This year we are budgeting for an income and expenditure of £157,000. We hope to get at least £17,000 of this as a Gift Aid reclaim from the Inland Revenue and we are looking to God to provide the rest through offerings and donations from the congregation and supportive friends. If you want to contribute you can place your gift in the offering bag on Sunday morning, give it directly to our treasurer (Mike Cashman) or finance manager (Anita Devi).

Gift Aid is a good way to increase the effect of your giving; all you need to do is to take out a standing order, or to put your gift in an envelope with your name and address on. We can then claim from the Inland Revenue the tax you have paid on what you have given.

About £63,000 of our budget represents the cost of employing our full time Senior Church Leader and four part time staff members. (this amount includes operating expenses such as car and telephone and employer contributions to pension and national insurance as well as salaries).

We will need to spend £17,000 during the year on hiring premises for our various meetings and activities.

We make a point of giving away 15% of our income to other mission organisations. This year the organisations we are supporting include:

* Baptist Home Mission
* Bridgebuilder Trust
* Christian Camping International
* Parents and Children Together
* Toy Box
* Scripture Union workers in Russia and Slovakia

The rest of our budget represents the cost of running our activities.

In addition to this budget we also have a Family Fund. This special, separate fund makes donations to people connected with the Fellowship who are in financial need, or not as well off as others. You can contribute by putting money or cheques in the offering bag in an envelope marked “Family Fund”. Three trusted stewards have the responsibility of making confidential donations from the fund.

If you know of someone who might benefit from the fund, or need to apply for a gift or loan from the fund yourself, please contact one of the Family Fund Stewards: Bev Stockbridge, Gordon Collyer or Tim O’Brien.