GIVE

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the General Fund?

The General Fund of The Gathering covers all general expenses related to personnel, ministry, equipment, worship events, etc.  This is the “bread and butter” fund in our church which requires faithful, regular, sustained giving in order for our church to function properly.  Unless you specify that you want part of your offering to go to a designated fund (described below), it will be placed in the General Fund.

DISCLAIMER: Any surplus monies remaining after the necessary funds have been raised for the designated program will be used to further the general charitable purposes of the charity.

Benevolence Fund
We want to be a church that cares for its own people.  From time to time there are special needs that arise within the body that require some financial assistance.  The benevolence fund at The Gathering helps us do this with dignity, discretion and confidentiality. We receive a benevolence offering at most of our communion services. This offering will typically take place after communion is observed, and you are welcome to add “benevolence” to your offering envelope designation if you wish.  What we can do together, on a monthly basis, none of us could do all at once. 

Local Church Planting
We want to be a church-planting church!  We want to have a part in planting churches in Windsor-Essex and we are building a reserve fund from which we can draw funds as needed for local church planting efforts.

Easter Offering
We take a special offering for local initiatives such as The Melo Clinic & Pregnancy Centre, Safe Families, Prison Fellowship Canada. A portion is also sent to our denomination's (Canadian National Baptist Convention) Great Commission Offering (GCO), giving that goes to serve church planting, missions and missionaries in Canada, and around the globe. Although we take the offering at Easter, donors are welcome to contribute to this fund at any time.

Christmas Offering
We also receive a Christmas Offering in the month of December that enhances the efforts of the Compassion Child and Global Serve International in reaching people with the Good News of Jesus Christ in other parts of the world. Although we take the offering in December, donors are welcome to contribute to this fund at any time.

Missions
Missions teams sent from The Gathering to assist organizations or missionaries will be self-funded. Therefore, the “mission teams” fund will be used for administrative purposes for short-term mission team ministry.    

CNBC GCO – Great Commission Offering

The Great Commission Offering (GCO) changes lives forever by empowering career missionaries, mission volunteers and church planters to bring the Gospel to the lost. Because of the generosity of Canadian National Baptist Convention (CNBC) churches, we can make an impact here in Canada and all over the world.