Church Finances

On Wednesday March 11^th the Church Committee held a special meeting to discuss the church`s finances. This was prompted by the fact that the church has been running at a deficit for the past two years. Put simply the expenditure involved in keeping the church open has been exceeding the income coming in. Just like the average home most of the costs of running the church are fixed costs over which we have little or no control. Examples include the Mission Area Share, electricity, water rates and insurance.

The income which the church receives comes from two main sources. The first and most important is the money given by members of the congregation, weekly giving via the plate and envelope scheme, and monthly via Gift Direct. In many cases the value of money given can and is increased through the Gift Aid scheme. The second main source of income is derived from fundraising events organised by church members. The most important of these is the weekly minimarket but there are various other fundraising events organised throughout the year. These raise substantial sums of money and without them the deficit would be much higher.

The church does have some reserves and it is these that have kept the church solvent for the last two years. However, these are not unlimited, and we will need to spend a considerable proportion of them on various repairs to the fabric. If the church is to have a long-term future we need to balance the books.

How can you help?

• If you are able, can you consider increasing your contribution?
• Can you contribute via the Gift Direct scheme? This gives the church a more stable income with, in many cases, tax advantages
• Can you give a one-off donation to the church, perhaps as a legacy in your will?
• Can you increase your support for fundraising activities or, even better, volunteer to help organise fundraising activities yourself?

Thank you.

The Church Committee.