Overview

On Saturday, December 3, the Elders and Deacons of Missio Dei Church called covenant members and regular attenders to a congregational meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss how the Lord has been working through the church this past year and what we are anticipating for 2017 and beyond. Here were some of the things that were shared at that meeting:

Property Update

We also began discussing what is happening with the physical location of 123 W. Wood St. here in New Lenox. We shared that the Building Committee has been working to gather financial information so we know how much we can afford with a loan. At this point, we are hoping to have a formal offer from the Chicago Central District of the Nazarene by the end of January for the price of this property. Here are some of our preliminary drawings of what we could do with the layout of the property depending on which parcels of land we are able to purchase.

Minsitry Budget

All of this lead us asking the question, "So what does this mean for us as members and regular attenders, the congregation, for the 2017 ministry budget"? Here is the approved budget for 2017. 

Some things to note regarding this budget: 

• The largest increase in this budget is the cost of our rent/mortgage for this building. We are currently paying $2,200/month to rent this building. In 2017 budgeted that a mortgage for this building could be as much as $3,300/month. The Deacons decided to budget for the worst case scenario and pray that the actual payments will be lower. We will keep the congregation updated regarding what actually happens with the purchase of this property. 
• We are also excited to announce that we will be adding another family to our missionary support list. If you have not yet had the chance to get to know the Ambrose family, you can follow their blog here!

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A note from Todd...

I walked away encouraged from this meeting. As a Deacon, a staff member, ministry leader, and member, I walked away excited about what the Lord is doing through Missio Dei Church. There is a long road ahead of us, to say the least. There always has been and always will be a long road for Christians. That's life. But we look back at the long road of God's faithfulness and we remember that He has never left us, forsaken us, or left us in need. He has been faithful in providing all that we need and not always with what we want or desire. So brothers and sisters of Missio Dei Church and ministers in His Kingdom, take heart. The One who has overcome the world has been walking beside us the past ten years and He will continue to do so in 2017. 

Together for the Gospel, 

Todd Paben & the Consistory (Elders & Deacons) of Missio Dei Church

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