2017 Financial Goals

Goal setting • it’s something we all love to think about and spend time dreaming about. We love to set personal goals (fitness, reading, growth in hobbies). We love to set financial goals (vacation, retirement, debt pay off). Some of us even set goals for our families (time around the dinner table, quality time together, finishing chores). Ministry is not exempt from these types of thoughts and dreams. We would be lying if we didn’t think about that next building, employee, or piece of equipment wanted or needed to make our ministry more effective.

Over the past few months, we have been discerning what goals (financial) God is calling us to work towards. Here is what we believe God is calling us to in the 2016-2017 ministry year:

Increase Retreat Revenue by 5%

This is an area we have been putting more and more focus on over the past few years. We have noticed a shift in the culture of our groups that come on our grounds. We have fewer schools coming and staying overnight. The modern conveniences of Wi-Fi everywhere, endless amounts of tv and games, and social networks that need to be updated constantly make it difficult to do the hard unplug here at Camp.

We are brainstorming creative ways to appeal towards businesses, churches, sports teams, and schools. Through this effort, we want to show how our grounds and facilities are able to accommodate a wide variety of groups and their needs. We are praying that God will provide us with the opportunities to serve more guests this year.

Increase Fundraising by 5%

Fundraising is often a daunting task. It requires a lot of work, planning, and a certain level of boldness. In 2016 we have worked to bring creativity to what can feel like a daunting task. Local restaurants around here have been abundantly gracious to us by carving out a period of time to donate a percentage of their proceeds to the mission and vision of Camp Manitoqua & Retreat Center. These are easy ways for people, who already plan on going out to eat, to support us.

We will continue to look for ways to share the mission and vision God has for this place. We pray that as we continue to share these events people will be compelled to join us in that mission in any way they can (time, talents, finances).

Reduce Expenses by 1%

Reducing expenses doesn’t mean that we are immediately looking for ways to be cheap. However, it does mean that we are being mindful of what we are purchasing to make sure we are getting the best deal possible. We have asked those employees who purchase supplies to spend a reasonable amount of time in the shopping process to ensure they are getting the best deal.

Another way is to use the old adage “reduce, reuse, recycle.” If we are looking to throw something away, we are first checking to see if we could use that item somewhere else around grounds or repurpose the item. Lastly, and most obviously, is turning off lights when no one is in that room. This may seem plainly obvious, but every penny saved will help us reach this goal.

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We trust that the Lord will do a mighty work with these goals. We are trusting that He will give us the wisdom, energy, patience, and diligence to accomplish these goals. We will lean on our faithful year-round staff, part-time workers, volunteers, and prayer partners to help us in this effort that He has set before us!

Are you feeling compelled to join us? Here are a few easy ways to partner with us: