What are Christ Church’s Five Funds?

When giving to Christ Church you are welcome to contribute to any or all of FIVE different funds that support our ministry.

1. The OPERATING Fund

Staff Support: The largest single investment we make as a congregation is in providing for a very strong Church staff. While the ministry and mission of the Church ultimately resides with the lay-people of the Church, these staff persons teach, care for, work alongside of, and equip lay-leaders as Disciples for Christian life and service.

Ministry Programs: In order to maintain the high quality of our ministry programs, the Church makes a substantial investment in curriculum, supplies, printing, postage, and a host of other expenses associated with communications for these ministries.

Facilities & Services: Christ Church is blessed with a 25-acre campus, approximately 200,000 square feet of building space, and over 900 parking spaces. Maintaining these resources in excellent like-new condition and providing utilities, insurance, technical services, and other support for them requires a substantial continuing investment.

Our top priority is our Operating Fund , as this sustains the core ministries out of which flow all of the rest of our life and outreach as a Church. Faithful giving to the Operating Fund on a regular weekly/monthly basis, using the offering envelopes is, therefore, a stewardship commitment of great importance for our members and friends. The Operating Fund Budget is set by congregational vote at the Annual Business Meeting in February.

2. The MISSION Fund

Each time we pass the cornerstone of our church, we are reminded of Jesus’ call to his disciples to go “into all the world…“ (Mark 16:15) . Obeying this calling, our church family actively supports over fifty mission partners, internationally and locally. The Mission Fund provides the means to meet the crucial spiritual and physical needs of our missionaries and the people they serve on our behalf.

During the Mission Fest each May, the congregation participates in the tradition of making a “Faith Promise Offering.” These pledges are the financial foundation of our outreach programs and commitments. Faith Promise Cards and gifts to the Mission Fund may be submitted throughout the year. Contact our Church Missions Office to learn more about our mission outreach program and current happenings with our mission partners. A monthly newsletter “Into All the World” reports to you how your gifts are being used to bring about life-change.

In December, the Spirit Village event at the Church is also a special experience for individuals and families to learn more of our Mission outreach and to contribute financially in a direct way to those in need locally and globally.

3. The MEDIA Fund

The Media Fund supports our church’s weekly television and radio ministry, "Love Changes Life." Through these broadcasts, we are able to extend the gospel message from the pulpit of Christ Church to tens of thousands of persons in the Chicago metropolitan area and beyond. Imagine a baseball or football stadium filled with people and you have some sense of the reach of this ministry.

Our media programming is produced in-house with part-time directors and editors and many volunteers. Over two-thirds of the media budget represents broadcasting costs . The other major budget items are production costs (16 percent), equipment depreciation and replacement (10 percent) and printing and administrative costs (6 percent). Since we do not “hard sell” on air, only 1 or 2 percent of the funding for this ministry comes from the outside audience. The rest comes from the generous gifts of Christ Church members and friends.

An additional benefit of the Media Fund is the provision of our wonderful inhouse media production center. The Media Center enables us to send live-video to the Garden Chapel , Oak Room, and other locations within the building each Sunday and for special events. The Center also produces videos and tapes that are used to support our worship and educational ministries.

4. The CAPITAL Fund

From time-to-time (generally at three-year intervals) the church conducts Capital Fund campaigns wheree members make pledge commitments to finance specifically defined construction projects or major improvements to our facilities. When the congregation has approved the acquisition of adjacent real estate, the Capital Fund has financed the purchase.

The Capital Fund also provides the resources we count on for routine facility and equipment upkeep, landscape and parking lot maintenance, interior alterations and repairs . Thus, faithful giving to the Capital Fund on a regular weekly/monthly basis, using the offering envelopes, is also a stewardship commitment of great importance for our members and friends.

Members are invited to fill out pledge cards to the building fund in order to help us subscribe a construction loan for the project(s) in question.

5. The ENDOWMENT Funds

Over the years, some visionary donors have wanted to provide a legacy in perpetuity for the ongoing work of the Church. Our Endowment Funds have give them a vehicle to do this. The principal of these gifts is always preserved, but the income generated by these funds is used for special projects and new ministries for which there are not sufficient monies available through annual giving.

You may give assets or make estate plans designated for the benefit of the Church’s (a) General Endowment Fund, (b) Mission Endowment Fund, or (c) Scholarship Fund. The Board of Trustees manages and disburses these monies in accordance with policies directing the use of the funds. More information regarding these funds is available through the church’s Business Office or by emailing Dave Melvin at dmelvin@cc-ob.org. Members of the Endowment Committee and Board of Trustees are always pleased to answer your questions as well.