11/11/2024
The End of Fresh Fire Church:
Many of you know the realities of financial problems. In your personal life you’ve seen the rising costs of food, utilities, insurance and almost everything else. For churches and businesses, it’s the same thing. However, businesses pass those increased expenses onto you as the customer, but what does a church do when the costs have outpaced giving? We have made all the cuts we are able to make without impacting our outreach programs that include our clothing bank and its building, our Dream Center or eliminating other outreach programs. We currently are just making it to cover our necessary expenses which do not include salaries for anyone.
To make matters worse, we recently had our annual boiler inspection for our church building. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is requiring some updates to remain in compliance with recent changes they’ve made to boiler heating systems. While it’s a newer boiler, when it was replaced to save money, the previous owner kept the old motors for each zone of heating. Two of the motors for the system are still operating, but they are all over 90 years old. However, as we attempted to turn the heating system on for the season, we noticed there was no heat in the sanctuary. In addition to the updates required by the state we must make another major repair that includes just one new motor for the system. While it’s early in the season it’s tolerable, but we are running out of mild days fast. We are under a deadline to repair the boiler to remain in compliance with the state and their updates and I must be bold, WE NEED YOU!
Churches do not have the luxury of passing expenses onto customers, we rely only on giving and since we have seen a drop in giving over recent months and over the past couple of years, we have taken from savings and depleted all our funds. Yes, we could go in debt to make the repairs, but it is not Gods will that we do that and in addition, it is not being good stewards of the finances people contribute to the ministry. To put it simply, something like this can be the end of Fresh Fire and the entire ministry. Repairs like this and not being in compliance with the state requirements have a way of becoming a “domino affect”. One thing can quickly become another, and one thing affects another and so on.
We are already facing such a mountain of issues as many ministries are during these times. We are being forced to move our food distribution and will not be allowed to hold it at our church due to local law enforcement requirements. We are currently meeting with and making arrangements to move the distribution after the first of the year.
This email is going to our church family, partners, friends and those who follow our ministry. I first have to speak to the Fresh Fire Family. If you attend this church, we need your financial support. The bible commands us to give. It’s not a suggestion. Churches cannot operate, function and churches especially like Fresh Fire that have vision for our community and outreach like we do, are simply not able to function if those attending are not giving. Maybe you are someone that does tithe and contribute, perhaps you have the means to give a special donation to help us with these expenses. Fresh Fire has proven to be “good ground” to sow into. We maintain financial accountability and have always been good stewards. When you give to this church, you change lives.
Then there are those who watch online, connect through our outreach or are friends of the ministry. While you may have a church of your own, we are all part of the Kingdom of God. I mean it when I tell you. Fresh Fire has stood with and helped so many other ministries over the years financially, trained leaders, raised up pastors, planted churches and many other things. If this ministry has helped you, ministered to you and if you see the difference we make in the lives of our community and around the world, we need your help.
Simply put, if we do not get the necessary help. This ministry will close. It will be the end of everything we work daily for, everything we fight for and everything positive in this community that we do. Thousands of people will not get food monthly from us, hundreds more will do without warm clothes this winter, children will not get warm coats, hats and gloves. Others will not get help obtaining employment assistance through our Dream Center.
You may say, how can the ministry be this close to ending because of this? To answer that, I will share just briefly. If you are on our mailing list, receive email updates then I’m sure you’ve seen us mention over the past few years how the income to the ministry has decreased. We’ve had an average decrease of income of around 20% monthly. Some months it’s been as high as 40%. To put that into numbers, we have a shortfall just over $2,000 a month and when our months are as high as a 40% shortfall that number becomes approximately $4,500. Let me be honest and transparent. I, as the Pastor have not taken a salary from this church for years. I live entirely by faith in the ministry. I share that because it’s not as though I am collecting a pay check and yet asking for help. Our budget is simply to cover the bills that include utilities and insurance, which is high like so many are, When we have a 20% to 40% shortfall monthly, month to month that rolls over and expenses like this create an unbelievable financial burden that is difficult to overcome.
Here's how you can help. DONATE TODAY! This need is time sensitive as our time the state has allowed for the modifications to be completed is running out. You can give online safely on our website or mail your donation to the church:
Fresh Fire Church
171 Connellsville Street
Uniontown PA 15401
Right now, as of this letter, we need $4,800 just to replace the motor and make modifications to pass inspection with the state. That amount does not include the shortfall we face. Currently as I write this, based on financial projections we are facing another 40% shortfall this month. Heading into the winter months, when utilities double and we face large gas bills, electricity and so on, it is simply not sustainable.
We also ask that you pray. Our church leadership and I have been addressing and working on these issues. We’ve brought in additional help to oversee and assist in our finance department, and we are expanding it more to find any areas of waste, excess and be sure this ministry is operating with excellence, efficiency and integrity.
Our prayer is that God will speak to you or speak to others to help meet the need. If not, our leadership is prepared to make the tough decisions necessary and close. Once those decisions are made, it will do no good for people to say oh I miss that ministry, I miss the sermons, I miss the food distributions, the clothing bank, the employment assistance, all the ministries they offered. In recent months we’ve seen other churches make the tough decision to close. Even larger ministries with multiple campuses have had to close because of the decrease in giving.
Truly, what you do right now determines our future. While we put our faith in God, He moves and touches hearts to meet the need. Is He speaking to you? I told the church recently in a sermon. The entire miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 when Jesus was preaching so long the people got hungry, that entire miracle took place because someone in the crowd said, “I’m hungry”. Had no one ever have said or complained, “I’m hungry”, they never would have taken the young boy’s lunch of a few fish and loaves of bread, broke it and blessed it. The point is, someone had to say, I’m hungry. Someone had to speak up that there was a need. We are speaking up that there is a need. Will you be part of meeting that need, part of the miracle that will allow us to exclaim once again, How Great Is Our God?
Give now online safely at www.freshfirechurch.net or mail your donation immediately to us.
We will be sending out daily updates where we are. Thank you and God Bless You!
Prayers,
Pastor Adam Lawson
Fresh Fire Church
