Louisville—While record July receipts helped narrow the deficit, Cooperative Program receipts remain 0.9 percent behind budget with one month left in the 2007-2008 fiscal year.

In order to meet the budget of $24 million, August receipts will need to total nearly $2.2 million, according to Lowell Ashby, Kentucky Baptist Convention’s business services team leader.

Ashby said July receipts totaled $2,284,853, the highest amount ever received in the month of July. So far this fiscal year, churches have given a total of more than $21.8 million through CP, leaving total receipts $192,070 (0.9 percent) behind budget.

While giving is behind for the current fiscal year, the amount received to date is $774,060 (3.7 percent) more than the $21,033,870 received over the same period last fiscal year, he indicated.

“The Cooperative Program is about connecting people to Christ by meeting physical and spiritual needs around the world,” said Billy Compton, KBC’s executive associate for Cooperative Program and resources. “Because the stakes are so high and the resource challenges for CP ministries are always present, it is truly encouraging to experience the continued generosity of our Kentucky Baptist churches.”

KBC Executive Director Bill Mackey reiterated that churches intending for their Aug. 31 Cooperative Program gifts to be counted in their 2007-2008 giving totals will need to make special arrangements to ensure their gifts are received by the Sept. 2 deadline.

According to Mackey, August CP receipts need to be postmarked by the last business day in August every year and received by the first business day in September. Since Labor Day falls this year on Sept. 1, the deadline for receipts to be received by the KBC is Sept. 2.

Gifts received after Sept. 2 will be counted toward the 2008-2009 fiscal year budget totals. The fiscal year runs September through August each year.