more than enough - st. aidan's united church · mission and service fund also help the...

More Than

Enough

St. Aidan’s United Church

2016 Stewardship Connection

St. Aidan’s United Church Stewardship Connection 2016-17 Page 1 of 11

Invitation to Stewardship

I am pleased to be writing this as part of a small group of people who are working hard to make this

year’s Stewardship campaign a success. St. Aidan’s is already recognized as a church of givers in many

ways. This includes money, volunteering your time and talents, food, space and support for refugees to

name a few. These gifts are most appreciated but like any organization there is still much to do. We do

hope that you will take time to look at the information provided in respect to your support for our

church.

The theme of “More than Enough” is the one we are using this year. Clearly many people in our

community, city and globally don’t have enough food, places to live or adequate health care. St. Aidan’s

is actively engaged in sharing our Christian faith in practical and helpful ways. Our church is a vibrant

place of worship and activities where we welcome all to participate. New initiatives and exciting

programs are taking place and of course funding is always a priority. Donations received locally for our

Mission and Service fund also help the national United Church provide aid worldwide.

From my personal perspective my involvement with the United Church started almost fifty years ago as a

new immigrant on board the Empress of England, a Canadian Pacific ship bound for Montreal. Feeling

rather doleful and homesick, I attended an interfaith service and was given a leaflet about the United

Church of Canada. That small action had a strong impact on me and my future life. A few years later I

was very fortunate to meet my future wife, Shirley, who was a member of the United Church in

Coquitlam. Like many of you, our hope is that St. Aidan’s will continue to grow and provide ways to

live out our faith that make sense in today’s world.

You will see from the bible passage quoted above

that giving, or giving more, is a very personal

decision and we would ask if you might reflect on

this and follow your heart. Thank you for being

part of the St. Aidan’s community.

~Roger Hannaford on behalf of the Stewardship

Team (Tony Smith, Roger & Shirley Hannaford &

Cheryl Black)

“Everyone should give whatever they have decided

in their heart. We shouldn’t give with hesitation or

because of pressure. God loves a cheerful giver. God

has the power to provide you with more than

enough of every kind of grace.”

~2 Corinthians 9:7-8a Common English Bible (CEB)


Invitation from our Minister, Cheryl Black

I’m writing an introduction to this year’s stewardship connection ‘More

Than Enough’ filled with gratitude.

Thank you for inviting me to be your minister. I have fallen in love with St.

Aidan’s. Your rich history, your tenacity in good times and slump times,

your deep caring for each other and your vision for a just world is inspiring.

I experience your energy for caring about people that is unsurpassed in my

experience.

I’m so grateful to be here.

I’m grateful for your openness to new ways and your willingness to take

risks. Even having this focus on how we fund our ministry is new to you

but you are catching the vision and stepping into the risk.

I’m grateful for the sensitivity and conversation amongst the planning team – we were unanimous in not

wanting to add to the burden of those whose income is already stretched to capacity. We really are a

diverse people and we honour the gifts each person brings … some have time, some have talents, some

have treasure and many have a mix . At St. Aidan’s please feel safe to bring your gifts whatever they are

and know they are appreciated. We are rich when we each contribute in the ways we can.

I give thanks for your hopefulness and your vision. You’ll see in the financial section that you have given so

generously in 2016 that we are close to wiping out our planned deficit. If you can help with a Christmas

gift we will be at the balance point. Thank you for your generosity.

I give thanks for your flexibility. We added new ministries this year. I’ve been on all the bus trips and I

love travelling with you folks and seeing new places. And I love the red licorice Betty Anne brings. Aren’t

we lucky she agreed to come and be with us!

I give thanks for the staff team I am honoured to work with –the office staff do a mammoth task of keeping

us organized and the building hopping with grace and good humour.

Please read the stories your fellow community members have contributed. They share why they give to this

beloved St. Aidan’s. Do you have a story you’d like to tell – let me know.

Please fill in the Pledge form so your leaders can plan how to accomplish the ambitious vision we can do in

2017.

Please consider going on PAR (Pre-Authorized Remittance) so that your caring for St. Aidans shows up even

when you don’t… I mean when you’re away.

I give thanks that the energy of the great Spirit is real and palpable at St. Aidans, and that the lay leadership

here is smart, hard-working, dedicated and generous in every way. I recognize the vitality of the many

wonderful volunteers who contribute to the life and ministry of St Aidans. Together we have more than

enough to continue rebuilding, reaching out, learning & exploring, growing inwardly and outwardly to

become the community we are meant to be.

With love, Cheryl

Cheryl at the drumming circle after

worship on Oct. 23, 2016


More than Enough

Stories from St. Aidan’s Congregation

My wife and I joined St. Aidan’s in 1999. We spent one year prior to

this searching for a church home, after moving from our United Church

in Saskatoon. Our initial contact with St. A’s was very positive – the

people we met were very welcoming, and the services and music were

stimulating. Our current experience with the church remains positive.

Our fellow members always interact with us readily and in a supporting

fashion. There are many people in the church that are in need of help,

and who receive this from groups within our active membership. In

general, many in the church take part in a wide variety of activities,

such as Committees and Teams, Choirs, CAMEO (Come and Meet

Every One), the Thrift Shop, and the widely recognised Bazaar.

In addition to these factors, we are impressed by the range of involvement of St. Aidan’s with the

community at large. St. Aidan’s has a reputation for its Thrift Shop (and the contributions that it makes

to other groups such as Big Brothers, Salvation Army, etc.), and its support of the Community Kitchen,

Our Place, Mission & Service Fund, and many agencies in Canada and the world at large.

Reverend Black has enhanced our enthusiasm, and we are encouraged by the changes that she has

brought. These include the engaging church services, the promise of growth in the number of young

people, the support for our music teams, and the initiative of the Intercultural Program.

We hope that our financial contribution will help our own church and the community at large.

~Brian and Elsie Habbick

St Aidan’s is vital to me on my journey of faith as it is where I am

spiritually nourished: questions raised in my mind and questions

answered.

It is where I meet people, weekly, with whom I can share my joys and

worries in confidence and receive loving support.

It is also a place where I can laugh with like minded folk as we work

together on projects such as the Bazaar and Thrift shop.

I contribute to St Aidan’s, financially, so that it will continue to be there,

not just for myself but also for those who come seeking for something

more than the world can offer and that we can continue to help the

local community and the world beyond our doors for years to come.

~Jean Margison


Rev. Dr. John Pentland, in his book Fishing Tips cites

nine new ideas that revitalized the Hillhurst

Congregation. The fifth tip is ‘Pay for what you want

not what you have’. He says:

“Many times in my ministry I have felt constricted by

an approach to church growth that says, “Let’s pay for

what we have” – an approach to finance that amounts

to paying the bills and not much else. In contrast,

Hillhurst has adopted a “Let’s pay for what we want”

philosophy. Every time I say these two lines together –

let’s pay for what we have / let’s pay for what we

want – I experience the difference in energy that they

inspire. … The latter is not a call to foolishness or

impulsiveness; it’s a call to be awake to what is needed,

desired, possible! This is about having a vision, and

about the courage of our convictions. … In the last

three years we have increased our budget by almost

$100,000. Annually. … It required everyone to

participate, eyes wide open. … We have never run

short.”

St. Aidan’s is in the enviable position that Hillhurst

encountered: we have the opportunity to employ new

strategies for church growth and the possibilities for

growth are all around us. If we are willing to discover

new ways to be church our possibilities are as numerous

as our imagination can see.

Through a ProVision Grant we have hired Mari Nattress

for 10 hours a week to reach out to new Canadians who

are often lonely and isolated, struggling with limited

English. St. Aidan’s is excellently located spiritually and

geographically to ‘welcome the stranger’ and ‘befriend

the lonely’. Mari and Intercultural Team Leader Julie

Ng will offer ESL lessons and Sunday accompaniment

over this three year grant.

St. Aidan’s has a tradition of excellent choir music and

this year we have invested in the joy of singing. We

have expanded the choir support from 2 to 4 section

leads. We are experimenting with a new service style

once a month and have hired Andre Clouthier to lead

us musically in this alternative experience. We have

hired Olivia Duffin to grow and to conduct a children’s

choir – we believe there are new children who love to

sing and will be drawn to a free choir experience.

We planned for all these staff additions in last year’s

budgeting process. We understand the need to pursue

church growth by hiring excellent staff to do small

pieces of ministry in cooperation with excellent lay

leaders.

In 2017 we will look for a 10 hour a week Children,

Youth and Family staff person.

This will be a challenge for us, but families need the

spiritual support in these uncertain times. All we need

to accomplish this vision is a trust in the Spirit,

a belief in the future and confidence that if we go for it,

all of us together, that we’ll have more than enough to

reach out in this way.

Rev. Cheryl Black

More Spirit… Prayer…

Hope…Energy… Money…


Story Telling Budget

The news was filled with stories of the coming storm. That day

4 homeless people, in 3 groupings, came to St. Aidan’s for

help. They were worried. Staff listened and acted – differently

with each group. Kathryn calmed them. Cheryl bought

tarps. People came in and agreed two could pitch their tent on

church property so long as we had a written agreement. This is

an example of St. Aidan’s ministry happening on the run.

It is amazing that everything staff do is done to accomplish the

ministry and mission of St. Aidan’s. The paper that flows

through the copier does so to support the ministry of St.

Aidan’s. The renters that come into the church receive

hospitality and a kind word – many report that St. Aidan’s

atmosphere and cleanliness provides a warmth for their lives.

In an Narrative or Story Telling Budget we try to tease out the real story of what we are doing – the

story of our ministry both within the community of faith and out in the world. The way staff time is

utilized tells a story. The way our building is utilized tells the story of reaching out, of hospitality, of a

port in the midst of a storm.

For this report, we have allocated the 2016 Budget into three major ministry groups:

We invested about $105,000 in our worship and music ministry believing that this is the basis from

which all else sprouts. Worship and music take staff time, office paper, volunteer time, building space

– all in the hopes that lives will be changed and God’s great spirit will have an invigorated work force.

We invested about $170,000. In telling our St. Aidan’s story and reaching out to the community and

world around us. Our staff and building provides welcome space to community members to practice

their hobbies and have a ‘place’ to come.

We invested about $110,000. In responding to the needs of ‘building up the strength of our own

community’. Through faith development opportunities, fellowship activities, membership

conversations, community organizing for the bazaar, thrift shop etc, we have brought meaning and

purpose and energy to St. Aidan’s participants.

And it is working. We are stronger now than we

were last year. That is thanks to your generous

givings of time talent and treasure this past year. And

with the Spirits energy empowering us, your generous

contributions and all of us working together we’ll be

stronger next year.

$105,995 27%

$168,073 44%

$113,233 29%

Worship & Music

Telling Our Story & Reaching Out

CongregationalLife & Learning


All that we do, with all that we have, all the time.

You are part of the strong community of faith that

is St. Aidan’s, over 140 years old, whose mission is

to be a visible sign of God’s generous love. Our

forebearers laid a courageous foundation of

stewardship and service on which we build. With

God’s help, we are writing our chapter.

Your pledging makes it possible. Simply put,

pledging really helps. It makes our planning

possible. Over ½ of our operating budget comes

from congregational givings. Without your

pledge, there is no ministry, or congregation. Our

funding is from participants, present and past.

When new people join St. Aidans they may ask

what it takes to become a member. The answer is

that there are no requirements. Simply show up,

or ask to be included or cared for. Everyone is

included, and the services, benefits and community

of our church are offered freely as a result of the

giving of members of our church.

Stewardship: everything we do after we say, “I

believe.” As faith deepens, a member grows into

full participation by doing what the Gospel asks of

us — that we worship, pray, learn, serve and give

together, in thanksgiving and for the glory of

God.

Then giving becomes a spiritual practice. It helps us

to prioritize God as a habit. It becomes part of our

covenant, our sacred relationship with God, who

takes our offerings and makes of them much more

than we could expect or imagine.

WHAT IS A PLEDGE?

A pledge is an estimate of giving; some call it a

statement of intent.

WHY PLEDGE?

Pledging is a conscious choice that reflects your

faith and values. And your pledge allows our

Council to do the same: to budget courageously,

faithfully and wisely for the mission and ministry

to which God calls us.

HOW MUCH COULD I PLEDGE?

Your pledge is between you and God. We’ve

included the chart on page 10 for your

information and to help your Christian

Stewardship grow deeper.

HOW DO I PLEDGE?

Pledges may be made at any time by mailing in

an intention form. During the annual

stewardship connection month pledges may be

made through passing the pouch and at the

church office during the week or in the offering

plate on Sunday.

DOES MY PLEDGE REALLY MATTER?

It really does. Every pledge makes a difference.

Your commitment is as important as the amount.

WHAT IF I FIND I CAN’T PAY IT IN FULL?

A pledge is not a contract. Please don’t let

uncertainty prevent you from pledging. If your

circumstances change, you can let us know.

IS MY PLEDGE CONFIDENTIAL?

Yes. We have a long tradition of being very

discreet about pledges.

WHAT IF I CAN’T PLEDGE THIS YEAR?

Just check off of the option not to give on the

Intention form and return it.

Giving out of Abundance


Thank you for this opportunity to share some of the ways in which my life has been enriched by my church

experience throughout the years. I grew up in a family in which the theme was Never Enough! My father

had a good job, and we never experienced poverty. In fact although lots of poverty existed in our large

city, we managed to get through life without ever seeing it or talking about it. The needs of others were

never a topic of conversation. I just knew that we had to be very careful and frugal, and that there was

some sort of anxiety about this. Maybe my parents were scared by the Great Depression, and I know they

were raised in quite poor circumstances, so I can’t blame it all on their Scottish backgrounds.

When I was about six years old I discovered that some of my schoolmates went to Sunday School at a

United Church near my school. So I got myself there every Sunday morning and absolutely loved it. There

were stories, singing, crafts, and a loving welcome awaiting me. I developed a prayer life, and In later years

I joined the choir, taught Sunday School, went to church, and found an amazing resource of spiritual

enrichment and wonderful friends. I can’t imagine life without the values and examples of open-

heartedness that I found there. My family tolerated my interest, hoping I might out-grow my embarrassing

habit, and I tithed from my 25 cent allowance. I learned the joy of giving and sharing what I could in many

ways. And somehow I always have More Than Enough, and continue to take great pleasure in being able

to share it.

~An Anonymous Congregation Member

More Stories from St. Aidan’s Congregation

I have been a St. Aidan’s supporter for

over twenty years….and with good

reason! I spent most of my adult life

apart from the church because I couldn’t

believe in the “God in the Sky” theology

I was raised with.

My daughter lived in Victoria for awhile and she and her

children attended St. Aidan’s. They invited me to an Easter

Sunday service. I was dubious but agreed. I was promptly

swept away with a sense of openness and of the presence of

a loving God so I decided to look at church again.

Subsequent experiences at St. Aidan’s heightened that first

impression. It appeared that this congregation and its

ministers were theologically supportive of me and my ideas.

I was given back my Great Spirit which has enriched my life

immeasurably!

Over the years I have seen the effort St. Aidan’s makes to

serve the surrounding community. I have marvelled at the

many opportunities it offers to people of all persuasions to

find comfort, support and involvement. I am also proud of

the spiritual outreach activities which provide ways to help

the poor and homeless. I see St. Aidan’s as a beacon of hope-

not just for me but for my whole community.

~Gwen Armstrong

“God invites us to be Easter people—the

people who have a confident sense of

hope and trust. When we discover we are

Easter people, we begin to express God’s

presence in our lives; it becomes manifest

in a loving spirit of generosity.”

~Ken Callahan


Gifts to St. Aidan’s take

many forms….

Annual Pledges allow St. Aidans to make plans and

commitments for our ongoing operations, staff and

ministry work during the coming year.

Contributions towards your pledge can be made

throughout the year by various means:

PAR (Monthly) - Your donation is transferred

automatically from your bank account on the

20th of each month. St. Aidan’s pays no

commission on your givings.

Post-dated cheques

Weekly church offering envelopes that can be

ordered through the church office

Online: For added convenience, secure

donations can be made on-line on our

website at www.staidansunited.com (look

for the “Donate Now” button)

Anonymous giving by some folks who put

‘cash’ on the offering plate without pledging

or being identified. All gifts are appreciated

and we do encourage people who give to

identify themselves so they can be eligible for

an income tax receipt

Gifts of Time and Talent are given by many

people and are always valued. If this is a

time in your life when money is very tight,

we understand that you will return your

pledge form and let us know that this year

you are giving your time and talents

Longer Term Sustainable Giving

Gifts of Cash, Securities, current life

insurance policies, bonds, mutual funds

can make a big difference in the long

term sustainability of St. Aidan’s vibrant

ministry

Planned or Endowment Giving usually

comes as a bequest through your will

and makes your final witness to how

you have valued God in your life. If

you wish to continue to be present and

supportive after your death St. Aidan’s

will be very grateful and your

generosity will be remembered. You’ll

also make a big difference. Discuss this

with your family, your lawyer and St.

Aidan’s treasurers and/or staff for

further information.

Tax Receipts: All pledge donations and

other identifiable contributions are tax-

receiptable. You will receive a periodic

statement of your donations, and a tax

receipt at year-end.

If you have questions or wish more details about

any of the giving options,

Contact Paul Malnarich (Co-Treasurer) or

Kathryn Clinton at the Church Office.

“Generosity is giving more than you can,

and pride in taking less than you need.”

—Kahlil Gibran

http://www.staidansunited.com/


Financial Information about St. Aidans Giving

Annual

Range # of

Givers

Group Total

(annual)

Annual

average per contributor

0-$100 42 $1,764 $42

101-500 33 $8,526 $258

501-1000 36 $26,549 $737

1001-2000 40 $53,884 $1,347

2001-4000 20 $52,565 $2,628

4001+ 12 $68,564 $5,714

Total 183 $211,852

$1,158

Did you know that St. Aidan’s members donate $32,000 each year to the Mission

& Service of the United Church of Canada in addition to their donations to St.

Aidan’s? Our generosity, together with all other United Church congregations

across the country, goes to support six program areas of Mission & Service work:

Global M&S, Theological Education, Community & Justice Work, Faith Formation,

Support to Local Ministries and Conference Leadership. As examples, Mission &

Service supports 89 global partners, 74 community ministries, 21 ecumenical and

network relationships and 7 theological schools.

Locally, M&S supports Our Place and other organizations in Victoria. For more

information about the work of M&S, there is an excellent brochure entitled

Mission & Service at a Glance – 2016 that is available through the church office

and in the church literature rack across from the church office.

In Summary: St. Aidan’s has 183 people who

give an average of $1,158 in the past year to

the ministry, offering a total of approximately

$211,852 out of a total budget of $400,000.

If you can only make one change this year,

please sign up for PAR - preauthorized

remittance. It really helps you to easily make

your gift of gratitude.

Merry Christmas St. Aidan’s!

In 2016 we reluctantly planned for a deficit budget but

dreamed for enough increase to balance by year

end. Our strategy is working! A positive balance to

our church books at year end is in sight. It looks like we

are within $15,000 of breaking even – and with a

congregation of about 140 households - reaching a

balance is definitely possible. Could you give a

Christmas gift to St. Aidan’s and help the congregation

really turn our budget upside down?


I’m happy to give to my church because, to paraphrase something

Cheryl once said, it is the only place where I can regularly sing

with other people. I’m not a good singer at all, but in church with

everyone else singing I feel free to join in.

Singing is also a metaphor for a number of ways the church

enriches my life. When people share their joys and sorrows with

the congregation, I feel enriched. I feel my life singing because I

get to take part in the human condition in a way that I can’t

otherwise. Perhaps if I had a large extended family it wouldn’t

mean that much, but I don’t so it does.

And I love the sermons. Almost always they’re entertaining as well as serious. Like strawberry rhubarb pie,

that’s an addictive combination of flavours. Sometimes, something Cheryl has said pops into my consciousness,

maybe months later, and makes my life better. For example, some time ago I was getting angry at an

inanimate object because it wasn’t behaving as I thought it should. Then I remembered some words from one

of Cheryl’s sermons. It was something about not feeding the wolf. I figured I was feeding the wolf by getting

stupidly angry, and I calmed down. My recollection of the sermon is hazy, and it probably wasn’t about anger

specifically, but that doesn’t matter. The sermon stuck with me in a useful way. But even if a sermon isn’t

useful to me in that practical sort of way, my life sings when I hear a sermon that speaks of important things

about living. Sermons regularly deal with topics that are important aspects of life - topics I don’t hear spoken

of outside church.

All this and fellowship too.

I’m happy to give to a church that lets me do so much singing. ~Blake Ford

Thanks to Blake for sharing his photos with us for this brochure.

More Than Enough …The Last Word

Giving Guidelines

As part of your personal financial planning, please remember that our current tax laws provide a tax credit

of 43.7% for any individual giving to the church in excess of $200.

This means that the net impact on your financial situation is much less than the gross amount contributed. If

you cannot use all of your charitable giving receipts in one year you can carry them forward 5 years.


Stewardship 2016

An Opportunity to Connect

at St. Aidan’s

Passing the Pouch

The St. Aidans congregation is divided into roughly 22

“pouch groups” (somewhat geographic) and, on

Stewardship Kick-Off Sunday, October 30, a pouch is

given to the first person on each pouch list – this person

is the Team Leader. Pouches are prepared with all of the

information required for people to review and discern

their response with their financial pledge (pledge form &

confidential envelope) and then, to pass the pouch

along to the next householder on the list.

When the pouch is passed along we ask the one who is

finished with it to phone the Team Leader and let them

know where the pouch is.

We ask that everyone fill in an Intention form – even if

you are unable to give this year. Indicating “no pledge

this year” and passing the pouch on to the next person

preserves your confidentiality. Everyone fills in a

confidential Intention Form. It takes roughly 3-4 weeks

for all the pouches to complete their journey and

people report that the process works quite smoothly.

Passing the Pouch is an opportunity for a strong element

of community and visitation when the next person on

the list is contacted and the pouch is delivered to them.

Sometimes this means a chat at the door, and at other

times, this means a conversation over tea or coffee. If

you have questions about “passing the pouch” or if you

feel that you have been missed on the pouch lists, please

contact Shirley or Roger Hannaford (250-721-5696),

Tony Smith (250-479-5676) or Kathryn Clinton in the

church office (250-477-2089).

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