Rideau Park United Church

Below is a series of questions and answers that address some of the most common issues surrounding our Stewardship Campaign. If you have a more specific question, you are encouraged to contact any of the following:

your Stewardship 2011 Campaign Chair, Gaveen Cadotte (613-277-9804)
Chair of Stewards, Jeff Allo (613-733-8969)
Brian Hamilton (613-238-3993)
Church Administrator, Debi Brown (613-733-3156 Ext 228).

What are the objectives for the 2011 Stewardship Campaign?
To secure pledges of:
- $425,000 for the Rideau Park Ministry and Programs Fund;
- $100,000 for the United Church of Canada Mission and Service Fund; and
- $46,000 for the 2011 Long Range Property Renewal Plan.
To sign up another 25 contributors for PAR.

To gain individual commitment for active participation/involvement in the life of the congregation.

To detail our talents and offer them in response to the needs of our faith community.
What’s happening spiritually and program-wise at Rideau Park?
There are a number of ways to learn what’s going on at church and in our church community. Of course the best way is to regularly attend the Sunday services. The weekly Rideau Park News, included with the Service Bulletin, is an excellent source of details on the schedule of upcoming events and activities.
Each week the Ministers highlight key and upcoming activities during the Life and Work of the Church segment of the service. At Coffee Time between the services there is the Welcome Corner in Beecroft Hall where a knowledgeable volunteer can help you. You need to keep an eye on the Bulletin Boards by the offices and consult the various posters displayed for upcoming events.
Additionally the 2010-2011 Activities Booklet details the wide number of worship, spirituality, music, Christian development and other program activities available at Rideau Park. This booklet can be picked up at the church.
You can turn to the Rideau Park website rideaupark.ca. This is an excellent and exhaustive source of information about the life of Rideau Park that shares the variety, depth and richness of our church community. The website is constantly updated so regular visits will be rewarding. If you miss a service you can read the Sunday Bulletin online and read or listen to the sermon. You can also listen to the full service live anywhere in the world where there is an internet connection!
Another good source of information is Churchpost, our periodic newsletter and the Rideau Park Annual Report. Both are available from the office or on the website.

How do we distribute our financial givings?

	%	Distribution per $1,000 pledged
Ministry, Worship, Pastoral Care, Christian Development, Social Action & Outreach	39.4	$394
Music	10.3	$103
Mission and Service Fund and Presbytery Dues	18.3	$183
Administration	16.4	$164
Property – Operations	15.7	$157

The chart included in your mailing details the 2011 Projected Budget Distribution. Should you want to know more about the 2010 Budget and the Draft Budget for 2011, please consult the latest Annual Report or the Treasurer, Bob Roden.

What has been our experience in controlling costs?
The record has been good. The Treasurer and Committee of Stewards monitors and reviews all church expenditures to ensure we are getting full value for our annual givings to Rideau Park.
Prior year decisions have increased our capacity to service the congregation and have resulted in material savings for both the administrative and property budgets. For example, printing expenses were less in 2009 than a decade ago. Changes that support this assessment include:
- introducing new membership and pledge management software;
- installing a new telephone system;
- increasing the use of the internet, rideaupark.ca, and E-mail for communicating with the congregation;
- contracting out the payroll responsibility to the UCC provider;
- following energy conservation practices; and
- upgrading our office equipment
The hard work of our capable volunteers assists the spiritual leadership and staff to deliver our many spiritual, educational, social and community programs. This collective effort is a significant material contribution to keeping church costs down.

How do my givings benefit me from a tax perspective?

The table below demonstrates that for your givings in excess of $200 per year, your tax credits increase to the 40%+ range.

Your Weekly Giving	Your Annual Giving	Your Annual Tax Credit	Your Net Annual Giving	Your % Tax Return Rate
$5.00	$260	$67	$193	25.7%
$7.50	$390	$120	$270	30.8%
$10.00	$520	$174	$346	33.4%
$12.50	$650	$227	$423	35.0%
$15.00	$780	$281	$499	36.0%
$17.50	$910	$334	$576	36.7%
$20.00	$1,040	$388	$652	37.3%
$22.50	$1,170	$441	$729	37.7%
$25.00	$1,300	$495	$805	38.1%
$30.00	$1,560	$602	$958	38.6%
$35.00	$1,820	$709	$1,111	38.9%
$40.00	$2,080	$816	$1,264	39.2%
$45.00	$2,340	$923	$1,417	39.4%
$50.00	$2,600	$1,030	$1,570	39.6%
$60.00	$3,120	$1,244	$1,876	39.9%

Why should we make our contributions by Pre-Authorized Remittance (PAR)? How can we?
All contributors are asked to make their givings by PAR. It saves work for our counters each Sunday. It significantly reduces the work for our volunteer Envelopes Secretary, it ensures you are always up to date with your givings and saves the weekly worry of wondering where are your envelopes, your pen, your cheque book or wallet. You can add your name to those on PAR by completing the form on your pledge and including a personal Void Cheque.
This year 247 contributors, a vast majority (72% – ten years ago it was just 50%), are honouring their pledges through PAR via their banking institutions. We now receive 81.4% of our pledged contributions by PAR. Continued strong support for givings by PAR ensures our cash flow throughout the year and enables us to meet our monthly salaries and operating expenses as well as keep our Mission and Service contributions to the United Church up to date.
No matter the weather, the holiday, or simply the busyness of life, you are always up to date with your givings.

2011 Stewardship Campaign – Q & A