Giving
As with any family, the church family needs a regular income and decisions have to be made regarding that income. Finance decisions on behalf of St. Columba's Church are the responsibility of the Congregational Board. The week-to-week money is overseen by the Finance Group, which also makes recommendations to the Congregational Board meetings.
The group consists of -
Treasurer: Grace Burns
Gift Aid Convener: Eric Brown
Freewill Offering Convener: Edna Stewart
These 3 are the only people who may have access to information regarding individual offerings and 3 or 4 others who together try to ensure that recommendations are in line with Christian principles and will be pleasing to the Lord.
Income comes mainly from the monetary giving of the congregation and also from income tax reclaimed on some of these givings, such as additional donations, legacies, and contributions from groups using the church premises.
Expenditure is mostly spent on being a self-supporting congregation. for instance, in paying the minister's salary, the youth ministry leader's salary, maintaining the buildings, heating, lighting, rent for accommodating Kidzone in the nearby school building, and other various running costs.
The financial giving of church attenders and members is used in serving God locally, for example our children's holiday club, joint initiatives with other churches, distributing Christmas and Easter leaflets to the parish.
We financially support the Lord's work in the wider world by contributing to the finances of churches which cannot afford to be self-supporting, and by contributing towards the continuance of social services provided by the Church of Scotland, as well as its mission work both in the UK and abroad, and administrative costs.
On Sundays when we celebrate the Lord's Supper, or Holy Communion, there is usually an additional offering in order to respond to the many appeals for help that we receive from a variety of local and international causes. The Lisa Smith Memorial Fund also accepts donations from which small grants can be made to young people from our congregation who volunteer for Christian mission work.
How should we give and what ought we to give?
The Bible makes it clear that we are to give cheerfully ("...for God loves the person who gives cheerfully" 2 Corinthians ch.9 v.7); prayerfully, in a planned way that is honouring to the Lord; and regularly, since the costs of the church have to be paid whether or not we attend church every Sunday. Since church costs rarely go down, we should regular review the level of our giving to the finances of the church. St Columba's doesn't ask its members to tithe, that is, to give a tenth of income after tax, but some people find that a good guide.
Offerings can be made on a Sunday into the "open plate," which, strangely enough, is an offering bag and not a plate at all! Some old sayings and traditions die hard! You can also make gifts and offerings to the Lord by using the freewill offering (FWO) envelopes we provide, which encourage regular weekly giving and can be used for the Gift Aid scheme.
You can also give to the finances of the church by a regular standing order, which again can be linked to Gift Aid. Members and attenders of the church are encouraged to give by standing order or FWO envelopes, to promote regular planned giving.
Gift Aid
Gift Aid is a scheme whereby tax paid by the giver (on any taxable income) can be reclaimed by the church on any offerings, and we commend this for serious consideration by everyone who pays income tax. There is now no need to pledge a set amount for a set time. All that is required is the completion of a simple form, resulting in significant extra income to the church at no extra cost. More information can be had in confidence from the Gift Aid Convener.
Finance is something which many people regard as tedious, boring, or not very spiritual. But there are plenty of Scriptural references to serving God with our money, and, as in every other area of church life, the finance group and the Congregational Board aim only to serve and glorify God.
You can download Gift Aid Forms and information here, if you have any problems or want these emailed or sent to you please contact Eric Brown. All downloads are pdf files, you will need Adobe Reader to view these files
Gift Aid Questions and Answers