Town Hall Q&A Follow Up
Thank you to everyone who attended the town hall virtually or in person and for taking the time to ask very thoughtful questions and provide suggestions. We wanted to respond to some of the questions from the feedback form. This form is still live and we welcome any questions, comments, or suggestions you may have. You can also email the executive council of co-pastors at ec@forefrontnyc.com
Is Brooklyn the only option for Forefront? What about other boroughs or even the great state of NJ?
We are really trying to stay in Brooklyn and keep our church accessible by train. Forefront did have a Manhattan campus that unfortunately closed and some transitioned to the Brooklyn campus but we primarily draw folks from the borough of Brooklyn.
Have we considered a high-interest account?
The biggest issue with a high-interest account is access to cash. Right now we don't have enough long-term savings for this to be beneficial. We could potentially look at this in the future.
Has the church considered affiliating with a denomination?
Since we are not a church plant, gaining funding from a denomination would be very unlikely because most of the denominations do not provide funding to already established churches, but instead, expect the established church to pay dues. We also would likely have to change our bylaws and our clergy licensing processes which would then make some of our clergy ineligible for being pastors. We are affiliated with Launchpad and W/Collective, which connect us with other churches of similar progressive values. We are not able to receive funding from these affiliations, though.
Would there be a way to get enrolled in NYC gives? This would allow city employees to donate via payroll deduction.
No, but this sounds like a great idea and we will ask the fundraising committee to look into it.
Have we considered having an intern (local seminary or bible college) to run our social media for external engagement and donations? Progressive Christian Twitter, for example, is a very active space where potential donors could be reached
We have considered interns but due to lack of funding, we wouldn’t be able to compensate them. We plan to explore possible internship partnerships with seminaries that would possibly cover the compensation.
How does the church determine the budget?
Budget planning begins first with the Executive Council reviewing expenses and income provided by the Bookkeeper from the current year and then shared with the Leadership Team for collaboration and staff and deacons for consultation with their specific ministries. Once a budget has been agreed upon in December of the prior year, it is then published on the website and implemented in the coming year.
Are we considering a change in venue for our Sunday morning services?
Yes, we have formed a venue search committee to explore other options and have received many leads from Forefronters and welcome any other leads you think are worth exploring. You can email recommendations or leads to Venida@forefrontnyc.com
Have more questions or feedback you can contact the Co-Pastors at ec@forefrontnyc.com or the Leadership Team at ffbklt@forefrontnyc.com
If you feel so led to give a one-time gift or set-up a reoccurring gift to help with our 5-7k monthly deficit in giving you can do so HERE