Churchill Park United Church
Membership & Planned Giving Information
Membership
Interested in membership at Churchill Park United Church?
We're glad to welcome new members. In our United Church, membership doesn't hold a great many perks. Non-members are welcome to participate in the life and worship of the congregation and are included in most decision-making. The exception is in regard to pastoral relations – members only participate in voting decisions affecting the minister. Membership in the church is primarily a commitment on the part of those wishing to join and an affirmation of belonging. New members are usually welcomed during a service of worship where they are introduced to the congregation and asked to respond to a brief question about their faith. There are three ways of joining the congregation.
1.If you have been previously baptized and confirmed in another United Church congregation, you will be received through a process of “transfer of membership”. On request, the church secretary will contact the previous congregation on your behalf to request that your membership be transferred.
2.If some time has lapsed since you have been active in another congregation, you may have been placed on the inactive list and in that case, you will be received by “reaffirmation of faith”. If your previous membership has been in another Christian denomination, you may also be received by “reaffirmation of faith.”
3.If you have not previously been a member of a congregation you will be received by “confirmation of faith”. If you have not been baptized, you would be baptized as an adult at that time.
Preparation for this commitment is often an individual thing. Some people remain active supporters of a congregation for many years before choosing membership, or may never choose to become members. Other people find it very meaningful to enter into membership quickly and to make their intentions and willingness to be active in faith publicly known. Please speak with the minister to determine together the preparation you feel would be most meaningful and helpful for you as you explore the possibilities and commitment of membership within our church. Whatever you decide, our prayer for you would be that you find friendship, care, comfort, meaning and encouragement for daily living; opportunities to grow in spirit and in faith; and opportunities to offer your gifts and skills in service to others, here in this community of Christian faith.
Please contact us for all arrangements
Planned Giving
Gifts for the ministry at Churchill Park United Church come in many forms: volunteers, gifts-in-kind and money donations. These gifts help us minister to our community through programs and the many activities in the building.
Planned Gifts
We have been carrying out the ministry of Jesus for many years. Some of the gifts that have allowed us to do this came from people who came before us.
It is now our turn to help those who come after us. Our Planned Gifts Fund is a way to do just that. This Fund is a separately managed source of funds, and is used to support and enhance the ministry and mission outreach of Churchill Park United Church. The Fund is made up of three components:
1.Projects & Initiatives
2.Reserve
3.Endowment
Planned Gifts are gifts made from resources that you have accumulated. The most common Planned Gifts in the United Church are:
Bequests: Your will is an excellent opportunity to provide for those dear to you. Consider including a provision for the church in your will. Your estate can use the charitable tax receipt to create a tax credit.
Gift Annuities: A United Church Gift Annuity not only allows you to leave a gift to the church at your death but provides you with an income for your lifetime. The rate is higher than the bank rate and the income is mostly non-taxable. You may even set up a joint life annuity for you and your spouse. And finally, you will also qualify for a one-time tax receipt for a portion of the annuity at the time the gift is made.
Gifts of Shares: When you make a gift of shares to the church you do not pay any tax on the capital gain. Yet your charitable tax receipt is for the full value of the shares on the day they are received by the church.
Gifts of Life Insurance: You can donate an existing policy and receive a charitable tax receipt for its cash value. Alternatively you can make the church the owner of a new or existing policy enabling you to make a large gift to the church in the future for a relatively small cost now. You receive a charitable tax receipt for the premiums you pay.
Planned Gifts to Churchill Park United Church that are not specifically designated for one or more components of the Planned Gift Fund (e.g. the Endowment) will be divided between Projects & Initiatives and the Reserve. You may also make a Planned Gift directly to the United Church Mission and Service Fund.