"If you don't ask, you don't get. . ."
THE autumn is the best time to consider the church's financial
way forward. It is a great time to establish a systematic approach
to raising the funds to keep the church going. Then you are ready
to make good New Year resolutions.
It is reasonable for members of the congregation to finance
their own activity in the church, from service sheets to heating
and lighting. But it is often not realistic for them to find the
funds to support all kinds of added activities during the rest of
the week.
Many churches still celebrate a number of weddings and baptisms
for people who do not attend church, and do not therefore
contribute to the finances to support these events. At least find
out the cost of such events. Calculate the hours per year taken up
by these occasional offices, and so establish their proportion of
the overall cost of running the building.
Then work out how to encourage these occasional visitors to
contribute financially. A simple envelope placed on every seat, for
every event, can state the cost per hour of using the church, and
ask the reader to consider a donation (gift-aided if possible). If
you don't ask, you don't get. Declutter your noticeboards, and
place simple information on an easy-to-read display, saying that
the readers' gift is important for keeping the church open for
their use.
Many churches have so many leaflets and posters on display that
they become simply wallpaper; so it may be time to make a list of
what should be on display at what kind of event. And store the rest
for an appropriate time.
During weekday opening for drop-in visitors, have envelopes for
donations available on a small table alongside the visitors' book.
The message "Please help us maintain this wonderful building for
everyone's use" could be printed on them.
If you have services such as civic events, then either a
considerable donation should be made by whoever is leading the
event, or, as well as envelopes on the seats, you could have a
retiring collection (retiring collections do result in gifts, but
are not so well supported as an offertory during one of the hymns).
This is not too "in your face" if you are careful; but, again, if
you don't ask, you don't get.
At occasional festivals, when everyone turns out, or at least a
larger crowd than usual, have an informal welcome at the beginning
of the service to explain what is going on, and mention the gift
envelopes on the seats, and that the envelopes may be placed in the
offertory plate at the appropriate time. When introducing the
offertory hymn, say that this is the point when the plate will be
passed: many visitors or occasional churchgoers do not know when
this point will come, and are left flurrying in pockets and purses.
Give them time to consider their gift.
Review the letting rates for the church, and increase them every
year - at least to the level of inflation, and preferably in line
with the inflation in utility prices. Annual small increases will
be met more genially than occasional hikes.
Send issues and questions to
maggiedurran@virginmedia.com.