Thank you for your interest in learning more about the contribution process at FBC Weslaco. We regard any contributions we receive to be God’s money. We are simply stewards who seek His guidance on how to use this money in a way that would best glorify Him. The only money we have to pay for the expenses of our ministries comes from the voluntary gifts from our members and guests. We do not run any for profit businesses and with the exception of food and CCS subsidies for needy children who use our day care facility, we do not accept money from any government agency. Our financial staff are charged with the responsibility of collecting money, depositing it and then disbursing it to the various ministries and operational needs of the church. This is done according to the instructions given by the Church Membership and the person who gave the money. The operations of our financial staff are overseen by our Budget & Finance Committee. This committee meets regularly to review our church’s books, records and financial reports in order to ensure that the financial staff is doing its job properly. What does the Bible say about giving? “…Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9: 6-8 What happens to the money I give? Once you give your offerings, there are always at least two people who escort the money to its proper locations. On Sundays, our ushers supervised by at least one deacon, collect the money, record the amounts given, seal these funds in a large envelope, and secure the money in our church offices. At the appropriate time, at least two people, including our Office Manager and our Church Treasurer, count the money, and post the amounts in our accounting system, and deposit the money in the bank where a teller verifies the cash total. Separate representatives from our Budget & Finance Committee verify that all amounts have been properly received, recorded and deposited. Who oversees the financial operations of the church? In order of their reporting relationships, the financial operations are managed by: The Church Membership An independent auditing firm of CPAs Our Budget & Finance Committee Our church treasurer Our office manager Our church administrative staff These people operate under strict financial policies which have been adopted by our Membership. You can obtain a copy of these policies any time from our church office. After reviewing them, you are invited to ask any questions or make any comments or suggestions directly to our Budget and Finance Committee. Should I put my offering in an envelope? Yes. We strongly recommend you put your offering (whether check or cash) in an envelope. You should print your first and last name, address, and the amount given legibly on the envelope if you would like us to keep a record of your offering so you may deduct it from your income taxes. Envelopes are available in pews. What are the various ways that I can make my offering? On Sundays as the collection plates are passed during the services By mail addressed to our church offices By bringing the offering to the church office and leaving it with the receptionist What is the general fund? The general fund is the main operating account of the church where all funds, except designated gifts, are deposited. The general fund is used to pay for various programs, missions, facilities, and personnel. Where else can I designate my money? You can specify that your money be allocated to any ministry that we have, any special mission that we support, or any special project that we fund. This includes, but is not limited to the following: Our general fund – used to pay for our ministries Our building fund – used to pay for improvements to our campus The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering – used to fund international missions The Annie Armstrong Easter Offering – used to fund North American missions The Mary Hill Davis Offering – used to fund Texas missions Our Mexico Missions Our Peru Missions Our Latin America Pastor Training Our Music Ministries Our Teaching Ministries Our Youth Ministries Our Bess Knapp Child Development and Child Care Center Can I give a special love offering to the church for a specific person in need? Part of the ministry of FBC Weslaco is meeting the physical needs of others. We have benevolence funds set up for this purpose. From time to time, a specific need arises and one person in our church will want to help another. They would like to give the money to the church first to receive a tax deduction or to remain anonymous. However, we are limited by law on how we can handle such gifts. These statutes were enacted to ensure churches do not become a conduit where money is handed from one person to another. Persons can always make tax free gifts (up to certain limits) to others. The real issue arises when an individual wants to also deduct the gift from their income taxes. To prevent the abuse, Congress enacted tax laws which say that a donor can designate a gift for a specific purpose – not a specific person. As a result, the decision of who will receive any benevolent gift must be made by our benevolence ministry, and never by names written on envelopes or check memo lines. Can I see how my money was spent? Yes. We have an open records policy which allows any church member access to just about anything pertaining to church business during normal business hours. This includes budgets and financial statements. Our open records policy does have a few exceptions. For example, we never reveal anything pertaining to pastoral counseling, or personal information pertaining to employees (such as their Social Security Numbers). The only exception to the open records policy pertaining to our financial affairs concerns the names of donors, which are always kept confidential. You can obtain a copy of the exceptions to our open records policy any time from our church office. After reviewing them, you are invited to ask any questions or make any comments or suggestions directly to the President of our Deacon Body. Will anybody find out how much I give? No. We consider any contribution to be between the person who made it and God. From time to time, we will recognize large gifts, but only with the donor’s expressed permission. All other information pertaining to the source of all other tithes and offerings is kept strictly confidential. When do I receive my contribution statements? Shortly after the end of every calendar year, our independent CPA’s will prepare a list of cash contributions for every person who has given $5 or more to our church. This list is known as a Contribution Statement. This statement can be used when filing taxes. Church contributions are considered to be charitable contributions and can be tax-deductible. You should receive your contribution statements by the first week of February of each year. What if I find a discrepancy on my statement? If you find that your contribution statement does not match your records of what you gave, contact our independent CPAs. Their name and telephone number will be provided with your Contribution Statement. You will be asked to provide cancelled checks or any other proof of giving that you may have. If an error was made in the finance department, you will be given a corrected statement. What if I have more questions? You can contact our church offices or you can click here.