From the Rector
Dear Friends in Christ,
We’ve all seen our personal expenses soar this last year—and the church’s have, too. Resuming more normal worship and ministry, having to pay increased costs for goods and services, and having the markets rise and fall… all these have impacted the church’s budget. There are some additional factors which I’ll outline in detail below.
All this means that closing the budget gap for 2022 will require additional help from those of you who are able.
In addition to inflation, Saint Philip’s had some extraordinary costs this year: AV upgrades and live-streaming, refurbishing the children’s center and building a new playground to launch the Catalina Foothills School, staff transitions, and a conversion of the parish’s financial systems. All these costs are part of returning to more normal operations and each will add substantial benefits to the parish in years ahead.
In fact, these costs are improving parish life already. New people are finding the church via live-streaming. More than a few people have expressed how much they appreciate having a welcoming receptionist, Cheryle, and our new fantastic bookkeeper, Shelby. The school is almost at full capacity and provides regular rental income. Our financial systems have been taken from being paper-based, which made audits a particularly cumbersome and expensive endeavor, to being primarily online. This will create greater efficiency and reduce audit expenses.
Sometimes your household has a rebuilding year. You might have some education expenses, maybe your car breaks down, the AC goes out, or you switch jobs and have moving expenses. We’ve all had years where we took on more than planned—and while painful, we knew it was for the longer-term good.
2022 is proving to be that kind of year for Saint Philip’s. We are navigating the space between the pandemic closures and normal operations. Final numbers aren’t available yet but, given inflation, rising costs, and investments in facilities and operations, the Vestry is working hard to balance our budget this year.
If you’ve been thinking about a destination for some charitable giving this year, we’d be grateful for the chance to speak with you and see if your gift might help our community keep up with this challenging economic environment.
We are in the midst of long-term planning for campus improvements. We are also working on a strategic plan—taking into account how much has changed in recent years. Just a few of the new initiatives include:
—A re-imagined Blessing of the Animals service
—Saint Philip’s participation in Tucson’s All Souls Parade (the first church in the parade’s history)
—Compline offered to the broader Tucson community
—A concert series made possible by the gift of a new piano
—A new parish partnership with a church in Mexico (details to follow soon)
We are as committed as ever to being visible in the broader Tucson community and to welcoming people in new ways to life in Christ here at Saint Philip’s.
Your generosity through the uncertainty of the pandemic has been tremendous. It pains me to ask for additional support in these uncertain times. But the times are no less uncertain for the church as a whole.
If you are able, we will be grateful for your financial support—all the while knowing that your own finances may be less secure than in normal times. If that is the case for you, I hope you will not hesitate to reach out to see if there is some way the church can be of service.
Thank you as always for your faithful generosity and support. The motto on the red frontal on the High Altar is Ditat Deus. It is the state motto, as well, and means “God gives the increase.” I remain as confident as ever that God will provide for our future. My confidence has been only strengthened through this pandemic because you have been so faithful in making all that happens at Saint Philip’s possible.
Yours in Christ,
—Fr Robert