PCC Jottings – November 2017
Thank you for all your prayers for PCC this week.
We received the latest projections for the financial situation for this year, and projected budget for next year. Giving continues to be generous – church members currently give over £140k (including Gift Aid) per year. However, we will have a deficit of £20k this year (excluding extraordinary items) and are budgeting for a deficit of £20k next year. This is largely due to a reduction in planned giving over the last four years.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6
We considered what made us feel anxious about the financial situation, what we could be thankful for, and what we would like to request of God.
We considered various options for bridging the deficit: Increasing planned giving, reallocating bequest money, seeking grant funding, running fund raising events, and reducing costs by reducing staffing (The Parish Mission Enabler and Curate direct employment costs are funded by the Diocese so this would affect the Admin, and Youth, Children, and Families worker posts).
We believe that the only long term solution is to increase planned giving. Other options would be short term fixes, divert energy and resources from mission, or undo the good work of previous investment. We aim to achieve this by communicating the issue to the congregations, calling a day of prayer and fasting, and continuing to teach clearly, across all our congregations, on the spiritual discipline of tithing. We will monitor this approach carefully through 2018, and will have to revisit other options if it does not bear fruit.
We received reports from the teams that are implementing the major projects we had decided to allocate bequest money towards.
- The first stage of the Sound System upgrade has been implemented. It is on pause now for the Christmas period, and will be completed in the New Year
- Three quotes have been received for the Organ Refurbishment. These are between £145k and £170k +VAT. The project team is pursuing expert advice on the quotes and possible sources of grant funding.
- The reordering team reported back on a helpful meeting with a Diocesan Officer for advice. It was decided that the team would prioritise investigating the option of a servery at the back of church with an additional toilet facility where the kitchen is currently. Paperwork required for the proposal to replace some pews with chairs will be drawn up by the staff.
- The Mission Hub team reported back on a positive first meeting of church members. Nick Brooke will be finding out what other churches are doing in mission in Wellington to see what we might be able to support. Whilst there is a desire to reach out in mission to the Town Centre, there is also a sense that we are at too early a stage to propose any commitment to purchasing / renting a property in the town centre.
What can you do?
- Thank God for the generosity and rich resources that the parish enjoys.
- Review your own giving and act on any decision promptly.
- Commit to regular giving via Gift aid (as this means we can claim an additional 20% on your giving).
- Continue to pray for the project teams.
Please do feedback or ask any questions of the PCC members.