Dates to Know
January 9 – Missionaries will receive their statements of December Support Received.
January 11 – All missionaries will receive their final December support on this day, regardless of the day they normally receive support.
January 15 – December Financial Reports will be due, along with any remaining receipts or financial paperwork for 2017.
January 31 – W-2 Forms and other tax documentation for the 2017 year will be available.
June 18-21 – Family Fellowship Week with Faith Baptist Church in Shelby, NC. Begin arranging your summer schedule to be with us!
August 20-24 – European Encouragement Conference in Nittendorf, Germany.
SecureCloud Packets
At the end of each month, we scan any mail that has come to the Office and place it in your SecureCloud folder. This would include check stubs for all bills paid by the Office, as well as any cards or correspondence from donors. Please be sure to check SecureCloud periodically, especially once you receive the notice that December packets have been uploaded, as many missionaries have received Christmas cards and letters which are available to you there.
January Income Totals
During a typical month, we close the books on the 25th, and any checks received after that date are posted to the following month. Due to receipting requirements, we cannot do this in the month of December. As a result, please be aware that your December support total may be higher than normal, while your January support total may be lower than normal. Please be sure to plan ahead for this!
Housing Allowances for 2018
Housing allowances previously in place have automatically rolled over to the new year. Missionaries who are ordained are eligible to have a housing allowance in place, which can provide certain tax benefits. If you did not have a housing allowance in 2017 and would like to have one for 2018, or if you have questions regarding this, please contact our office.
New Excel Template
A new Excel template for the year 2018 will be available during the second week of February. This will give us time to review the need for any possible updates. January financial reports will be due on March 1. Should you wish to complete your report before the new template is available, you are welcome to submit it on the 2017 template.
New Mileage Rate
Beginning January 1st, the IRS mileage rate has increased to $0.545 per mile for business/ministry miles. This change will be reflected in the new Excel template for 2018.
New Tax Laws
On December 22, President Trump signed legislation that enacts some major changes to tax law. We are working with our CPA to determine what changes may affect our missionaries and will keep our missions family updated with our findings. We would recommend that as you begin working with your tax preparer to file your 2017 taxes, you also consult with them on how these changes may impact you personally.
Uplift for Servants
Devotional excerpts from our Uplift calls are available to the general public at upliftforservants.com. Uplift For Servants will help other Christians benefit from the encouragement provided to us each week. Please feel free to share this resource with your friends and family!