Telling Our Story: City Church's Finances

This new series from Erik will focus on sharing more about the whats, hows, and whys behind life at City Church.

There are many ways to tell the story of City Church. One such way is through our money—where it comes from and what we do with it. 

Our Transparency

In September I preached a sermon on the topic of transparency as a core value of City Church. We really mean it, especially when it comes to our finances. The charts and graphs above are meant to provide a quick, easily digestible view of what we do with our (read: your) money.  

It’s been said that if you want to know what people love, look at their checkbook. What do we learn about our loves by looking at City Church’s checkbook? You’ll notice right away that most of our money (77%) is invested in the staff who disciple our people and lead our ministries. Most of the remainder is spent on rent, both space for worship and our offices. A smaller percentage covers the cost of programming—that is, all of the expenses that facilitate church events: goldfish for the nursery, food and drink for the Harvest Party, costs associated with women’s ministry. 

In looking at our finances we also hope that people see how much we value partnership with missionaries who are sharing and living the gospel in Richmond and beyond. As a church we’ve committed to give away 21% of all that we bring in to ministry partners. This year we expect to allocate around $138,000 to partners like Phil and Shanna Davis in Prague; Jenna Murphy working with Serge in Uganda; RUF at VCU; FOCUS in Richmond independent schools; and Young Life throughout the Richmond area.

When it comes to our finances, no question is off-limits; we have nothing to hide. Please feel free to reach out to our Finance Team, led by Treasurer, Eric Morgan, if you have any questions about City Church’s finances. 

Your Transparency

We ask that everyone who calls City Church home give to the work of the church. We often hear that the church expects a tithe (that is, 10% of what you make). While the tithe is a helpful benchmark, it may be too much for some and not enough for others. The Bible emphasizes giving that is both joyful and sacrificial. If people looked at your checkbook, what would they say you love? 

If you’ve never given any money to City Church, that’s okay. Consider starting to give. Give a little bit every week or every month. If you already give regularly to City Church, thank you. Perhaps recent changes in your financial situation make this a good time to re-evaluate what you give and whether you could give more.

There are many ways to give to City Church. The easiest way for most people to give is online through the City Church website or through their bank’s online giving system. You can also give at our worship service using the Giving Box located just outside the sanctuary doors. We’re also glad to accommodate gifts of stock or other assets should you desire to give in that way. Together, let us continue to tell the story of God’s rich love to us through our finances and our lives.