Growing in Generosity: Ways to Give
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only son” (John 3:16).
Generosity is not an incidental part of the Christian life, but at the very heart of God and at the heart of our life in Christ.
As Christians, we worship a generous God, whose very nature is self-giving love – a love manifested most clearly in the offering of God’s own son on the cross for the sake of the world.
It follows, then, that as we grow in Christ and become more like him, we, too, will become more generous and giving. Indeed, one of the nine fruits of the Spirit that the Apostle Paul lists in his letter to the Galatians – fruits that demonstrate that God is at work among us and within us – is generosity (c.f. Galatians 5:22).
Weekly Offering Guide
Click here to view the Weekly Percentage Giving Guide prepared by the Presbyterian Church in Canada.
Lenten Offeringx 2024
In 2024 our Lenten offering will be split as follows:
40% PWS&D (Presbyterian World Service and Development)
40% Royal City Mission
20% CORE.
Special Lenten Offering Envelopes are available at the doors as you come into the sanctuary the first Sunday in March or you may e-transfer your offering to acct@knoxguelph.ca (please clearly state your donation as "Lenten Offering" projects.
The PAR program offers a convenient way to give regularly to the church.
When you sign up for PAR, you decide what your monthly offering will be. Your gift will be automatically debited each month from your bank or trust account. You may change or cancel your offering amount at any time.
Giving through PAR is a simple way to practice the habits of the heart of faithful and generous stewards (i.e. giving regularly, intentionally and proportionally) as well as ensuring that Knox Church has a consistent cash flow to cover the costs of our various ministries.
To participate in PAR, please print the Pre-Authorizeapplication form and mail or give your completed form to the church office.
You can still make offerings for special appeals, seasonal offerings and projects via offering envelopes and/or cheques. Simply indicate where you would like your gift to be designated.
Special Offerings
The project may be an emergency appeal of Presbyterian World Service & Development, such as the wildfires in Alberta, or a special project here at Knox Church, such as the chancel renovations.
Recurring Seasonal Offerings:
- Lenten/Easter Offering – each year during Lent and concluding with the Easter service, the members and friends of Knox have the opportunity to contribute to special outreach projects chosen by the church leadership.
- Thanksgiving Offering – members and friends of Knox Church are invited to “Give a Day of Pay or Pension Income” over and above their regular weekly offering as a tangible way to say thank you to God for God’s many blessings throughout the year. Money raised goes to the annual operating budget of the church.
- Christmas Offering – During the Christmas Eve service, the loose offering goes to special ministry projects chosen by the session. Those who use the special Christmas Offering envelopes will receive a tax receipt for their gift.
E Transfer information
E-Transfers can be done directly to Knox by using the following email: acct@knoxguelph.ca
No password is required to send funds, however please include “Sunday Offering” in the message.
Below is how you can send funds:
Depending on which bank you use you might see things a little differently. But here are the generic steps:
- Go to “send money” or “retransfer”
- Go to “select recipient”
- Select “add a contact”
- Input Knox as contact and add in email acct@knoxguelph.ca
- Select Knox as recipient
- Select Account
- Input Amount
- Input Message – Sunday Offering
- Select “Send Money”
- Knox is registered for Auto Deposit and no password is required (this message will be displayed)
Our purpose as a church family is to share Jesus' Good News with the world, through loving service and vibrant worship.
We encourage our members and adherents to consider using the PAR program to make their regular offerings to the life and mission of Knox Church.
There is a smaller cost incurred by the church thus allowing your donation to go much further in accomplishing our mission.
Please visit the Pre-Authorized page {PAR) for more detailed information.
Thank you for your support.
We can support the church with donations from our accumulated assets (e.g. stocks and bonds, RRSPs and RRIFs, real estate, etc.). Such gifts may be deferred (e.g. a charitable bequest though a will), or they may be an immediate gift available for current use (e.g. a gift of stock). There are many ways to make a planned gift, including:
- bequests in your will – charitable gifts made through your will can substantially reduce the taxes owed by your estate, benefitting both the charities you have supported during your lifetime and your heirs.
- charitable gift annuities – a simple way to earn guaranteed, tax-free income for the rest of your life while leaving a legacy gift to the church after you pass away.
- assignment of life insurance -- if you make the church the owner and beneficiary of an active life insurance policy, all your annual premiums are eligible for a charitable tax receipt.
- gifts of real estate – have you ever thought of giving a portion of the proceeds from the sale of your home to the church as a one-time gift?
- gifts of publicly traded securities – by donating stocks, bonds or mutual funds directly to charity, all capital gains taxes are eliminated. Gifts of stock donated to Knox Church can be donated through The Presbyterian Church in Canada.
Knox Church has established the Knox Endowment Fund to channel bequests and other memorial and planned gifts given to the church. The Knox Endowment Fund is an enduring fund in which the money is permanently invested with 5% of the total value of the fund available each year for special projects approved by the congregation. Through your gifts to the Endowment Fund, you are leaving an enduring legacy that will help ensure that Knox Church will continue to have a vital ministry for generations to come.
To learn more about how you can leave an enduring legacy for Knox Church, contact Rev. Herb Gale, Minister of Generosity and Stewardship, or any member of the Endowment Fund Committee.
“The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.” (2nd Corinthians 9:6-8)
The Knox Church Endowment Fund – a simple way to leave an
enduring legacy
Background and Purpose of the Endowment Fund
The Knox Endowment Fund was created as an enduring fund for the purpose of expanding and enriching the life and
mission of Knox Church both currently and far into the future. The bulk of the capital is permanently invested in The
Presbyterian Church in Canada’s Consolidated Fund, a professionally managed portfolio of bonds and dividend paying
stocks under the oversight of the Trustee Board of the PCC. Knox Church established the Endowment Fund in 2004 with
seed money of $150,000. Twelve years later, it had grown to over $950,000 through generous bequests and other legacy
gifts to the church as well as through investment earnings within the fund.
Administrative Oversight of the Endowment Fund
The administrative oversight of the Knox Endowment Fund has been placed in the hands of the Endowment Fund
Committee, who make recommendations for the financial support of capital and ministry projects to the Annual Meeting for
congregational approval. The members of the Endowment Fund Committee are:
Howard Simpson, Chair, Elza Furzer, Wenda King, David Hough, Karl McDougall, Tom Stinson.
Requests for Financial Support from the Endowment
Committees and ministry groups within the church are invited to submit requests for financial support from the Endowment
Fund’s annual disbursements. Requests should be submitted to the Endowment Fund Committee by December of each
year with the money available the following year for projects and programs approved by the congregation at the Annual
Meeting.
ProVisionaries® Network
Knox is a member of The Presbyterian Church in Canada’s ProVisionaries® Network, a network of Presbyterian
congregations, who have covenanted to make planned giving an integral part of their theology of stewardship and vision of
ministry. For additional information about how to make a planned gift and the services offered through The Presbyterian
Church in Canada, click on the ProVisionaries® logo below:
“As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of
riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good
works, generous and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that
they may take hold of the life that really is life.” (1 Timothy st 6:17-19, NRSV)