Mountain Sky Conference: Where You Belong
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Mountain Sky Conference: Where You Belong
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Please review the following instructions and form for 2023 Mission Shares reporting and remittance using Ministry Financials. You may choose to use the form as a worksheet prior to entering your information or you may fill it out and send it with monthly remittance to the Conference.
The 2023 form is interactive. Please download and enable editing. You may change the date by clicking on the month and selecting from the drop down. The form will also complete all of your calculations.
Mission and ministry of the Mountain Sky Conference and The United Methodist Church depend on the connection and generous giving of local churches. As Christians, our giving is an expression of our faith, our commitment to God and our love for neighbors near and far.
“Mission Shares” are the means for local church support for the mission and ministry of our Annual Conference and General Conference and wider missions. Mission Shares are the basis for the Annual Conference’s annual budget which is approved each year at Annual Conference as described in the Book of Discipline. A portion of Mission Shares are means for supporting global ministry and mission through our connection to the General United Methodist Church and the Western Jurisdiction. Mission Shares enable all of us to expand our ministry capacity – to do more together than any of us can do separately.
The Mountain Sky Conference Council on Finance and Administration has set Mission Shares as a percentage of local church Adjusted Gross Revenue. For 2023, the percentage is 13% and was approved at Annual Conference in October of 2021.
Adjusted Gross Revenue is all local church income less the following exclusions:
Special circumstances that a local church believes should result in an exclusion from Gross Revenue may be requested to be reviewed for decision by the Conference Treasurer/CFO.
A portion of local church Mission Shares is dedicated to wider missions and general church support as assessed to each Conference by the General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA). Each Conference then allocates the total commitment to local churches based on average operating expenses.
The seven general church funds of The United Methodist Church are:
The Africa University Fund - established by the General Conference in 1972 to support education efforts on the continent of Africa with global reach because of the work of graduates, instructors and support
The Black College Fund - supports 11 historically black colleges and universities developing leaders for the church and community
The Episcopal Fund - supports active and retired bishops and their episcopal leadership for the denomination
The General Administration Fund - supports administrative, collaborative processes throughout the denomination
The Interdenominational Cooperation Fund - aids the Church in being in ecumenical relationship with other faiths
The Ministerial Education Fund - prepares principled Christian leaders for work throughout the connection of United Methodists
The World Service Fund - Supports the great diversity of Christian mission throughout the denomination
2023 MISSION SHARES REMITTANCE FORM AND DEFINITIONS
GROSS REVENUE (LINE A) is ALL revenue received by the local church: offerings, donations, fees, rents, bequests, distribution from endowment funds, memorials, pledges and tithe payments, whether by cash, credit card, check, stock or transfer of assets.
LOCAL CHURCH DEDUCTIONS
Less income from capital campaigns (LINE B) Any money received from specific campaigns that are defined as significant, short term fund-raising efforts for a stated project, such as a building, debt retirement or special project with a useful life of at least ten years.
Remember, only gifts received as part of a capital campaign and designated for that specific campaign should be deducted here.
Less endowment donations (LINE C) Donations by persons that are intended to become a part of an Endowment Fund, often in the form of a bequest or memorial, may be from an individual or estate. An Endowment is a gift that generally should not be spent. It should be invested to produce earnings.
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EXAMPLES OF ITEMS TO DEDUCT |
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EXAMPLES OF ITEMS THAT SHOULD NOT BE DEDUCTED |
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Less bequest donations used for capital items or other non-operating expenses (LINE D) Non-endowment donations received when the church is named as a beneficiary in a will or trust.
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EXAMPLES OF ITEMS TO DEDUCT |
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EXAMPLES OF ITEMS THAT SHOULD NOT BE DEDUCTED |
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Less income from tuition-based services (LINE E) Payments made to the church for services provided at the church.
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EXAMPLES OF ITEMS TO DEDUCT |
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EXAMPLES OF ITEMS THAT SHOULD NOT BE DEDUCTED |
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Less direct costs of fund-raising (LINE F) Costs paid to purchase items sold to raise funds for the church.
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EXAMPLES OF ITEMS TO DEDUCT |
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EXAMPLES OF ITEMS THAT SHOULD NOT BE DEDUCTED |
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Less restricted pass-through donations (LINE G) Non-operating funds that donors have restricted for transfer to charitable organization outside the local church.
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EXAMPLES OF ITEMS TO DEDUCT |
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Less grants received (LINE H) Any grant received from an organization of the United Methodist connection
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EXAMPLES OF ITEMS TO DEDUCT |
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Less cash expenditures to support approved new church development (LINE I) Actual cash expenditures must be pre-approved by the Conference Congregational Vitality Committee and the Cabinet.
Designated Giving Remitted to MSC:
Total Designated Giving remitted to MSC at this time (LINE J)
Adjusted Gross Revenue (LINE K) Line A minus Lines B, C, D, E, F, G H, I, J Adjusted Gross Revenue is Gross Revenue less capital campaign income, endowment donations, bequest donations used for capital items or other non-operating expenses, funds restricted by donors to be passed through to other charitable organization, income from tuition-based services, direct costs of fund-raising, grants received from an organization of the United Methodist connections and approved cash expenditure to support new church growth initiatives. Adjusted Gross Revenue is the basis for calculating the Church Mission Shares.
There are several ways to process your Mission Shares & Apportionments monthly remittance.
1. Go to https://umcdata.net/Sky. Click on the orange Enter Income button. Fill out all lines of the form that are appropriate for the month. Click on the calculate button. You will see adjusted gross revenue and your remittance amount. Be sure to click on submit to save this information. This will only submit your numbers. Then on the main screen, click on the green $Make a Payment button. This is a secure payment sight. You may alter amounts. If paying a different amount than the checked boxes at the top, don’t check any boxes. Enter the amount that you want to pay in the Amount to Apply box. Click on the green Apply to Balances box. Enter the amount you want to pay under This Payment Amount for each line item you are paying. Click on the green Continue button at the bottom of the page, which will take you to your payment information.
2. Go to https://umcdata.net/Sky. Click on the orange Enter Income button. Fill out all lines of the form that are appropriate for the month. Click on the calculate button. You will see adjusted gross revenue and your remittance amount. Be sure to click on submit to save this information. You may print your amount due and send with a check to: Mountain Sky Conference PO Box 462200 Centennial, CO 80046
3. Go to the Mountain Sky website / Responsible Stewardship / Mission Shares /statsmissionshares You may download the form, fill out the interactive portions, and print or download and print and fill out the form by hand. Send the completed form with your check to the conference office.
4. To ensure timely processing of your payment, please remember that forms and remittance are due to the Conference on the 20th of each month.
The Conference Finance and Administration team is here to help you. Please reach out with any questions.
Angela Thomas, Chief Financial Officer, athomas@mtnskyumc.org
Julie Gladney, Administrative Support Services Manager, jgladney@mtnskyumc.org