Autumn 2016

Introduction

As you know, as a congregation we have been considering plans to renew our buildings for some time now and consequently the Moncreiff Development Group was formed. We have appointed Raymond Angus as our architect and he has prepared plans for a new community church to provide modern, up-to-date facilities to meet our own needs and those of our local community and parish.

The Kirk Session and Congregational Board believe that this project is exciting and forward looking, but also recognise that it will be seriously challenging in terms of direct giving and fundraising. However, the Session and Board believe that, supported by the prayers, enthusiasm, encouragement and financial backing of everyone in the Congregation, we can:

• Achieve our objectives.

• Build a complex suitable for the needs of our congregation and the community.

• Provide accommodation suitable for the 21^st century.

• Provide a legacy for future generations.

A Community Church – the Vision

Our congregation operates within a parish setting and it is our call and responsibility to serve the needs of that parish (and indeed the community beyond) as well as our own needs. As a congregation we need to be aware of how we can support and encourage individual parishioners, families and the organisations which exist locally (e.g. schools, charities, sports clubs, youth groups etc.).

To that end, we seek to provide buildings which will offer accommodation and facilities to everyone in the parish who has need of them. Even more importantly, we seek to provide to all who enter our new church a warm welcome, a supportive community, friendship, care, concern and, above all, the knowledge that God is in the midst of our community.

We hope that our new development will include, for example, recreational facilities for all age groups, training opportunities for young people with special educational needs and accessible child care arrangements such as after school clubs, toddler groups etc.

Buildings designed to cater for these needs do not come cheap! Plans have a long way to go before they are finalised, but indications are that the bill will be around £850,000.

Fulfilling the vision – what we need

Your personal commitment

Firstly, we need your commitment to the project. We need your enthusiasm, your prayers, your encouragement and your financial support!

Direct giving is likely to be the main source of funding for the project. The Development Group has set a target of £445,000 to be raised from direct giving by congregational members over the next 5 years, some of which has already been pledged by the Kirk Session and Congregational Board.

Our current estimates are as follows:

Based on our average weekly attendance numbers, the direct giving target of £445,000 works out at £8.50 per person per week over 5 years. In setting this demanding target, the Development Group recognises that £8.50 per week is a lot for some people, but many in the congregation may be able to give more than this. What we ask is that everyone gives what they can afford, prayerfully and sacrificially. In deciding what you can afford to give, please remember that £8.50 is an average figure and that the figure is per head, not per household. Please do not sacrifice your weekly offerings in order to make a pledge as these pay for the everyday running costs of our Church. The Development Group recognise that not all members will be willing to contribute – please take that into consideration when setting your own level of giving.   

Fundraising

In addition to direct giving to support the project, fundraising events will be organised, some of them hopefully raising significant sums of money.

Grant Assistance

The Development Group will apply for grants from as many funding bodies as possible. Given that we are proposing a church fully accessible to the community, grants are likely to be available which would not be given if the buildings were exclusively for church use.

Gift Aid

If you pay Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax, you can Gift Aid your givings to the Development Fund. We can reclaim 25p for every pound you donate, from HMRC, as a refund of tax you have already paid. Every £100,000 we raise in Gift Aided givings will give the fund an additional £25,000 for nothing! And that will give our funds a fantastic boost.                            

The Pledging Process

The Pledge Form can be accessed here.

It’s up to you to decide:

• How much you want to give.
• How you want to make your donation.

You can make your donation in any of the following ways:

• As a one-off payment.
• Monthly by standing order from your bank over a selected number of years. This is the most secure & preferred way.
• Monthly via special envelopes over a selected number of years.

If you have not already done so for your offerings, then please consider signing a Gift Aid Declaration if you are eligible to join the scheme.

All of the details should be recorded on the pledge form which should be returned no later than 30th October. To help you decide how much you will give, this table may assist:

Examples of payments made over 2, 3, 4 or 5 years:-

What happens to your donations?

• All donations will be allocated to the restricted Moncreiff Development Fund along with amounts raised from grant applications and specific fundraising events.

• All donations will be recorded against the giver’s name in a similar confidential manner to offerings. This will allow Gift Aid to be reclaimed on all appropriate giving.

• The purpose of the restricted Moncreiff Development Fund is to finance our new building and for no other purpose.

• Your pledge details will be held confidentially.

Anyone over the age of 18 can make a pledge, whether, member, adherent, former member, friend of Moncreiff or anyone else who wishes to participate. A pledge form can be printed off by clicking here.

And finally……

The Development Group looks forward to receiving your support and your pledge as we move forward into this exciting phase in the life of our congregation.

Please give as much as you are able to support the work of Christ’s church in our parish and community.