August

Questions?

The recent Finance article in the July focus has led to many people asking me questions about First Lutheran’s finances as it relates to Loaves & Fishes. Questions are not bad and as much as the Church and Loaves & Fishes try to communicate it can never be enough to answer all the questions people may have. Ask anyone who is part of management of a business what their biggest challenge is, and many will answer communication.

The question that has come up is did the Church spend $4,000 on Loaves & Fishes? The $4,000 came out of Loaves & Fishes money, the Church did not pay anything toward this purchase. While all Loaves & Fishes money sits in designated funds none of the funds are provided by the Church. Currently the Church supports Loaves & Fishes by paying overhead costs such as utilities. The Church and Loaves & Fishes are currently working on an agreement on what the Church contributes and what Loaves & Fishes contributes.

The reason that the funds are held in the Church designated funds is because of the Church’s 501c3 status. This is a nonprofit status and is important for Loaves & Fishes to be able to function. Without 501c3 status Second Harvest would not partner with us, no grants would be granted, and individuals that want to have their donation recorded for tax purposes need the donation to go to an IRS recognized nonprofit. Loaves & Fishes has applied for 501c3 status and is waiting for IRS approval. Watertown Loaves & Fishes has operated under Watertown Moravian Church’s 501c3 status for the last thirteen years. This is not an unusual way for nonprofits to operate.

We believe that separating Loaves & Fishes finances from the Church’s finances is a good way to avoid confusion on what Loaves & Fishes is paying for and what the Church may spend in support of the Loaves & Fishes Ministry. We believe a strong partnership between First Lutheran and Loaves & Fishes is an important component for First Lutheran to survive and thrive into the future.

Communication between Loaves & Fishes and the Council started in November of 2021 and continued every few months with-in person updates. In January I joined Council making communications even easier. The purchase of the commercial freezer has allowed us to unplug the two older freezers in the storage room. If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

For we are God’s servants, working together: you are God’s field, God’s building. ~ 1 Corinthians 3:9