Vineyard Church Southern Indiana 2026 Business Meeting Recap

Our Commitment to Transparency and Health
In February, Vineyard Church Southern Indiana held our annual business meeting, something our bylaws require and something we genuinely believe is healthy for our church family. This year’s meeting was especially meaningful as we updated our bylaws to align with the ordination pathway established by Vineyard USA. These updated bylaws are available on our website for anyone who would like to review them.

We want to be a church that leads with clarity, integrity, and openness as we pursue the mission God has given us.

Celebrating What God Did in 2025
One of the biggest highlights of the meeting was celebrating the incredible ways God used our church to reach our community.

Easter Outreach
We saw about 230 new faces at our Easter outreach who were not part of our church family. Moments like this remind us that our community is hungry for hope and connection.

Baptisms
Our annual pond baptisms remain one of our favorite traditions. There is nothing like celebrating new life and surrender to Jesus together.

Fall Outreach
Our fall event was wildly successful, with well over 600 people from the community attending.

Food Pantry Impact
During November and December, we distributed over $5,000 worth of food to families in need. While this level of distribution is not sustainable year-round for our current space and budget, we do plan to continue this seasonal effort.

Breakfast with Santa
This outreach welcomed 221 guests from outside our church community, creating meaningful connections with local families.

? Altogether, our outreach efforts touched more than 1,100 people in our region. Praise God for the opportunity to be a light in New Albany and the surrounding communities.

We introduced our current board of directors and shared that two positions remain open. Invitations have been extended and we are awaiting responses. The board’s role is to steward finances, ensure we operate within our bylaws, and help guide the church faithfully.

Current Board: 
Pastor Brian Hassett
Pastor Alex Hassett
Tony Portell - Pastor of Vineyard Life Church in Indianapolis - He is also our area leader for Vineyard USA.
Dan Brunmeier
Lois Engebretson

We are committed to increasing financial transparency each year.

2025 Overview

• Total Income: $139,285.74
• Total Expenses: $116,124.53
• Reported Surplus: $23,161.21

However, we want to be clear:

• $20,000 of the surplus came from a one-time gift from outside our church family.
• Normal operating surplus: $3,161.21.

We believe honesty builds trust, and we want our church family to understand the real picture.

Our spending remains healthy and mission-focused:

• Facilities: 36.1%
• Personnel: 32.4%
• Ministry & Outreach: 23.7%
• Administration: 7.8%

Our total monthly payroll for all part-time staff is $2,950, and our team remains bi-vocational.

Currently:

• Church size: about 136–140 people
• Regular givers: 10.7% (about 15 people)
• Average monthly income: $9,940 

The money comes from the incredible generosity of a few people in our congregation. We are deeply grateful for the generosity in our church!

We also want to acknowledge that this participation rate is significantly below the typical healthy range of 35 to 40 percent.

There are 57,000 people within a 20-minute drive of our church who do not currently have a church home. We believe many are searching for hope, community, and truth.

The most effective way people still find church is simple and powerful: personal invitation.
Online search and social media also matter, but at this time we do not have consistent budget available for digital advertising.

The good news is clear:
We are stable. We are sustainable. And we are living within our means.

Our budget is lean and mission-focused, and there is no evidence of wasteful spending.

To expand our impact, broader participation is essential.

If every person in our church consistently gave even $20 per week, our monthly budget would increase by more than $8,000, dramatically expanding our ability to:

• Increase outreach
• Strengthen benevolence
• Invest in advertising
• Support ministry needs

The mission field around us is vast, and we are believing God will continue to stir hearts across our church family to step in and participate in new ways.

On a pastoral level, we want to encourage you to trust God as your true source. The principle of honoring God with our resources predates the Mosaic Law, and Jesus affirmed the practice while also reminding God’s people not to neglect the weightier matters of the heart.
We also recognize that everyone’s financial season looks different. For some, a full tithe may feel genuinely out of reach right now. Even within the Old Testament system, provision was made for those who could not bring the standard offering. What mattered most was bringing their best with sincerity and faith.
Our prayer is simple: that each of us would prayerfully consider our part, trust God with what we have been given, and consistently choose to invest in the work He is doing through the local church.

Together, we believe God will continue to widen our reach and deepen our impact in Southern Indiana.

As we look ahead, we are inviting our church family to lean in together:

Pray daily
For the 57,000 people around us who need hope.

Give consistently
Planned, faithful giving fuels the mission forward.

Volunteer monthly
Be the hands and feet of Jesus, especially in Kids Ministry.

Invite regularly
You never know which invitation will change someone’s life.

If you have any questions about the business meeting, finances, or vision, we would love to connect with you.

Brian@WeAreVineyard.com
812.503.9817

I already have several planned meetings with other members that would like to discuss further so please don't hesitate to reach out!

Here is a link to the slide deck with all of the above information that was used during the business meeting: Business Meeting Slides

Here is a link to the meeting minutes for you to view and see some of the Question and answer: Business Meeting Minutes