You are invited to support our work
Our shared responsibility for the congregation’s life, financial and otherwise, is called "stewardship."
People who wish to support the work of Bloor Street United Church are invited to make a gift in any amount. Members and adherents (those who attend regularly without formally joining the congregation) are asked to support the church financially to the extent that they are able.
Stewardship is a personal decision for each individual.
Your gift can support the ongoing work of Bloor Street United Church
Bloor Street United Church receives donations from its members and other supporters to create and maintain a wide variety of programs and services within the community. These include:
- weekly worship services
- social justice activities, including refugee sponsorships, Out of the Cold (food and shelter program for the homeless), March Against Homelessness, and donations to many local, national and international charities
- book studies, lectionary groups (Bible study), film nights and other adult education opportunities as well as Sunday School for children and youth, and retreats for all age groups
- Pastoral Connectors program providing fellowship, support and guidance to the BSUC community
- full music program, including senior & junior choirs, Gospel choir and special concert events
- Good News on Bloor, our newsletter, published 4 times per year
You can direct your gift to a specific purpose
You can direct your gift specifically to one of the following funds, which are separate from our operating budget, and support distinct aspects of our work. Please indicate your wishes clearly on the "memo" line of your cheque and/or on the outside of your givings envelope.
Relief of Need: This fund allows us to give directly to people who come to the church door for help with food, transportation and other basic needs. If they are able, they help the church with a couple of hours of cleaning. This fund also helps those within our Bloor Street United Church community who need assistance through rough times.
Out of the Cold: This fund covers the expenses of the Out of the Cold program.Seven Christian and Jewish congregations collaborate to cook a hot dinner for about 130 people, and provide overnight accommodation, breakfast, nursing care, showers, laundry and socializing for about 65.
The Healing Fund: Givings to this fund go directly to the United Church of Canada, where they are used to support projects in Canada’s First Nations communities designed to heal some of the damage caused by the church’s former policy of operating Native Residential Schools.
Organ Restoration Fund: Givings to this fund are enabling us to complete a multi-year restoration project on our Casavant Freres pipe organ.
Thankoffering: Every Thanksgiving, a special offering is collected for the work of the Finance, Administration & Property Committee, and usually supports essential repairs to the church building.
Christmas offering: Every Advent (the four-week season before Christmas), a special offering is collected for the work of the Social Justice Committee, and usually supports the work of one or more Canadian or international humanitarian agencies.
Easter offering: This spring offering also supports essential repairs to our building.
Special funds: From time to time, Bloor Street United Church establishes a special fund in order to provide relief for a particular emergency. Assistance has been sent round the world, most recently to Mozambique (flooding), Central America (Hurricane Mitch), Kosovo (war) and Toronto (homelessness).
Bloor Street United Church Capital Fund
BSUC’s Capital Fund receives major gifts to the church, mainly in the form of bequests from people’s wills. The Fund’s portfolio contains stocks, bonds and fixed income investments selected for corporate ethics and responsibility.
Proceeds from the fund (interest and dividends) support the general operations of the congregation.
We invite all of our supporters to remember Bloor Street United Church in their will. You can also benefit both yourself and the church through insurance policies, annuities and other Planned Giving instruments. For more information, call the United Church of Canada Department of Stewardship Services at toll-free 1-800-465-3771 or see the church’s directory of regional Gift Planning Consultants for the consultant in your area.
The Mission & Service Fund of the United Church of Canada
Bloor Street United Church makes an annual commitment to support the work of the national United Church through its Mission & Service Fund.
The M&S Fund supports numerous activities in Canada and around the world, ranging from humanitarian intervention in natural disasters to helping new congregations get established. International assistance is offered in partnership with local churches. Complete details on the M&S Fund are available on the United Church of Canada website.
You can direct a portion of your BSUC gift to the Mission & Service Fund, or you can donate to the Fund directly through the United Church of Canada.
Considering what level of giving is appropriate for you
You may be interested to know that the United Church of Canada encourages the idea of tithing — giving 10% of our income to God’s work. This may be done by donating 5% to the church and 5% to other causes you wish to support.
People at Bloor Street United Church give at all levels. If each of our members and adherents gave 3.5% of their earnings to the work of this congregation, we would have the money we need to carry on all of our programs and maintain our historic building throughout the 21st century.
How to participate in the stewardship of Bloor Street United Church
A freewill offering is taken up each Sunday in church. You may make a "loose" offering, or use one of the envelopes provided in the pews to give us your name and address, so that we can issue a charitable donation receipt for income tax purposes. We issue charitable donation receipts for all gifts over $10.
We are happy to provide personalized donation envelopes to regular attenders, one for each week. Personalized envelopes are not printed with your name, but rather with a number, so that your privacy is maintained, but we can still easily issue you a charitable donation receipt. Please contact the church office to order your envelopes. There is no charge, though recipients are invited to make a donation, if they wish, to cover the cost.
You are also welcome to send your gift by mail.
We encourage all of our supporters to use Pre-Authorized Remittance ("PAR"). You can set up a regular monthly withdrawal from your bank account in the church’s favour. There is no cost to you for using this service, and you can alter the amount of your gift at any time by contacting the church office. PAR giving ensures that, even when you are unable to attend on Sunday, your support of BSUC’s work continues. Please contact the church office to receive a brochure on PAR, or to start donating by this method.
All of our supporters are invited to make an annual pledge to support the work of Bloor Street United Church during our fall Stewardship Campaign. Your annual pledge helps the Finance Committee to plan the church’s annual budget.
You may, if you wish, make a secure on-line donation using your credit card. If you use this option, you will receive a charitable receipt from CanadaHelps.org rather than from Bloor Street United Church. Please click the button below.
