Bracknell Team Ministry

Giving for Growth

STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN 2007

 

THE RESPONSIBILITY IS OURS

 
 
 

WHAT WE GIVE ....
BETWEEN US AND GOD

WHAT GOD EXPECTS ...

Is that each of us should shoulder our responsibility as a member of our church’s family to the best of our ability

Remember:

“THE RESPONSIBILITY IS OURS”
 
 

Background to Our Finances

  • We have been spending a lot more than we have been receiving in income for some years.


  • This has caused our reserves to constantly decline.


  • This year, the reserves were set to fall below a prudent level, so we cut back ‘non-essential’ expenditure like charitable donations, and decided we would not pay the full Parish Share asked by the Deanery, despite it having been reduced at our request.


  • Our costs continue to rise, yet our income has remained fairly constant, and we no longer have ‘usable’ reserves to prop up overspending.

This is unsustainable
 

Our Weekly Costs

Parish Share/Assessment * £ 1,774
Clergy Expenses £ 130
Church and Services £ 646
Fabric Costs £ 760
Giving Outside the Parish £ 4
TOTAL £ 3,314
     
* We should be paying £2,084    
 

Our Weekly Income

Direct Giving £ 1,769
Tax Recovered £ 416
Other Income £ 748
TOTAL £ 2,933
 

We Are Not Living Within Our Means

Weekly Costs £ 3,314
     
Weekly Income £ 2,933
     
PROBLEM! £ 381
     
Plus underpayment of Parish Share £ 310
Shortfall of income per week £ 692

The problem is worse than £692 in practice, as

  • We have suspended making charitable donations


  • We benefited from a large one-off donation in 2007


  • We have stopped spending on buildings , except essential maintenance
 

So what do we need to do?

  • We need more people in our churches


  • We need everyone to give as much as they can afford


  • We need to spend wisely and increase all types of income

If we do not increase our income enough, the risks are:

  • Our Clergy numbers may be reduced


  • We will not have enough money for essential repairs and maintenance for our buildings


  • We will not be able to invest what we need to, for example in training and outreach


  • We will not be able to resume making charitable donations

 
 

So how much more do we need to give?

We should all give what we can afford, and we will appreciate whatever you can give us.
There are 277 people on the BTM Electoral Roll. If everyone on the Roll gives on average an extra £2.50 each week (£1.90 if gift-aided), then we can make good the £692 weekly shortfall. This represents less than half the cost of a cinema ticket!
Any increase beyond that can be invested to improve our churches and mission further.
 
 
What else can you do to help?
 


We need more volunteers to help out with fundraising and many other jobs which need doing - please contact your District or Parish Warden
 

   What happens next?
 


We all need to reflect on what we have heard today and what we are able to do to help our parish.

We will be writing to everyone on the Electoral Roll and Planned Giving Scheme to ask in confidence what your level of giving will be in future. Letters will also go out with Pew Sheets.

We will tell you the outcome of this campaign and provide regular updates on our financial position.
 
 

If we can sort this out properly

Then we can concentrate on what is really important

 

Bracknell Team Ministry

Giving for Growth

 STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN 2007