Message From Matt
Dear GCC Family:
Every part of our church’s ministry—worship services, programs, facilities, community impact, global partnerships, mission trips, etc.—is made possible by our faithful individual generosity with the financial resources God provides us. In preparation for our 2026-27 fiscal year, we need your help in affirming our operating budget, church officers, and a few strategic changes to our bylaws. The pages that follow will provide you an overview of all of the above.
First, I would call your attention to the following financial highlights:
- It’s been a year of healthy growth in our giving. Since last October, 107 new households have begun giving to GCC, allowing us to increase our proposed 2026-27 budget by $80,000 over last year.
- In addition to surpassing last year’s budget goal of $2.62 million, we’ve raised $8,495.21 to help our friends at Clarity provide compassionate services to women and men facing crisis pregnancies; given $100,721 to build a medical clinic in Ghana, West Africa; and provided $152,355 in Operation Care assistance to local families in need.
- Our proposed budget includes increases to multiple ministry budgets and allows us to reinstate a much-needed contingency fund for the unpredictable but invariable maintenance expenses that go hand in hand with our 115,000 square feet of facility.
- We’re grateful that after several consecutive years of hefty increases in our group health insurance costs, we’ve found a more affordable alternative and been able to give our staff team an overdue cost-of-living increase.
We’re grateful for your financial support because our budget is so much more than just a number. Our giving is a “thank you” to God for His generous provision, a practical way to obey Jesus by “storing up treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20), and an investment in life change both here and around the world. Thank you for your faithfulness in honoring God and prioritizing Kingdom work through your giving!
Next, here’s a message from Nate Hedrick, our 2025-26 elder chairman.
As we look toward the upcoming congregational meeting, there are a couple of changes to Matt Giebler's role within the church that the elders wanted to address directly and to share the reasoning behind the proposals. Specifically, you will see that we are proposing that Matt:
- Become an elder as part of the larger board of elders.
- Have his title changed from Senior Minister to Lead Pastor.
Regarding Matt’s addition to the elder group, we believe this change is biblically aligned and strengthens our leadership structure. Matt has served faithfully for many years and in his role on staff, he also fulfills the description of the “preaching elder” described in 1 Timothy 5:17. He has consistently proven that he meets the biblical qualifications of an elder, and this transition moves us away from a “management/employee” model—often derived from corporate culture—toward a more biblical partnership. By welcoming him as a peer among peers, we further bridge and strengthen our elder-staff relationship. Please note that Matt is being named an elder based on his current role and proven character; a future successor may not immediately hold this dual role.
Regarding the change to the Lead Pastor title, this further distinguishes his role as a preaching elder and clarifies the distinction between this and other minister or director roles within our church. The "Lead" designation acknowledges his supervisory responsibilities while providing the flexibility to designate other ministers as pastors in the future as our ministry needs evolve. Since the title “Senior Minister” was included in the bylaws, this title change also necessitates an update to the bylaws for which we are seeking the approval of the congregation.
These changes are not intended to elevate one person above others, but rather to better reflect the biblical pattern of church leadership and the role that Matt has already been faithfully carrying out among us. Our hope is that these changes will strengthen the partnership between the elders and staff, provide greater clarity regarding leadership responsibilities, and help GCC continue to be governed according to scripture.
Thank you for your continued prayers for Matt, our elders, our staff, and our church family as we seek to honor Christ in all we do.
I’m grateful for the opportunity we all share to participate together in the mission of Jesus. To facilitate this important process of affirming our budget, officers, and bylaws, we’ll email a link to an online ballot later this month. (We’ll also make printed ballots available at The Hub for those who need them.)
If you have questions about any part of this process, Executive Minister Adrienne Leech, Director of Operations Darryl Slevin, or I myself would be happy to help.
Matt Giebler
Senior Minister
