First†Metropolitan United Church is a large, active community that reflects its calling to love, honour, worship and serve God through programs that reach inward to foster spiritual growth and outward to help meet the needs of our neighbours and others in the world beyond. It is through the contributions of you, our members, adherents and friends that we can live out that calling. Your support allows us to maintain the wide array of programs we presently offer, add new programs to serve urgent, emerging needs within the church and community, and to update our church facility to meet existing and future use.

 Whether it is your regular or one-time financial contribution or your skill as a musician, singer or performer, your friendly smile to greet newcomers, your warmth and empathy, your aptitude as a baker, cook or gardener, or your ability to type, photocopy, write or create graphics, you can share your gifts with other members of First†Met and the broader community by:

• Contributing financial support to the church. Many of our members use offering envelopes or Pre-Authorized Remittance (PAR) which have the benefit that your givings can be recorded and a donation receipt issued for Income Tax purposes (see the NOTE, below for more information) at the end of the calendar year. To receive offering envelopes or inquire about PAR, contact Carol in the church office at (250) 388-5188, ext. 223. You may also make regular or one-time financial donations online using your credit card through our Canada Helps button above or via the Paypal link on the welcome page.
• “Our three year “Strengthening First+Met Stewardship Campaign ended in December, 2009. It received commitments of $1.14 M. Almost all were met. Three areas designated to receive support from this source were – Budget Enhancement, New Programs and Capital Projects. An unstated objective was to raise the level of Regular Giving, both in amount and the number of donors. All received some support but Budget Enhancement received more than originally planned in order to avoid deficits in 2007, 2008 and 2009. To replace this source of funding a new annual stewardship appeal was launched in 2009, with the intent of raising Regular Givings.
• The Stewardship Committee arranges an appeal in October of each year. In 2010 about $96,000 was pledged for the year and almost $90,000 is expected to materialize. All pledges have been honoured except where death, hardship or moves have taken place. In the appeal for 2011, all of the target of $50,000 has been pledged to meet forecast budget needs. It looks as though that target will be exceeded.
• Considering a gift or bequest to the church through your estate or a life insurance policy. For more information see the First†Met Foundation page.

Note

Under the Income Tax Act, a taxpayer is entitled to a tax credit in respect of donations made to a number of organizations. Gifts of $200 and less will produce a tax credit at the rate of 17%. If gifts exceed $200 in a year, the excess will give rise to a credit at the rate of 29%. The credit rate is multiplied by the amount of the gift/donation and the product is then deducted the tax otherwise payable. The value of the credit is effectively increased by about 50% when provincial tax is taken into account. (from the “Canadian Book of Charities,” 2004)