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FAQ About Giving

A little Q & A about giving at Crossroads.

Q: When I give to Crossroads where does the money go?
A: It goes into the General Fund that pays for everything from staff salaries to all the various ministries (kids, teens, adult, worship, caring, hospitality, etc.) to facility expenses to our extension work (missions) throughout the world. This General Fund is presented in budget format to the congregation at our Annual Meeting each May.

Q: Are there other “funds” people give to?
A: Yes, there are occasionally special fund drives that are undertaken for special needs and opportunities. We are concluding a 1 year fund drive called “Greater Things” at the end of this year. We also recently had a fund drive called Crazy, which was initiated for the following reasons: to provide funds to re-locate to a new campus, to provide funds for reading books for our school district, and to provide funds for community development work in Swaziland, Africa (drilling wells, building homes for orphans, providing fruit trees and cows for dairy, etc.). There is also a designated “benevolence fund” that goes to help those in our church family who are in need of temporary assistance.

Q: How do I know the ushers (or pastors) don’t take the money and skim some off the top for themselves?
A: No single person is allowed to count or handle the money alone. A detailed system of accountability is built into the collection and deposit of the money. We also follow strict budgetary policies and have a regular audit done. No pastoral staff member has any access to writing checks or making withdrawals from the church’s checking or savings account.

Q: How much money does Crossroads give to God’s work outside the walls of the church?
A: Over 10% is invested in highly screened Christian ministries and missions organizations throughout the world. For a list of our missions work, click here for our Missions page and then click the Local and Global links from the brown menu on the left.

Q: Do our pastors drive BMW’s and live in mansions and make lots of money?
A: No! Our pastors make on average what school teachers make (with tenure and education factored in)—yet work 12 months of the year.

Q: How much am I expected to give?
A: The teaching of the Bible is that you are to give sacrificially, cheerfully, regularly, and proportionately. The benchmark we strive for is “the tithe,” which is a tenth of our income given back to God. We believe this is a good goal. No one will come to your door hounding you for money. And, the only ones who will know what you give are our financial treasurer and assistant treasurer.

Q: I have specific questions about the budget. Can I get a copy of it?
A: Absolutely. Copies are available in a document called The Annual Report and are available by contacting the church office. You may also field any questions to the Board of Elders or the Church Treasurer. Call the office for contact information (651-294-7700).