Southfield Christian School - www.southfieldchristian.org

Annual Fund

What is the Annual Fund?

Each year, our budget includes a designated amount of money that we seek to raise through gifts to the school and fundraising events. This amount represents the difference between our revenue and actual operating costs. The Annual Fund is a means of communicating this need to the entire SCS community. Rather than viewing various fundraising "asks" and activities as separate initiatives, it offers a clear picture of our overall goal.

The Annual Fund, then, is the total amount of money we seek to raise each year through charitable giving and fundraisers, typically four to five percent of our total budget (approximately $200,000 to $250,000). We seek to raise approximately half of our annual amount through fundraising events including the Magazine Drive, Family Fun Fair and Auction, and Eagles Cup Golf Outing. These events help to build and serve our community while making healthy contributions to our overall financial need.

In much the same way, we trust in God's blessing and a spirit of united support in charitable giving to help us meet the remaining half of our goal. We ask that you prayerfully consider giving a financial gift to the Annual Fund to support the ministry of SCS.

Community Matters

At a time when society continues to become more fixed on the individual, retaining a sense of community matters. God designed us to live in relationship to others, and desires to work in and through us to be shaped by, and to help shape, His kingdom community.

We desire to go beyond being "a school" to function instead as "an educational community". A school is about teachers developing the mind and skills of students. An educational community is about students, teachers, staff, families, friends, coaches, alumni, and supporters caring for the continuous development of the heart, mind, and life foundations of the others.

A community such as SCS exists because of shared sacrifice. Parents sacrifice to send their children here, our professionals sacrifice to work here, and many people sacrifice to support this ministry in a wide range of ways as they offer their time, energy, prayers, and finances. As in any team effort, the more people there are to help, the easier the work becomes, and the better the results.

Your participation in the Annual Fund is a statement in favor of community. Your contribution is important because, regardless of the amount, it moves us in the direction of our goal, and demonstrates your support for the values of SCS. Our goal is to educate and encourage everyone in our community to recognize the value of 100% participation, for community as well as fiscal reasons.

Results

In recent years, charitable giving at SCS has allowed us to:

• Develop a technological infrastructure for our school that includes new computers for student use, cabled and wireless Internet access, laptop computers for our faculty, and new servers.
• Get the most out of our facility with capital improvements including renovations of classrooms and restrooms, upgrading office furniture and cabinetry, and in some cases, reconfiguring offices and classrooms to maximize space.
• Maintain the health of our Endowment Fund (for teacher salary enhancements) and Slavin Scholarship Fund (for need based tuition assistance).

In future years, charitable giving at SCS will continue to enable us to:

• Care for our caring faculty.
• Effectively help families with tuition assistance needs.
• Help students learn to interact effectively with and think "God's thoughts" about technology and its uses.
• Maintain a facility that ranges in age from four years to nearly four decades.

Another Look at Our Mission

"Southfield Christian School is a Christian, college-prep educational community committed to pursuing excellence for the glory of God." We trust you are familiar with our description and mission. As we seek your help with the ongoing work of this ministry, we believe it is important to look again at the basic elements of our primary commitment:

• Pursuing - This is our mode, reflecting the fact that we are a dynamic community, constantly moving, constantly in need, and constantly seeking to trust God and His promises in Isaiah 40:28-31.
• Excellence - This is our aim, reflecting the fact that aiming at anything less than excellence is a betrayal of the excellent character of our Creator and Redeemer.
• Glory - This is our motivation, reflecting the fact that we want to worship God and see the full weight of His presence revealed in and through us.
• God - This is our foundation, reflecting the fact that we exist, individually and corporately, because of and for the God of all Truth. As the mode, aim, motivation, and foundation matter to you, we encourage your support of our Annual Fund, your support of SCS in prayer, and therefore, your presence in the life and future of Southfield Christian School.

Our Giving Guidelines

When it comes to supporting the work of SCS with your financial gifts, we want you to know we believe:

• Everything an individual has, comes from and belongs to God to use for His purposes (Psalm 24:1; 1 Chronicles 29).
• Each of us is called to be a good steward in using the gifts God has given to us, financial or otherwise (1 Peter 4:10).
• SCS should only be considered for financial support after you care for your first priority in giving: your home church.
• Your giving to SCS should be based on God's leading to care for our needs; we will state our needs clearly and plainly, avoiding manipulation or other forms of "arm twisting," so that your gift will be cheerfully given from the heart (2 Corinthians 9:7).
• Just as each of us has an individual stewardship responsibility, SCS has a corporate stewardship responsibility before God; as such, we conduct our financial business and planning prayerfully, ethically, and in accordance with the highest standards of accounting and business practices.
• As we present the opportunity for you to give financially, we open a door for you to further God's blessings in many ways; as you respond, you continue to open doors for us to give in many ways to the students and families in our community.

For additional information, or if you would like to make a contribution to the ministry of SCS, contact Dr. Kenneth Hall at (248) 357-3660 ext. 297 or via email at khall@southfieldchristian.org.