Blessing in Abundance

“The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us.” – 2 Corinthians 9:6-11

Introduction

Like most congregations in The United Church of Canada, Robertson-Wesley is self- supporting. The entire cost of the facility, staff, and operations of the church is born by the participants. The Church does not charge a membership fee, but depends on free-will offerings. This is based on our wish that everyone feel welcome to participate fully in the life of the church regardless of their financial situation, and on the belief that the Spirit will inspire the generosity necessary for the church to thrive.

Local Operating Expenses

Contributions allocated to “Robertson-Wesley” are used for the operation of the local congregation, including facilities, staffing costs, and operations of the church.

Mission & Service

The Mission and Service (M&S) of The United Church of Canada and its activities and projects are financed by voluntary contributions. Locally, M&S supports homeless shelters, food banks, community kitchens, refugee programs, addiction programs, counselling services, and hospice care. Globally, M&S supports access to clean water, food, medical care, skills training, economic development, peace-making, sustainable agriculture efforts, disaster relief, and advocating for the rights of those who all too often don’t get a say, like children and migrant workers. Contributions to M&S are usually made as a component of ones total church offering (additional to “regular” offering). The offerings designated for M&S are forwarded directly to the National Office by the church treasurer. Robertson-Wesley’s goal for M&S contributions is about 15% of our local church operating expenses.

Revenue

Although the church depends primarily on contributions from participants for its revenue, Robertson-Wesley does have some additional sources which provide considerable income. This includes building rentals to a variety of community groups, weddings and funerals, and regular fundraising projects.

Making a Pledge

We conduct an annual pledge campaign which is our way of asking people to tell us how much they intend to contribute to the church during the coming year. A pledge is not a contractual obligation. Rather it serves two functions. Firstly, it reminds people to take some time annually to prayerfully reconsider their church givings and to revise the amounts as they see fit. Secondly, it gives our Church Board a basis for budgeting realistically.

Methods of Giving

We receive some contributions on an annual basis, some as special one-time donations and some in response to special appeals. Regular contributions may be made through weekly offering envelopes, post-dated cheques, paypal, etransfer, or pre-authorized remittance (PAR). With PAR you can authorize your monthly givings to be made by electronic transfer from your bank account to the church’s account according to the amount and interval you specify. In order to register for PAR, please click here, complete the form, and forward it to the church office. The forms are also available in the literature racks at the church.

Contribution Statements and Income Tax

Official income tax receipts are issued early in the new year. Regular contributions, M&S contributions, and contributions for special church appeals are all tax deductible as charitable donations.