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January 2006, Pages 2 & 4.
Index of articles:
by subject,
by date.
Church Budget for 2006
The Church Council discussed our budget for 2006 at its meeting in December. The figures are set out on page 4 (below).
The figures basically show we will finish 2005 about £3,000 down on the Parish Share. In 2006 we will have a £1,600 deficit - this is without any provision for building costs that the architect’s inspection might reveal.
The people of St Luke’s have always been very good at keeping the building up to standard, and whenever a building project comes up, we set a target and we manage to meet it. That’s very good.
BUT we have had problems with paying our Parish Share for many years, partly because it hasn’t been seen as so important. So it’s my painful duty to point out a few facts of life.
On the basis that we get what we pay for, the people of St Luke’s deserve to have a lovely building and a part-time vicar. And that’s what you’ll get, when it comes my time to leave (not that I’m planning to leave for a while yet).
Income figures show that there are some at St Luke’s who give very generously, and quite a lot who put £2 in per week. And when the vicar harangues them, the generous ones give more and feel guilty, and the £2 ones keep putting £2 in. So here’s a target.
Please can the ones who could afford more than £2 but choose not to give it - please can YOU put more in? If you don’t, you are being carried by the rest of the congregation, and your lack of giving is stopping the whole church paying its way. We welcome everyone to come, but we ask that your giving should match your ability.
John Hartley
Church Budget for 2006 - the figures
| 2006 Budget | 2005 To date | 2005 Budget | 2004 Actual | 2003 Actual | |
| Payments | |||||
| Diocesan Share | 36354 | 33000 | 38916 | *40241 | *32500 |
| Clergy Expenses | 100 | 95 | 100 | - | - |
| Repairs & Renewals | 2000 | 3427 | 6000 | 1439 | 404 |
| Cleaning | 900 | 715 | (a) | 780 | 780 |
| Heat, light & water | 2000 | 1905 | (a) | 3103 | 2101 |
| Insurance | 1500 | 1458 | (a) | 1395 | 1305 |
| Churchyard | 150 | 0 | (a) | 3 | 247 |
| Oil, wine, wafers & candles | 80 | 126 | 300 | 70 | 85 |
| Copyright licence | 152 | 152 | (a) | 152 | 152 |
| Childrens’ Work materials | 150 | 76 | (a) | 137 | 76 |
| Postage & Stationery | 100 | 80 | 500 | 76 | 146 |
| Photocopying | 300 | 294 | (a) | 59 | 235 |
| Offering Envelopes | 110 | 107 | (a) | 103 | 115 |
| Display Posters | 100 | 56 | (a) | 96 | 78 |
| Magazine Costs | 1600 | 1275 | 1600 | 1926 | 1482 |
| Basement Rooms costs | 2000 | 1668 | 2000 | 1503 | 2724 |
| Organist & music | 1400 | 1059 | 1700 | 1373 | 1389 |
| Organ maintenance | 130 | 129 | (a) | 371 | 121 |
| Lectern Bible | - | - | - | - | 325 |
| Mission Giving | 1500 | 1380 | 1500 | 1170 | 1220 |
| ------------ | ------------ | ------------ | ------------ | ------------ | |
| Total | 50626 | 47002 | 52616 | 53998 | 45485 |
| Receipts | |||||
| Planned giving | 29000 | 26160 | 29000 | 27479 | 24663 |
| Cash Collections | 3000 | 2655 | 3500 | 3995 | 3454 |
| Recovered Tax | 5000 | 5233 | 5000 | 4674 | 4403 |
| Donations | 500 | 231 | 500 | 906 | 641 |
| Grants & Legacies | 250 | 530 | 250 | 265 | 7226 |
| Fundraising | 2500 | 3605 | 3000 | 2606 | 3104 |
| Autumn Fair | 500 | (b) | (a) | 625 | 550 |
| Narthex rent | 1100 | 595 | 5000 | 1060 | 1030 |
| Basement Rooms rent | 3900 | 3417 | (a) | 3547 | 4038 |
| Fees | 1200 | 1252 | 1200 | 1092 | 1444 |
| Magazine sales & adverts | 2000 | 1915 | 2000 | 2105 | 2165 |
| Insurance Claim Refund | - | 2053 | - | - | 922 |
| Sundries (inc Photocopying) | 50 | 2 | 50 | 40 | 23 |
| C of E Investment Fund | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| ------------ | ------------ | ------------ | ------------ | ------------ | |
| Total | 49001 | 47649 | 49500 | 48395 | 53734 |
| Surplus (+) / Deficit (-) | - 1625 | - 3116 | - 5603 | + 8249 |
Notes. The last two columns come from the church accounts for those years: at * £5,000 of 2003’s Parish Share was paid in 2004. We didn’t set last year’s budget so precisely, and (a) indicates that the figure is included in the line above. The “to date” column gives figures up to 30.11.05, and there may be some rearrangements of amounts of money when the accounts are presented to the Annual Meeting. (b) indicates the money was set aside for new outside lighting so isn’t part of the general funds of the church.
John Hartley