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 update our church facility to meet existing and emerging needs.

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.
• Our "Strengthening First Met" Stewardship Campaign, now in its third and final year, will end in December 2009. You can still contribute by calling Carol at the number above. Replacing a large portion of the operational funding provided by the Stewardship Campaign Account, will be a renewed emphasis on regular giving. Our newly appointed Stewardship Committee has fomulated and will be implementing a phased annual plan to fund our Mission, its programs and the needs of the Church. Analysis is now being done on the results of a Survey done in April / May. Initiatves arising from the Survey will be introduced in late Summer and early Fall.
• Volunteering your time assisting with services, with hospitality or with one of the many activities within our church community and in the broader Victoria community.
• Considering a gift to the church through your estate or a life insurance policy (add link to PDF file on bequests). 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)