Huron Stewardship Committee
By Rev. Andra Townshend O'Neill
It has been a challenging year and so many have responded with faithful commitment to the needs of one another and the needs of the communities in which you live. Thank you! Thank you for finding your own way to live into your membership in the body of Christ in these times through time, talent and treasure.
To you who have made every effort to ensure that the ministry of the church has been able to continue at this time through continuation of regular offering. Thank you.
To you who have offered countless hours to ensure that our churches are clean and safe, that signs were ordered and placed, that pews were marked and buildings secure. Thank you.
To each person who has participated in sharing liturgies with our congregations and wider community through music, scripture, technology and support of the clergy. Thank you.
To every one of you who has learned to use ZOOM, FaceTime, YouTube, Facebook… and to everyone who is still planning to try! In this environment, the inability to access technology can feel like being locked out of the church, out of life itself. Bravo to so many for the leaps of faith and leaps in technology that you have taken! Thank you.
To every one of you for your part in ensuring that we the church continue our mission - to love God, love one another and to ensure that the saving, loving, accepting message of Jesus Christ becomes known to this world that is so desperate to hear it.
Ways to give…Planning for 2021
Mail your cheque to the church:
If you would like to use cheques by all means please do so. You can even send one envelope for the month to save postage with post-dated weekly or bi-weekly cheques or one for the month.
Sign up for Pre-Authorized Giving:
There are various giving options available. Patrick and I have been giving this way for 20 years. We increase the amount regularly, we’ve been able to give to multiple churches and have even adjusted the bank account - it can be very flexible. For our family, this is the best way to ensure that our regular offering to the church happens every month without interruption. We are then free to give to outreach or capital projects at any time in addition to our monthly giving.
Electronic Giving:
These days moving money from one bank account to another is one of the easiest things to do. My nephew demonstrated this during a family graduation party when he opened his card, read it, thanked his Grandma for the message and the cheque, pulled out his phone, snapped a photo and deposited the cheque directly to his bank account. My mother-in-law asked him what he was doing and he said, “I’m putting it in the bank Grandma - I don’t want to lose it!”
Canada Helps, Tithely, Electronic Funds Transfer…:
These are all ways that our church can receive offering once set up to do so. There are some fees associated with some of these options, depending on your bank, and you will want to know what they are. However, these are the familiar options for many people today, people that we are inviting to become part of our churches and people who are happy to generously support our outreach and ministry. We need to be able to receive their offering in the way that suits their daily financial life.
Rev. Andra Townshend O'Neill is a member of the diocesan Stewardship Committee.