In August, a group gathered to reflect on St. Dunstan’s “money story,” using the prompts from the Our Money Story reflection process that we’re sharing this fall. Here’s the full report from that gathering. You can also watch and listen to a video of the same material here.
The Setting for Our Money Story
St. Dunstan’s sits at the intersection of several very different neighborhoods, with a lot of socioeconomic diversity within a mile of our front doors. Our larger setting, Dane County, has a growing economy and population, but lack of affordable housing puts an intense squeeze on many households. Most of our members are economically stable, but there’s more economic diversity within our congregation than we might readily realize, as well.
The setting for our money story also includes some widespread economic and generational trends. Churches have long been sustained financially by their more settled members, those in middle age and above. But we are beginning to lose our older generation of faithful and generous givers, and today’s younger generations may not be able to give at levels comparable to their elders, since basic expenses like health care, housing, and education cost many times more than in previous decades.
The Characters in Our Money Story
We can easily name long-time members – some departed, some still with us – who made big gifts to help St. Dunstan’s get established, make necessary changes, and move through difficult seasons. The generational transition as we lose some of those beloved folks is a source of both sadness and financial uncertainty. Strong voices over the decades have shaped a financial culture of giving beyond ourselves, and of using what we have, rather than having money “sit around.” Our leaders, formal and informal, have been bold in stepping up to what seems important – such as major renovations, youth ministry, outreach giving, and so on – even when it’s a financial stretch for us.
The Plot and Conflict in Our Money Story
Reflecting on the past reminded us of some seasons of strain and conflict. Some remember that the 1995 capital campaign that built most of our main building was surrounded by conflict involving the rector at the time, who left soon after amid misconduct concerns. Many of us remember a season of scarcity and large budget deficits of $30,000 or more in the early 2010s, which led to a budget repair process in 2013 that helped us move towards balance. We also remember tensions, during that same season of deficit budgets 10 to 15 years ago, over funding the church’s core expenses and ministries versus sending funds out to help meet needs in the wider community.
But we also remembered the resilience and generosity that helped the parish survive those difficult seasons and even undertake a $1 million plus renovation in 2018-2019. Today it feels like there’s a clearer shared sense that both our common life, and the needs of our neighbors and the wider world, merit our shared generosity.
One continued “subplot” is the lack of a substantial fund or endowment to help cover building and property expenses beyond minor maintenance and repair. For example, long-delayed maintenance on the 170-year-old farmhouse that we call the Rectory has caused many expenses to mount up. Some churches have large endowments or other funds that can be drawn on to address those kinds of needs. St. Dunstan’s does not, so we have to stretch, scramble, and borrow from our own reserves when a furnace goes out. In addition, when our annual budgets are stretched, it’s really hard to set aside much money for longer-term property maintenance and improvements.
The main “plot” in our shared money story right now is probably the project of figuring out how to keep funding our common life as a congregation. Although every year we have many new and increased pledges, we are once again in a season of deficit budgets, due to the generational loss of many long-term sustaining members. We also continue to live with the long-term impact of Covid on every aspect of our common life, including our shared financial life. In balance with the strain of financial uncertainty, we also see a lot of vitality and potential for continued growth (numerical and spiritual!) in the life of the parish. Hopeful steps like hiring a part-time youth minister call us to stretch our budget to be able to sustain the good things happening here.
Those in leadership have known for several years that we needed to begin some substantive work on exploring paths to sustainability for St. Dunstan’s, but surviving and adapting to the Covid pandemic delayed that work. Today, a core group is beginning some of that exploration, using the Good Futures Accelerator course as a tool. Our new Place-Keeping Fund is another approach to the same fundamental challenge.
The Tone of Our Money Story
In reflecting on the tone of our money story – how we talk, act, and feel about money, together – several themes emerged. Generosity and gratitude are big themes. People give, with love and boldness, to the parish in general – and to specific ministries and projects that matter to them. And we are grateful, together, for what that makes possible.
Health, trust, and transparency are another theme. We try to talk openly about our shared financial life. Money is taken seriously; we are realistic, but hopeful.
There isn’t a current sense of conflict about money or how money is used in the parish. There seems to be a general sense that it’s important both to build and sustain this community, and to help fund what God is doing in the world around us.
The visible presence of more youth and families have changed the tone and feeling of church and of giving. There is a sense of hope and possibility.
However, anxiety and uncertainty are also part of the tone of our money story right now. Can we keep doing the things that matter to us? What changes will we have to make, to be able to move froward? Because those questions can feel overwhelming or frightening, the tone of our money story can also sometimes be avoidant, focusing on the present instead of the longer term, or apologetic (“we don’t want to ask for more but we have to”).
How We Understand God’s Money Story
We believe God’s dream for the world includes hope, wholeness, and delight for all God’s children. Everyone should have enough, and there should be mutual flourishing, for humans and our non-human neighbors and ecology. Nobody’s success should come at the cost of someone else’s suffering.
We remember the Biblical theme of jubilee – a financial reset that means unburdening and liberation. We wonder about God’s currency: how does God measure a successful transaction or a healthy budget? God’s money story seems very different from one of the dominant money stories of America, that money equals success equals goodness/worth.
The Big Themes of Our Money Story
We have gone through hard times as a parish but there is an ebb and flow to our story which has kept us moving forward. Our history includes a long line of very generous givers – a legacy that has carried us into this century. People in our community inspire, lead, and guide our story. Economic changes, fear of deficits and other obstacles are part of our story today, but only a part.
Our community believes that money should be used to help others and that God calls us to be a blessing. At the same time, we know that we must care for and sustain ourselves in order to continue to care for others. While maintaining our longstanding commitment to giving and serving beyond our church walls, St. Dunstan’s today has a strong sense that this community itself matters. People come here looking for something – community, healing, growth, a place to share their gifts. What we offer one another, and what we become together, matters.
Generosity is a core word in our community’s money story. People are willing to invest – to put resources into something in the hope of helping it grow and thrive – and to build something together, not just maintain something the way it’s always been. We are willing to be bold and hopeful, together – and that has mostly worked out for us, so far!
St. Dunstan’s is a church that is choosing to have a future. But how we find (and fund!) that way forward is very much something to be explored, discovered, discerned and created, together. The next few years will be really important for us, and there’s work to do.