At Highland Park, we take stewardship and financial management very seriously. After all, when persons join the church, we ask them to support it with their prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness to the work of the church.
Financial gifts to the church are used to underwrite the church’s budget for that year which determines the scope of the church’s ministry.
Church Budget
The church budget, created in December of each year by the finance committee after soliciting input from all committees of the church, covers a wide range of areas including apportionments, staff salaries, programs of the church (such as Youth, Children, and Worship), missions, and operating costs.
Unless you’ve been a Methodist for a while (and sometimes not even then) you may be unfamiliar with the term apportionments. Apportionments are “a portion” of our gifts which are shared across many United Methodist mission fields. All United Methodist Churches are expected to work together to support these missions at home and around the world. This is a significant part of our budget here at First Church and we are privileged to participate in this uniquely United Methodist support structure.
Automatic Drafts
Automatic Drafts are easily available for your monthly pledge. We can draft your account once or twice a month. You don’t have to worry anymore when you’re on vacation or out of town on Sundays. Your pledge will be taken care of for you. Come by the church office or e-mail us to set up your automatic draft.
Stock Transfer
We maintain an account with Edward Jones for the purpose of stock transfer. If you would like to transfer stock to that account, please contact your Edward Jones representative with instructions. You should also verify with the church office that this transfer has taken place.
Legacy Endowment
We maintain a trust account at the Oklahoma UM Foundation in which gifts can be deposited. While the principal remains untouched, the available income is generated by the interest. This available income is used for various tasks and in programs throughout the church. Our legacy endowment is managed by the Oklahoma United Methodist Foundation. If you have questions or would like to donate to the endowment, contact a memebr of the Board of Trustees.
Memorials
Memorials are given by friends and family in memory of a loved one. These memorial gifts can be used according to the family’s wishes to purchase something needed by the church; they are not used to support maintenance or operation. Contact the pastor or a member of the Board of Trustees for more information about these gifts.