Church Management Ministry On this page . . . Offering ~ Gifts and Tithes     ~ Pre-Authorized Bank Remittance Our Facilities     ~ Location     ~ Construction     ~ Facts About Our Building Memorial & Special Gifts Ministry Board Policy Manual Planned Giving     ~ Bequest     ~ Gift Annuity     ~ Life Insurance     ~ Stripped Bonds     ~ Securities What is Stewardship Anyway? Our Location Our location on the northwest corner of 88th Avenue and 156th Street in Surrey is highly visible. Here we have the best possibilities of ministry to the high density area to the north, the numerous town homes to the east and the low density predominantly single family homes to the south. Watching our new home develop from sod turning to landscaping to the many activities through the week was an exciting time for Northwood! Strengthened by the vibrance and vitality of this unique Christian community, Northwood has a great church. We know the importance of what is being done here -- the very future of The United Church of Canada rests with ventures like this. Construction A significant step forward was accomplished on Sunday, September 14, 1997. Friends, neighbours, members of the congregation and representatives of Fraser Presbytery broke ground for the construction phase. Two days later construction began with the clearing of the land for the foundation. Nine months after construction began the dreams and hopes of the Northwood family became a reality with the dedication service on June 28, 1998. This ten year old facility is one of Surrey's most attractive worship and Christian education centres. The site has been beautifully landscaped to provide the community with an attractive 1½ acre park-like setting on this highly visible location. The building was designed by the architectural firm, Pacific Rim Architecture Ltd. The general contractor was Ayrshire Construction Ltd. The property was acquired for $1.5 million and the facility was constructed for $1.9 million. The property is currently valued at $5 million. The main building are available for community use. A small fee is paid to cover the costs related to room occupancy. Bookings may be made through the church office. Facts about the building Property Three acres containing the church building, house and our famous tall trees Sanctuary and Gathering Place A multi-purpose area with combined seating for 400 people Classrooms Three large class room areas dividable into five rooms Fireside Room Fireside Room for meetings and fellowship around the fireplace Kitchen A fully equipped large kitchen for the preparation of meals, snacks and our after service coffee. Fire and Safety The building is fully equipped with sprinklers, fires alarms, a security system and a very sophisticated electrical distribution system. Accessibility All areas of the site and the main building are fully accessible House The house on the north-west corner of the property has kitchen facilities, two meeting rooms, a youth lounge and the thrift shop. Adjacent to the house is a large storage shed and workshop. The Offering The work of our church is supported by the offerings of the people. Many of our regular attenders use weekly envelopes for their offering in order to make their donations regularly or they use PAR (pre-authorized remittance). The church provides a receipt for income tax purposes for these forms of donation at the end of the year. If you would like to have offering envelopes for regular giving or a brochure for PAR (Pre-Authorized Remittance through your bank), please speak to one of our hosts or look for someone wearing an "ASK ME" button. As well as meeting the expenses of operating our ministry we encourage participants to share in supporting the Mission and Service Fund of The United Church of Canada. The most popular method for giving is the weekly envelope system. We recommend that you consider the Pre-Authorized Remittance plan. We encourage you to ask for a pledge commitment form. Fill in the details and place in an envelope addressed to the Envelope Secretary. If you have any questions please contact the church office and a member of the Stewardship Committee will contact you with the details. Pre-Authorized Remittance PAR, or Pre-Authorized Remittance, is a "direct debit" program that allows people to support their church through an automatic monthly withdrawal from their bank account. The General Council of The United Church of Canada administers the program following the giver's wishes (eg. "x" amount for local church expenses and "x" amount for the Mission and Service Fund). Once a month all PAR givings are debited from givers' accounts and then the total, less the minimal service fee, is electronically transferred to their local church accounts. Contact the church office for a PAR brochure and application form. Memorial and Special Gifts If you want to give to the Memorial Fund, in memory of a friend or relative, or give a Specific Gift or a Special Gift, contact the ministers or the church office. You will be contacted by the person who can give you all the details. Planned Giving Bequests Remembering Northwood United Church in your Will There are different types of bequests: A specific bequest - where you have indicated a specific amount of cash or a particular asset as a gift. A residual bequest - where you have left a percentage of your estate as a gift. "Do I really need a will?" As a stewards of God's many gifts to us, you will want to direct the disposal of your estate after your death. If you want to make gifts from your estate, a legal Will is the only way you can do that. Otherwise, the Government of British Columbia will distribute your estate according to a pre-arranged formula. But more importantly, if you have dependent relatives, you must have a Will to state your intentions for their care after your death. Your Will should be written by a lawyer and should be updated every five years, or after every major event in your life, such as a birth, a death, a divorce, or a sudden rise or fall in your fortunes. Preparing a bequest to Northwood United Church: If you are about to have a Will drafted, or are considering major changes to your current Will, your lawyer can include a bequest to Northwood United Church without added cost. If you wish to make a bequest, clearly name "The Trustees of the Northwood Congregation of The United Church of Canada." Be sure to be specific about the assets you wish to leave to the church. Your bequest should not be too restrictive. Some donors designate bequests to areas of the church's work that may not exist in the years to come, thus freezing the use of the gift. Charitable Gift Annuities Create a legacy for Northwood United Church Council through a gift that pays you a guaranteed lifetime income. What is a Gift Annuity? It is a gift planning option, for those over 60 years, made available through The United Church of Canada. The plan provides an income, some or all of which is tax-free, for as long as you live. At the time of your death, a gift is provided to the work of Northwood United Church. Where does the residue of my annuity go after my death? The residue of the annuity will go to the ministry designated by you at the time you arranged the annuity. What rate of return will I receive? The rate of return on your annuity depends upon your age when you take out your annuity. Current rates can be quoted upon request. Older annuitants also qualify for an up-front tax receipt for a portion of their annuity. Between 55% and 100% of your income will be tax-free, again depending upon your age when you take out the annuity. The minimum annuity purchase is $1,000. The income you receive from your annuity includes both interest and a portion of your principal. Over your lifetime, you could recover much of your principal investment, yet there will always be a substantial gift left over for the work of the church. Is a Gift Annuity a safe investment? Yes. The United Church of Canada is the largest self issuer of Charitable Gift Annuities in Canada. The authority to sell Gift Annuities was written into the federal legislation that created The United Church of Canada in 1925. The annuity pooled fund is invested in Government and triple A corporate bonds. An investment committee oversees the annuity fund investments and an actuarial valuation is done at least triennially. Life Insurance Create a substantial legacy through an insurance policy with tax-creditable premiums Why a gift of life insurance? If you would like to make a larger gift than your capital situation allows, a gift of life insurance may be right for you. This is a good planned giving option for younger donors who are usually easily insured and have an annual income to make premium payments. Older donors may have existing policies that they may use for their planned gift. How does it work? A gift of insurance is simply the donation of an existing insurance policy or the purchase of a new insurance policy naming Northwood United Church as the owner and beneficiary. With new policies, you decide how much you can afford to pay in monthly or annual premiums, and how much you would like your ultimate gift to be, then ask your insurance agent to find a policy that best suits your goals. Consider your existing insurance policies You may have an existing, paid-up policy that you took out early in your life. Now that your circumstances have changed, the policy may be available as a gift option. Donating the policy costs nothing since the premiums have already been completed. In return, you will receive a tax receipt for the cash value of the donated policy. Taking out a new policy If you decide to take out a new policy, it's best to arrange for one large premium payment if you are able. You will receive a tax receipt for the premium that you can use now, or carry forward over the next five years. If you want to pay your premium over a period of up to ten years, you will receive a tax receipt annually for the premium payment of that year. Three questions to ask your insurance agent Does the policy have a residual value? If, for some reason, you have to stop paying your regular premiums, your policy should still result in a gift, even if it is less than you had originally intended. Is the whole amount of your policy and any riders guaranteed? These amounts should be guaranteed, regardless of market performance or interest rates. Are the premium payments fixed? Make sure the premium amounts will not vary over the payment period. Stripped Bonds and Publicly Listed Securities A gift of a Stripped Bond is a gift that grows over time. What is a Stripped Bond? A "Stripped" or "Zero-Coupon" Bond is a bond that has been divided into two parts. An investment dealer has "stripped" the coupons from the bond and sold them, leaving the principal portion to be sold at a discount price. You purchase the principal portion of the bond that grows at a reasonable rate of interest over a fixed period of time. How do I make a gift of a Stripped Bond? There are two ways of making a gift of a Stripped Bond: Give the church a Stripped Bond that you already own. You will receive a tax receipt for the value of the bond at the time it is received by Council. Give Toronto United Church Council the money to buy a Stripped Bond for you. You will receive a tax receipt for the amount of money you gave to the church to buy the bond. What makes a Stripped Bond a good gift? There are many excellent reasons to consider this type of gift: It is a high quality security. Only the highest ranked government and corporate bonds are used to create "strips". It has a guaranteed return, because the rate of return is determined at the time of purchase. It offers flexible maturity. You can choose when Toronto United Church Council receives the gift, from 10 to 20 years. The gift will probably mature in your lifetime, allowing you to celebrate your investment in mission and ministry. It has a guaranteed issue. Anyone can buy a Stripped Bond, regardless of age, health or other circumstances. It will yield an immediate tax benefit to you. It will not affect your estate. Publicly Listed Securities Another excellent gift planning option. This option gives you the opportunity to make a gift to Northwood United Church at a relatively low cost. The taxable capital gain normally arising on a transfer of publicly listed securities is reduced one-half from 75% to 37.5% when securities are donated to a registered charity. This tax advantage applies to gifts of shares, bonds, bills, warrants, futures, and units of mutual funds that are listed on a prescribed stock exchange. It does not apply to shares of private companies. It is easy to do. Instruct your stock broker or investment advisor to transfer the securities you plan to donate to Northwood United Church's account. You will receive a tax receipt for the value of the securities as of the day they are received.