Live Church,

We hope this finds you doing well and in good health.  We are grateful for you, and appreciate all that you do to help Live Church accomplish its mission.

As a church, we strive to be good stewards of the resources God puts in our care.  In season and out of season, we are careful to make certain that not only are finances stable, but they are allocated to matters that are faithful to the Gospel and obedient to the Spirit.

Over the last several months, Live Church’s giving has not reached the level necessary to maintain certain common objectives.  In these matters, we do our best to listen to what God would have us do to navigate this.  The leadership of the church have kept a watchful eye on our financial situation while our income has decreased… not wanting to make unnecessary moves prematurely.  God had provided reserves for us to navigate a “dry” financial season, and we are very thankful for that.

However, at this junction, we’ve had to make some tough decisions to ensure the ongoing financial health of the church.  These decisions are being done proactively to avoid any future hardships.  None of these decisions were one’s we wanted to make, but each were necessary.  For context, these decisions were made after almost two years of very tight budgeting.

The leadership of Live Church agreed to reduce and eliminate most of our missions support with the reality that we cannot justify supporting external functions.  We love our missionaries and support their endeavors, but in this season we will have to do so with prayer.  Only our internal missionaries, the Haas’ remain on our support cycle at a reduced rate.

The youth center at the end of this building has been a great resource.  We picked up the lease on this building when the daycare moved out over two years ago.  It was convenient to have the additional space, but at this time, we have determined that while it’s convenient, it’s not absolutely necessary considering the rising cost of real estate and utilities.  We have submitted a 30-day notice to vacate the facility.

The staff of Live Church is smaller than we’ve run since we’ve started.  This is in large part possible because of my wife, who volunteers her time to lead our kid’s ministry.  It’s also possible due to many volunteers that work tirelessly to fill gaps where needed.  The four paid staff members are myself, Troy Ashley, Justin and Sasha Rahn.  Each of us took a pay cut to help in the process of stewarding our finances.

This notice should not be read or taken for more than what it is.  This is a notice for your information and our dedication to transparency.  You should know these things, because this is your church.  However, we will not waiver from our mission to build community, preach the Gospel, and make disciples.  The Lord is our provider and He pays for His plans.  

We are thankful for the many faithful donors of Live Church.  We pray the Lord blesses you for your obedience.  If you don’t currently give, we invite you to consider doing so.  Not under coercion or pressure… but with the understanding that investing back into the church that provides you a place to grow is important for providing the ownership that makes you feel a part of something bigger than yourself.

Thank you for taking time to read this notice… we have much work left to do.  

-Pastor Josh