Hi everyone, I’m glad to report that I’m at home now, resting and recovering after a minor heart attack, and doing really well. The deluge of love, prayers and get well messages from friends at St Luke’s and elsewhere have brought me great support and encouragement and underlined just how important our community in North London is. Last year when I wrote to you about our annual Gift Day I remarked how rapidly we seemed to have grown as a church. This year it seems to have continued with more new faces arriving and new ways to develop friendship from the Lent home groups to the burgeoning life of the Vox Holloway choir.
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Once a year we have a church Gift Day and last year we focused on raising funds for new chairs which have now arrived – easier to store if a little heavier to lift. This year, we need to focus on our heating system which, after its most recent emergency repair, we have been told is in the last chance saloon. This is a big ask and it might take us some time to raise the funds but we can’t wait any longer to make a start.
Of course what we raise from Gift Day goes into our general income budget (totaling £187,000 this year), more than half of which is then spent on our Common Fund payment to the Church of England and our loan repayments on the refurbishment of the building. But we put aside around £13,000 of our income for our own charitable giving (8% of expenditure) – which this year includes several projects in developing countries.
So for Gift Day 2010 , which is on Sunday 7th November, please can you give generously – and hopefully this time next year I will be writing about an effective and eco-friendly new heating system. .
There are lots of ways you can give: • You can change your standing order – hopefully upwards – or begin one. • You can give a CAF cheque. • You can give cash or a cheque, but if you pay income tax, please sign a gift aid form if you haven’t done so before so that we can get the additional percentage from the Chancellor. (Download a Gift Aid Form) • You can pay directly into the church bank account.
The details can be found by downloading a BANK STANDING ORDER FORM: Please add the Reference; “Gift Day ’10”
You can make your gift on St Luke’s Gift Day, Sunday 7th November, or you can do this by post or direct through your bank. Whatever’s best for you. But please don’t forget. We need your help.
Thank you so much for all you give to St Luke’s in so many ways.
With much love and appreciation,
Dave Tomlinson Vicar