Pineridge Blog
Mike Dieleman, Chair of the Finance Committee, has announced his resignation effective June 1st due to job and schedule changes. Mike has served faithfully in this post for six years during some very challenging financial times at Pine Ridge for which I offer my most sincere thanks.
A couple of years ago he worked very hard to guide Pine Ridge as the Church Development Corporation, the Synod bank who held our building loan, ended and the resulting lengthy refinancing process with a commercial bank. He has done a lot of work recently to help the church secure a new loan contract before interest rates rise too much.
Each year Mike would come to Session budget meetings in December to walk us through his carefully prepared spreadsheets offering suggestions to help the elders make the best decisions for the church possible. He never imposed his own ideas but tried to give the Session the best information he could, trusting their wisdom.
Church finances are always uncertain, but Mike developed to be a very good prognosticator as to highs and lows in the income of the church year helping us to avoid the dreaded “summer slump” and even getting good at anticipating “loose” (unpledged) offerings in order to create realistic budgets. Even in times of uncertainty, we have never missed a mortgage or a payroll payment.
Perhaps the highest compliment I can pay Mike is that he is a good and faithful steward. He has always been willing to share generously of his own precious time and great talents in helping manage the church’s treasure. He has offered his great skills in the area of financial management knowing that his gifts and the monetary gifts the church receives both are to be used to serve God.
I hope you will take a minute to thank Mike for all he has given to the church. And, please also thank Todd Marckx, another faithful steward of the church who is stepping into the very important role of Finance Committee Chair.