We have a long history of supporting God's work locally, nationally and globally through both regular and one-off giving to organisations.

Until now, this has been done through a dedicated Missions Fund. A proportion of general offerings has automatically been allocated to this fund, with the remainder supporting the General Fund. The church has then agreed which organisations and mission partners to support.

This approach has served us well and reflects our long-standing commitment to God's wider mission. This review is not about questioning that commitment, but about asking whether the level of our giving still reflects our calling, priorities and current circumstances.

Before considering any changes, it is important to understand our current level of external giving.

This year we forecast:

·      34% of general offerings allocated to external giving through the Missions Fund.

·      Equates to 29% of the church's total unrestricted income.

·      Just over £54,000 per year

As the church moves to the new Core Fund structure, the comparable figure is 29% of unrestricted income. This is therefore the figure used throughout this review.

This level of giving has developed over many years and has not recently been reviewed against the church's current circumstances or priorities. One of the purposes of this review is to ask whether it continues to represent the right balance between resourcing the ministry God has entrusted to Kay Street Baptist Church and supporting God's work beyond our own fellowship.

From the very beginning, churches were never intended to exist in isolation. They prayed for one another, encouraged one another, shared resources and supported ministry beyond their own communities.

While God has called us to serve Rossendale through the ministry of Kay Street Baptist Church, we also recognise that his mission extends far beyond what we can do alone. By partnering with churches, mission agencies and Christian organisations, we share in God's work locally, nationally and globally.

The question before us is not whether we should support God's work beyond Kay Street Baptist Church—we believe we should. The question is how much of the resources God has entrusted to us should normally be committed to that purpose.

Mission begins with God himself. At Kay Street Baptist Church, we participate in that mission by proclaiming the gospel, making disciples, caring for those in need and serving our community. We also participate by partnering with churches, mission agencies and charities serving elsewhere.

This review is therefore not about choosing between local ministry and external mission. It is about discerning together how God is calling us to steward the resources he has entrusted to us.

There is no verse in Scripture that tells a local church what percentage of its income should be given to support work beyond itself. Instead, churches seek to apply biblical principles such as generosity, stewardship, faith, wisdom and partnership in the gospel.

As a result, faithful churches have reached different conclusions about the level of their external giving. Many churches will recognise elements of more than one of the following approaches.

Prioritising Generous Partnership

Some churches believe external giving should be intentionally generous and sacrificial. They see supporting God's work beyond their own church as an expression of trust in God and a reminder that his Kingdom is bigger than any one congregation.

Prioritising Local Ministry

Other churches place greater emphasis on ensuring that the ministry God has entrusted to them locally is well supported. They recognise that worship, discipleship, pastoral care, children's work and community outreach are all part of God's mission and should be sustainably resourced.

Reflecting Changing Circumstances

Many churches recognise that there is no single percentage that is right for every season. As circumstances change, they periodically review their level of external giving.

Bringing these together

These approaches are not competing visions of the Christian life. Each seeks to be faithful to biblical principles.

Our task is not simply to choose between generosity and sustainability, or between local ministry and global mission. Rather, it is to prayerfully discern how God is calling Kay Street Baptist Church to steward the resources he has entrusted to us at this time.

Like all churches, Kay Street Baptist Church seeks to steward the resources God has entrusted to us. Our income supports a wide range of ministry, including worship, discipleship, pastoral care, children and youth work, community outreach, buildings, staffing and our partnerships with organisations beyond our own church.

The information below is not intended to argue for a particular outcome. Rather, it aims to provide a clear picture of where our resources are currently used so that members can engage with the discussion from an informed position.

Looking at the annual accounts alone can make it difficult to see how our finances support the different areas of ministry. The chart across groups our Core Fund expenditure into broad ministry areas to illustrate where our resources are currently invested.

Some observations you may notice include:

• Ministry takes many forms, both within the church and beyond it.

• We invest significantly in outreach and community engagement alongside our activity focused on discipleship and resourcing the church membership.

• Our current spending reflects both local ministry and wider mission partnerships.

Every church is different. Churches vary in their history, staffing, buildings, ministries, opportunities and financial circumstances. For that reason, comparison should never be used as a benchmark for what Kay Street Baptist Church ought to do.

However, seeing how a range of Baptist churches approach external giving can help us understand where our current practice sits within a wider context.

The comparison shows that KSBC currently gives a significantly higher proportion of its unrestricted income to external mission (29%) than many Baptist churches of a similar size. This does not mean our current level is wrong, nor that other churches are right. However, it does provide helpful context as we consider whether our current pattern best reflects the calling and circumstances of our own church.