Dear Friends,
I suspect that for many of us as we start September and autumn beckons towards winter it is the time to have a check on the housekeeping budget and make sure that we have enough to pay for the extra winter bills such as gas and electricity, winter clothing and food. This year in particular the budget is going to be more than a little stretched due to increasing prices. Although it is stating the obvious I am going to draw your attention to the fact that the church has to do exactly the same as any other household in this respect only the bills tend to be considerably bigger than those for the average house. Quite rightly it is those who attend and use the church buildings that should put their hands in their pockets and contribute towards the budget to keep the church going on a week to week basis.
If we ignore the structural work of repair and maintenance that is so well supported by the Friends of St John the Baptist the ordinary weekly amount it costs to keep our lovely church open and running is in the region of £850 a week. That is a lot of money by any standards and, like all our bills the figure is going up rapidly. For example if you think the huge rise in gas bills is going to hit you hard then think what it will do to the church budget this winter when we have to keep our church building warm all day for any who comes to use it.
I had a conversation with someone a few weeks ago who was mildly upset that the church was not doing more than it does for those who visit the churchyard. The fact that the part of the churchyard that they were talking about is not part of the church buildings or land but belongs to the Parish Council is irrelevant. The view was that the church ought to be doing something about it. Well maybe but where is the money to come from? Who is to pay? Just in case anyone is under the misapprehension that the church gets a subsidy or any grants from the state or diocese or anyone else for that matter let me assure you that the only income it has is from the weekly giving of its congregation. For the majority who do not come to church week by week that may seem as though it has nothing to do with them.
Well I have to say that there are many of us who look to the church at times of crisis, times of great joy or just when they need a time of peace. Many of us assume, even expect that the church, the Vicar, and all the others who are needed to operate the building will be there if we suddenly need them. Maybe it will be for a baptism, a wedding or even sadly a funeral, or for prayers to be said on behalf of a loved one. But what if the church is no longer there? What if it shuts because it cannot pay the bills? That is in fact what is happening to many churches, especially rural churches, which have to pay their way or close. If Capel had to pay for the cost of a paid priest on top of all the other bills the weekly cost would increase to about £1250 a week!!
It is not only the congregation that should bear the burden of paying for the upkeep of our beautiful village church. There is an obligation, if we want to keep the church open and available for all, for all of us to chip in a little to help with the weekly bills. You can help by popping some money into the wall safe, or taking out a standing order to make regular payments. If you are a taxpayer you can gift aid your giving’s so that we can get a hefty addition from the chancellor of the exchequer! Then how about leaving a legacy to the church funds. Did you know that any legacy left to the church will be exempt from inheritance tax and could therefore benefit your estate. There are leaflets about it and codicil forms inside the church.
Sorry to go on about money this month but all to often its only when its too late that villages realise what they are about to lose so better to raise the issue now than when its too late. The church will be in deficit this coming year as the bills outstrip the congregations ability to pay for them. The question for the rest of us is simple, do we want to keep our church open and available or not?
God bless you and all those you love,
John Baxter