I received a couple reports this week that were good news and I wanted to pass them along to you. We rejoice in God’s faithfulness, in how His people imitate faithfulness and in the work God allows CLA to accomplish here and around the world. Keep up the good work!
About eight years ago, CLA outsourced our CFO position and eliminated our finance department as we partnered with a fantastic group of people known as Controllership Plus. Financially, it was one of the best decisions we’ve made. The stability that Mark Holland and his team have brought to CLA finances and to the monthly board reports has been remarkable. They brought new technology, new systems and accountability. They pay our bills, give timely reports to the Board of Directors and help us manage our finances. We still need to produce the annual budgets in house, which our manager Neil Muth does every spring. We still have a very active and attentive treasurer on the board, Cathy de la Rambelje. We continue to have a finance committee who oversees our stewardship, people of deep competency. All these groups, working together, have given CLA an “A” in management. I’m deeply grateful for the spiritual gifts of administration. These individuals are a blessing to us all. Thank you.
Our fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30. This week I received the June report from Controllership Plus. This document conveys how CLA did over the past twelve months. I often say to staff that as campuses, Langley congregations and departments are working through their ministry and outreach, the ups and downs of the year, we’re really working towards a balanced budget on June 30. I was thrilled to see that we created a surplus this year! It will be used for important capital projects like the renovation of our board room and the replacement of part of our main building roof this summer (we have a five year plan to replace the Langley roof, both buildings). Each campus, apart from Abbotsford, (Langley, Maple Ridge, Sooke, Recovery Church) created smaller surpluses. In Langley our congregations and departments did really well to work within their means (Care Ministries, Communications, Café & Kitchen, Rev, Kids & Families, Custodial, Maintenance, Thrive, Women’s, Young Adults, Worship & Tech). Sunbeam will carry a surplus forward to help them with their new cabinets. All this while important investments were made like a new van for Recovery Church, a new van for the Maple Ridge Campus, heat pumps and a storage unit in Sooke and LED lights for the two buildings of the Langley Campus. On top of all that, we made history this year with the purchase of property for our Abbotsford Campus. We contributed half a million dollars to bring down our 4.5-million-dollar mortgage to 4 million. Now we’re working to illuminate it. We continue to invest in research for the redevelopment of our Maple Ridge Campus. My heart is filled with sincere gratitude for your partnership that helped accomplish this. I also appreciate our staff who work hard at good stewardship.
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9. This reminds us that God rewards our efforts and sacrifice. As we begin a new fiscal / ministry year please remain disciplined and generous in your financial support of CLA. We need your help to have another excellent year. Thank you.
