March was a come-back-down-to-earth month as pledged giving dropped considerably after a very strong first two months. Non-pledged giving, however continues to outpace last year’s totals with a 44% increase YOY. Music revenues are the strongest we have seen for a 1st QTR ever, thanks to the incredibly successful Brahm’s Requiem. And cash donations, while less than 1% of the overall budget, are well on pace to exceed last year’s totals. On the expense side, Personnel and Property lead the way in cost savings, due to three main factors:

1. Cross-training of staff to fill finance assistant role
2. Decision to go with one FT custodian coupled with the hiring of an outside cleaning company to service the Preschool 3 days a week
3. The savings from a snow-less winter which contributed $14k to the bottom line.

As we enter the 2nd quarter, we are reminded of how important a church community is, as witnessed by Easter’s in-person attendance, and the impact it has on all of our ministries.