It’s nearly the end of the financial year for us at Bristo. I’m quite busy now making sure that everything that has to come out of our accounts in this financial year is paid, and with enough time for the cheque to clear. I’ve also got to ensure all the documentation is in place to allow me to complete the accounts, and to satisfy the auditor ... and for this year this means chasing up a few missing bank statements from one of our bank accounts. I then have to prepare to file the Employers Tax Return, and do all the things necessary to keep the Inland Revenue happy ... though I must say they’re a lot easier to deal with than I expected, and their online software to help me file a return is excellent.
It can’t be a treasurer’s report without a few numbers ... so I’d like to give an indication of how much a month it currently costs to “run a church” ...
What we need to spend money on each month
Ministers Stipend and other costs (pension, tax etc)
2460
Energy costs (church and church flat, not the manse)
521
Council Tax for manse (2838 / 12)
236
Insurance (3706/12)
308
Telephone (and Broadband internet)
80
Sundries / Extras
125
Subscriptions—Baptist Union of Scotland, Evangelical Alliance etc (3039/12)
253
TOTAL
3983
As you can see we need to raise almost £1000 each week to cover our essential costs ... This year we have met, and exceeded our budgeted target. We have unfortunately overspent and have had to eat into our general reserves again, but the overspend has primarily been on additional essential repair work, with the manse needing more work (including the collapse of a plaster ceiling) and other things being done in the church (the heating pumps failing in church – remember that very cold Sunday). If we can keep repairs and maintenance costs down next year, and if we can keep our income at the same level, then this should give us the opportunity to recover some of the extra money we have spent over the last few years.
Thanks for reading this,
Paul Watson
