General Finance Information

 

At Highland Park, we take stewardship and financial management very seriously.  After all, when persons join the church, we ask them to support it with their prayers,http://www.firstchurchenid.com/index_htm_files/0.gif presence, gifts, service, and witness to the work of thehttp://www.firstchurchenid.com/index_htm_files/0.gif church. 

Financial gifts to the church are used to underwrite the church’s budget for that year which determines the scope of the church’s ministry.

Church Budget

The church budget, created in December of each year by the finance committee after soliciting input from all committees of the church, covers a widehttp://www.firstchurchenid.com/index_htm_files/0.gif range of areas including apportionments, staff salaries, programs of the church (such as Youth,http://www.firstchurchenid.com/index_htm_files/0.gif Children, and Worship), missions, and operating costs. 

Unless you’ve been a Methodist for ahttp://www.firstchurchenid.com/index_htm_files/0.gif while (and sometimes not even then) you may be unfamiliar with the term apportionments. http://www.firstchurchenid.com/index_htm_files/0.gif Apportionments are “a portion” of our gifts which are shared across many United Methodist missionhttp://www.firstchurchenid.com/index_htm_files/0.gif fields.  All United Methodist Churches are expected to work together to support these missions athttp://www.firstchurchenid.com/index_htm_files/0.gif home and around the world.  This is a significant part of our budget here at First Church and we arehttp://www.firstchurchenid.com/index_htm_files/0.gif privileged to participate in this uniquely United Methodist support structure.http://www.firstchurchenid.com/index_htm_files/0.gif

Automatic Draftshttp://www.firstchurchenid.com/index_htm_files/0.gif

Automatic Drafts are easily available for your monthly pledge.  We can draft your account once orhttp://www.firstchurchenid.com/index_htm_files/0.gif twice a month.  You don’t have to worry anymore when you’re on vacation or out of town onhttp://www.firstchurchenid.com/index_htm_files/0.gif Sundays.  Your pledge will be taken care of for you.  Come by the church office or e-mail us to set up your automatic draft.http://www.firstchurchenid.com/index_htm_files/0.gif

Stock Transfer

We maintain an account with Edward Jones for the purpose of stock transfer.  If you would like to transfer stock to that account, please contact your Edward Jones representative with instructions.  You should also verify with the church office that this transfer has taken place.

Legacy Endowment

We maintain a trust account at the Oklahoma UM Foundation in which gifts can be deposited.  While the principal remains untouched, the available income is generatedhttp://www.firstchurchenid.com/index_htm_files/0.gif by the interest.  This available income is used for various tasks and in programs throughout thehttp://www.firstchurchenid.com/index_htm_files/0.gif church.  Our legacy endowment is managed by the Oklahoma United Methodist Foundation.  If you have questions or would like to donate to the endowment, contact a memebr of the Board of Trustees.

Memorialshttp://www.firstchurchenid.com/index_htm_files/0.gif

Memorials are given by friends and family in memory of a loved one.  These memorial gifts can be used according tohttp://www.firstchurchenid.com/index_htm_files/0.gif the family’s wishes to purchase something needed by the church; they are not used to support maintenance or operation.  Contact the pastor or a member of the Board of Trustees for more information about these gifts.