Living out the gospel is important to us. We follow a Saviour who calls us to be honest and sincere. We try and do this with money.
What happens with my money?
If you put it in the bag on a Sunday, it's counted by two people, who sign off on each other's amounts. These people are approved by the Session and usually count the money where they can be seen by others. This is then banked and the amount is recorded in the church's financial accounts.
If you put your money in the church's bank account, this is recorded in the church's financial accounts.
The church accounts are review each month by the Finance Sub Committee, made up of the Committee of Management Delegate Chair, the Treasurer and the Finance Officer. These accounts are then reviewed at each Committee of Management meeting.
Each year, an external auditor is appointed to examine the financial accounts. He or she reports findings to the Committee of Management, who present them to the congregation.
Each year, the members of the congregations at Redlands vote to accept the budget for the following year, which details how the money is to be spent and the expected income for the year.
Why do we spend money?
We need money to make ministry happen. The ministry team are appointed to equip and encourage congregations to be making Christ known and growing in Christ. So, we use money to pay the ministry team to free them up to do this. We use money for resources for ministry (such as the photocopier), for keeping the buildings maintained and for handy extras, like electricity.
As much as possible, members of the ministry team do not handle money.
If you'd like to have a look at the financial accounts, contact jen@redlands.org.au