Sometime around mid-August 2005, the 750 or so vestry and bishop's committee members of the 92 churches of the diocese will open their mailboxes to find the first-ever version of a booklet titled Requests for Funding for the Diocesan Reaching Out Budget.

Beginning in 2006, the entire diocesan budget of about $3.4 million will be separated into two parts: the Reaching Out Budget and the Operating Budget.
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Introduction
Frequently Asked Questions
Word from the Bishops
Reaching Out Booklet
Workshops
Allocation Form Sample
Budget by Departments

Word from the Bishops

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ

We find ourselves, in the Diocese of West Texas, at one of those times in our corporate life that presents us with an opportunity to bring about a sea-change in how we will do ministry together. We are at a point in our life as a diocese when we can choose once again to live into the vision we have set for ourselves as "a missionary people . . . determined to communicate to all people the unchanging Good News of Jesus Christ."

 The budget process that is presented to you in this booklet seeks your input as we determine the ministry we will do together as the Body of Christ in South Central Texas.

You are being asked to help the diocesan Executive Board allocate finite resources among limitless possibilities for ministry. We trust that you will go about this task prayerfully and thoughtfully, always permitting the greater good to inform your decisions.

 Larger churches with many resources will need to be aware of smaller churches who have few resources; small churches will need to be considerate of medium-sized and larger churches who have particular needs of their own. If we are to be the Body of Christ, no one of us can say to the other "I have no need of you"; nor can we say "I have no responsibility for you."

 We caution against seeing this document as a "shopping catalog" from which you will pick and choose. Although the ministries are presented here individually, no single ministry operates independently of the other ministries. It is important that you see that all of the ministries presented in this booklet are inter-related and inter-dependent; no one ministry stands alone. The Body of Christ is indeed made up of many parts, each of which is necessary if we are to reach out to those who do not yet know Christ in our place and in our time.

Please know that we hold you in prayer as you undertake this important task as leaders of the Church, even as we solicit your prayers for this Church and this diocese to which we are all committed.

 Faithfully,

Bishop James E. Folts
Bishop Coadjutor Gary Lillibridge