1. It costs over £35,000 every year to pay for a
minister's wage, National insurance, housing and pension.
2. Costs are rising by 5% each year because of inflation and increasing
pension contributions, but our gifts aren't rising by the same amount.
3. A standing order (with Gift Aid if you can) to the church's bank
account is the most effective way to give.
4. Half of our regular income comes from just one fifth of our givers.
5. Following the results of our Pledge Sunday in April 2006, we managed
to close the shortfall in our income for that year. (In previous years the
shortfall has been approximately £6,000.) We had been making up these shortfalls from our bank account, but
needed to balance our accounts because we had nothing left in the bank.
The good news is that in 2007 we again 'stayed solvent' and even
generated a small surplus. I've published the 2007 figures on this
site and you'll see that we've managed to hold down our costs - and, more
importantly, that you have been really generous in your giving.
