Dear CLB Pastors and Leaders:
Today we praise God for His provision and we thank Him for you.
We have closed the books on our 2015-16 fiscal year. As many of you know, we faced together a difficult challenge as we entered April, the final month of our fiscal year, needing to raise just over one million dollars to meet our contribution goal. You, and our fellow brothers and sisters in the Church of the Lutheran Brethren, contributed just over $613,000, giving our shared mission its best giving April on record. In addition to your generosity, we were able to underspend our budgeted expenditures by nearly $90,000 for the year, and through other unanticipated revenues and estate gifts, we finished our fiscal year with only a $150,000 decrease to our bottom-line “fund balance.” That number is still significant, and will certainly influence how your Mission Team and Council of Directors plan forward. At this time we are not facing sweeping change, but over the next twelve months we will be assessing the vision of our ministries and the structure and finances to support them. With that said, due to God’s great provision through your generosity and sacrifice, this outcome is much better than it was projected to be some months ago.
On behalf of your missionaries, your church planters, and our future leaders being trained at Lutheran Brethren Seminary, I want to thank you! Your gifts make these ministries possible, and I encourage you to continue your support. Our contribution goal for this first quarter of the 2016-17 fiscal year is approximately $325,000 dollars. We will not reach that goal without you. You are the Church of the Lutheran Brethren, and this is our mission!
Thank you for allowing me, and the members of our team, the privilege to serve you and to serve Christ on your behalf. May God bless you and keep you, and may He continue to turn His face to shine upon us, the Church of the Lutheran Brethren!
Grace & Peace,
Paul Larson
CLB President