A giving intention is your commitment to support Mars Hill financially for the year. You can fulfill this however you’d like: weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually, or in the rhythm that makes the most sense for you.
Joy Box contributions are hard to predict, and in recent years, we have found ourselves routinely facing potential budget deficits as the year progresses. We take the responsibility of stewarding God’s gifts seriously, and having a better understanding of what contributions we can expect throughout the year will help us build a realistic budget. This is an invitation to our church community to partner with us to help create a more sustainable future for Mars Hill so we can fund the ministries and mission we believe God is calling us toward.
Previous budgets have been based on the previous fiscal year’s Joy Box giving.
The estimated budget for FY 2026-2027 is based on last year’s budget and adjusted for inflation, cost-of-living adjustments, and anticipated increases in expenses. That number is simply an estimate that would allow us to operate as we operate now; it is not the budget. With this new approach, we will determine whether we can meet our estimated need for the upcoming fiscal year. If we don’t believe we’ll have the contributions needed to meet the estimated needs, we’ll adjust the budget accordingly before presenting the budget to the Elders and then the covenant community for approval.
All gifts to the church are used for the mission and ministry of our church. This includes program costs, but the highest cost to our church is the salaries of our wonderful staff members who lead our ministries and care for our community and building. The next largest expense is administrative and facility costs, including regular maintenance, utilities, and repairs. The Elders also set aside funds each year to save for things like planned long-term building maintenance.
No. If your financial situation changes, you can increase or decrease your support at any time. If you need to change your pledge, either to increase or decrease it, we’d appreciate knowing so that we can better manage our cash flow throughout the year. You can do this by contacting our finance team at finance@marshill.org.
Some community members will choose to tithe in the traditional sense, giving ten percent of their income to our church. Some will choose to give a different percentage, and some will give as they are able. Every gift and every commitment makes a difference.
We ask that each individual or family take the time to prayerfully discern how they want to support Mars Hill in the coming year. If you’re already giving regularly, we’d love for you to pray about and reassess the amount you’re already committed to.
We do have a chart that maps out what giving could look like, which may be helpful to you. You can access it here.
Regardless of the amount you give, there is no specific expectation. You will be valued, loved, and welcomed at Mars Hill regardless of your level of giving.
You can send it to church, hand it to a staff person, leave it in a Joy Box, or fill out the online giving intention form.
You can give in a variety of ways.