We had our first in-person services, even though they had to be outside. You all continue to send your donations, and we’re watching expenses so we’re getting through 2020. Our objective at this point is to get enough income to not use excess funds from previous years so they may be used in 2021. We stopped paying the Mission Share Fund contribution to the Diocese for November and December, as our income is greatly reduced. There is a bright spot: The Children’s Learning Center has been able to give us funds for utilities reimbursement, which is so appreciated right now.

We started 2020 assuming that things would be normal: we budgeted for about $9,000 more in pledges than we actually had in hand (not abnormal). We also budgeted to use about $15,000 from previous year’s excess funds. The year would be tight but doable. Then the pandemic hit. We’ve actually done well considering everything. Payments from the Children’s Learning Center have been a steadily increasing part of the budgeted income over the years. The $15,000 Paycheck Protection Program loan/ grant that the Parish received under the Federal CARES Act helped significantly to replace that portion. Some of you also stepped up financially to help.

We are dependent on you to continue to send your pledge to us. Your financial support is more than critical. You can pay via check—mail it, drop it off in the slot in the office door, or set it up so your bank sends it. There is also a PayPal button on our website and a menu item that reads “Donate to St. Columba’s” that you can use to send funds electronically to the church. PayPal is linked to our bank account. Maurice and I ask for blessings on everyone who donates to us, as we do the counting on Sunday afternoons.

Looking ahead to 2021: The Learning Center typically provides over $30,000 per year to the church so we have a lot of extra financial need right now. They are not allowed to operate at full capacity due to the pandemic, so we are planning that they will be unable to provide us any financial support at least until the school year begins in Fall of 2021.

Your financial pledge for 2021 is more critical than ever. If any other grants become available, we will apply for them. The Vestry is investigating fundraising opportunities, but 2021 is going to be a very slim year. We want to keep all our staff and pay for more than utilities. Our salaries and benefits alone run about $180,000 per year.

We still have money in the bank; we just need income to meet current expenses, like payroll and utilities.

We thank you for supporting the church! Our parish family is still intact, even after all these months. We get to see some of you on Zoom or, once in a while, in person. In the meantime, we are still the Church; we are still a Parish family. I miss you all. If you have someone special you miss, please don’t hesitate to reach out and give them a call.

If you need help, please reach out to your Vestry contact, Fr. Greg, or Maurice Hill. Looking forward to seeing you all in person. Praying for all of you!

Gail Hill Treasurer, on behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee

November 1, 2020

We’re still cautiously optimistic that we can weather 2020 but we’re looking ahead to 2021. We recommended to the Vestry that we stop paying the Mission Share Fund contribution to the Diocese for November and December since our income is greatly reduced from the budgeted amount. Our parish family has been incredibly generous, continuing to send their pledges. The $15,000 Paycheck Protection Program loan/grant that the parish received under the Federal CARES Act has been a godsend, but it can’t totally offset the $18,000+ loss of income from the Children’s Learning Center. We have been dependent on their generous support of the parish, including for utilities reimbursement, and they’re unable to do that right now. They are not allowed to operate at full capacity due to the pandemic, so we are planning that they will be unable to provide us any financial support at least until the school year begins in the Fall of 2021.

We need you to continue to send your pledge to us. Your financial support is critical. You can pay via check—mail it, drop it off in the slot in the office door, or set it up so your bank sends it. There is also a PayPal button on our website that you can use to send funds electronically to the church. PayPal is linked to our bank account. Maurice is my partner in getting the counting done on Sunday afternoons and we ask for blessings on everyone who donates to us.

We’re starting to look ahead to 2021. The Children’s Learning Center typically provides over $30,000 per year to the church so we have a lot of extra financial need right now. If any other grants become available, we will apply for them. We are looking carefully at expenses to keep them down. The Vestry is investigating fundraising opportunities.

We did get the roof on the parish hall replaced! We received an additional $4,700 from the insurance company and another $1,000 donation so we only had to take about $12,000 out of Designated Funds to pay for the $70,000 roof. Three years of grants from the Endowment Fund, an insurance settlement, and parishioner donations provided the rest of the funds. We still have money in the bank; we just need income to meet current expenses, like payroll and utilities.

We thank you for supporting the church! Our parish family is still intact, even after all these months. We look forward to a time when we can all see each other again. In the meantime, we are still the church; we are still a parish family. I miss you all. If you have someone special you miss, please don’t hesitate to reach out and give them a call.

If you need help, please reach out to your Vestry contact, Fr. Greg, or Maurice Hill. Looking forward to seeing you all in person soon! Praying for us all.

Gail Hill, Treasurer, on behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee

October 1, 2020

After the monthly Vestry financial review, we’re cautiously optimistic that we can weather 2020. Everyone in the parish has been incredibly generous, continuing to send their pledges, and some people giving extra. The Paycheck Protection Program loan/grant that the parish received under the Federal CARES Act has been a godsend. The Children’s Learning Center is operating at less than capacity and we are planning that they will be unable to provide us any financial support, including for utilities, for a long time to come, probably not until the school year begins in the Fall of 2021.

We have some expenses that are lower because we aren’t having in-person services and, other than the food ministry, the parish hall is not being used. Our other outside groups are not yet meeting in person. We are still paying our employees and plan to continue to do so.

We appreciate and continue to need your financial support. As noted above, your pledge payments are keeping us afloat. I continue to pray and ask for blessings for each individual and family who writes us a check as I do the counting on Sunday afternoons. Your generosity is very much appreciated.

We need you to continue to send your pledge to us. You can pay via check—mail it, drop it off in the slot in the office door, or set it up so your bank sends it. There is also a PayPal button on our website that you can use to send funds to the church. PayPal is linked to our bank account. We thank those who are using this option! Your donations are critical right now.

The $15,000 from the Paycheck Protection Program was spent on payroll in the 2-month timeframe required so that the loan will become a grant. We will be applying for forgiveness as soon as Bank of America is ready so that we formally unencumber the church. If any other grants become available, we will apply for them.

We thank you for supporting the church! We will get through this time, and our parish family will be able to see each other physically. In the meantime, we are still the church; we are still a parish family. I miss you all. If you have someone special you miss, please don’t hesitate to reach out and give them a call.

If you need help, please reach out to your Vestry contact, Fr. Greg, or Maurice Hill.

Looking forward to seeing you all in person soon! Praying for us all.

Gail Hill, Treasurer, on behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee

September 1, 2020

We are still in the pandemic world and staying home! The Children’s Learning Center did a limited opening in July, with less than half the normal number of children. The food ministry is still operating but our other outside groups are not yet meeting in person. We are still paying our employees and plan to continue to do so. Some of our expenses are reduced but we still have bills to pay.

We appreciate and continue to need your financial support. Your pledge payments are keeping us afloat. We typically get income per child and reimbursement for utilities from the Children’s Learning Center, but it may be a year before we see any funds from them. I continue to ask for blessings for each individual and family who write us a check as I do the counting on Sunday afternoons. Your generosity is very much appreciated.

We need you to continue to send your pledge to us. You can pay via check—mail it, drop it off in the slot in the office door, or set it up so your bank sends it. There is also a PayPal button on our website that you can use to send funds to the church. PayPal is linked to our bank account. Your donation is still very much needed at this time.

As I write this in August, we’re still waiting for Bank of America to allow processing of the forgiveness of the PPP loan. Hopefully it will be done by the time you receive this note.

One of our two Buildings & Grounds projects will be completed in August. The other project remains.

The roof on the parish hall will have just been replaced and the roof over the narthex in the church will have been repaired by the time you receive this update. As I shared before, we received $30,000 from the Endowment Fund and over $20,000 from the property insurance company. And several parishioners have donated funds toward this expense. We will only have to put out an additional $16,000 from other designated funds to completely pay for the project. We plan to replenish the funds we spent at a later date.

We still need to replace two doors on the parish hall. The wood has deteriorated significantly. It could cost us $1,500-$2,000 per door. Other doors need repair and all doors need painting. Two families have donated toward this effort to date. If you feel moved to donate toward anything special, please know we will carefully utilize any funds given.

We thank you for all the support you provide to the church! Our parish family will be able to see each other physically in the future. In the meantime, we are still the church; we are still a parish family. I miss you all. If you have someone special you miss, please don’t hesitate to reach out and give them a call.

If you need help, please reach out to your Vestry contact, Fr. Greg, or Maurice Hill.

Looking forward to seeing you all in person soon! Praying for us all.

Gail Hill, Treasurer, on behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee

August 1, 2020

By now, we thought we’d be able to do in-person worship services but we’re still doing digital services. The Children’s Learning Center did a limited opening in July. The food ministry is still operating, but all of our other outside groups are still not meeting in person. Unlike some other churches, we are still paying all of our employees. And we still have bills to pay, although some expenses are lower than normal.

We so appreciate you continuing to send in your pledges, and we need your continued financial support. The Children’s Learning Center will not be able to give any funds for a while due to their limited number of children and high expenses to take extra care of the children. I still ask for blessings for each individual and family who writes us a check or sends us funds via PayPal when I make the weekly deposit. Your generosity is very much appreciated!

We know the pandemic is wearing on everyone, but we need you to continue to send your pledges to us. You can pay via check—mail it, drop it off in the slot in the office door, or set it up so your bank sends it. There is also a PayPal button on our website that you can use to send funds to the church. PayPal is linked to our bank account. Any donation is very much needed at this time.

We have spent the loan/grant under the Paycheck Protection Program that we received as part of the CARES Act. The $15,000 was spent on payroll in the 2-month timeframe required so that the loan will become a grant. We will be applying for forgiveness as soon as we can in August to formally unencumber the Church.

The roof on the parish hall is going to be replaced in August! We are also going to replace the flat roof over the narthex as it has also deteriorated significantly. The total cost is $70,000. As you’ll read elsewhere in the newsletter, we had a windfall to help pay for all this. The property insurance approved a payment of over $20,000 because of wind damage. The Vestry designated $30,000 from the Endowment Fund, and we’ve received $4,000 in extra parishioner donations to date. So, we need to borrow fewer funds from the money set aside for the sewer line for the rectory (when that becomes a necessity). We plan to replenish those funds at a later date. We could still use donations toward the $16,000 needed but don’t want to be too pushy in the midst of the pandemic. We’re okay borrowing the funds from our other account.

Cliff Aggen worked hard with the insurance company to get this result. We thank him so much for helping to get us this extra blessing in an especially difficult time!

We still need to replace two doors on the parish hall at a cost of $1,500-$2,000 per door and other doors need repair and painting. Two families have donated a total of $2,000 toward this effort to date.

We thank you for all you do to support the church! Our parish family will be able to see each other physically in the future. In the meantime, we are still the Church; we are still a Parish Family who cares for and about each other.

If you need help, please reach out to your Vestry contact, Fr. Greg or Maurice Hill. Looking forward to seeing you all in person soon! Praying for us all.

Gail Hill, Treasurer, on behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee

July 1, 2020

We’re still doing virtual services but working toward greatly modified in-person worship services. It appears the Children’s Learning Center will be doing a limited opening in July. The food ministry is still operating but all of our other outside groups are not yet meeting in person. We are still paying all of our employees. And, though some of our expenses are reduced, we still have bills to pay.

We need your continued financial support. Your pledge payment is more important than ever. We typically get income per child from the Children’s Learning Center, but it will be a while before we see any funds from them. I’m doing the counting right now and I ask for blessings for each individual and family who writes us a check. Some of you who are able have been extra generous. It is very much appreciated.

We need you to continue to send your pledge to us. You can pay via check—mail it, drop it off in the slot in the office door, or set it up so that your bank sends it. There is also a PayPal button on our website that you can use to send funds to the church. PayPal is linked to our bank account. If you haven’t pledged yet this year and are able, your donation is very much needed at this time.

We are spending the loan/grant under the Paycheck Protection Plan that we received as part of the CARES Act. It appears that the $15,000 will be spent on payroll in the 2-month timeframe required so the loan will become a grant. We will be applying for forgiveness as soon as we can in July to formally unencumber the Church.

We also have two largish Buildings & Grounds projects that need to be completed. We know that some of you prefer to donate extra funds toward actual physical improvements or repairs. You get to see where the money goes more directly. We hesitated to ask at this time but wanted to be transparent about what’s going on.

The roof on the parish hall is in desperate need of replacement. Even the tarp put up during the rains last year has started to deteriorate. We had identified about $36,000 in funds to pay for the new roof but the bids are coming in closer to $70,000 – $75,000. We are currently planning to borrow funds from other existing designated funds in order to complete the work and then replenish those funds at a later date. One family has already donated toward the additional $35,000-$40,000 needed.

We also need to replace two doors on the parish hall. The wood has deteriorated significantly. It could cost us $1,500 – $2,000 per door. Other doors need repair and all doors need painting. One family has donated toward this effort to date.

We thank you for all you do to support the church! Our parish family will be able to see each other physically in the future. In the meantime, we are still the church; we are still a parish family. If you need help, please reach out to your Vestry contact, Fr. Greg, or Maurice Hill.

June 1, 2020

We’re still in our other world—worship services are only seen on the internet; the Children’s Learning Center is still closed. The food ministry is still operating and, in fact, serving more people, but there are no other activities for the parish or outside groups on our church grounds. We are still paying all our employees and determined to continue. And, of course, we still have other bills to pay.

We have exciting news! Our Paycheck Protection Plan loan with the Small Business Administration was approved and we received just over $15,000. Per the loan agreement, we will be using these funds to pay our employees, pay benefits, and pay utilities for the months of May and June. Only spending the funds on those items will enable the loan to be forgiven and become a grant!

$15,000 is a lot of money for our parish. It will help fill in the new gaps in the budget created by not receiving any income from the Children’s Learning Center for a while and not receiving plate offerings.

However, we need your continued financial support to fulfill the budgetary needs. As I mentioned in April, we already had a shortfall in the approved budget. But some parishioners have been extra generous. It is very much appreciated.

We need you to continue to send your pledge to us. You can pay via check—mail it, drop it off in the slot in the office door, or have your bank send it. There is also a PayPal button on our website that you can use to send funds to the church. PayPal is linked to our bank account. If you are able, any donation is very much needed at this time.

We thank you for all you do to support the church. Our parish family will be together again physically. In the meantime, we are still the church. We still care about each and every member.

If you need help, please reach out to your Vestry contact, Fr. Greg, or Maurice Hill.

Looking forward to seeing you all in person very soon! Praying for us all.

Gail Hill, Treasurer on behalf of the Budget & Finance Committee