Turning people into fully devoted followers of Jesus

Monthly Archive: May 2021

27
May

Donation-in-Kind Offering

Over the past couple of years, the Finance Committee of the Elder Board has been looking into a “Donation-in-Kind” offering to allow donors to donate publicly-traded securities, such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and ETFs. Donation-in-kind offerings are a tax-effective way to donate and provide you with another way to exercise stewardship in tithing to our church.

We are pleased to inform you that our church has now opened an account at the Royal Bank of Canada Direct Investing (RBCDI) effective immediately to directly accept Donation-in-Kind offerings. Our members can now choose to donate via cash, cheque, e-transfer, or donation-in-kind.

The Elder Board has appointed two trading officers, Ken Lam and Stewart Wong, both members from the Finance Committee, to be responsible for overseeing the RBCDI account.

The role of trading officers is to manage our trading account and the sale of donated securities. A Donation-in-Kind process and form has been created and is now available on our website.

Once securities arrive in the account, trading officers will sell the shares within the current or next trading day. Once the sale is complete, the net proceeds will be deposited into the investment account. The trading officers will then transfer the cash into ECAC’s RBC savings account.

Donors will not be charged a fee for contributing a Donation-in-Kind offering. RBCDI charges a standard flat-rate fee of $9.95 per transaction which will be covered by the church.

RBCDI will send the church monthly reports on all account activity, and the church will be responsible for issuing tax receipts to the donors based on actual value of donated securities received on valuation day.

With this arrangement in place, we will be providing another option for you to make donations to the church. There are financial implications and/or tax benefits for donors to make such in-kind donations. We advise you to consult with your accountant or financial advisor to discuss tax and financial considerations. Our trading officers and the treasurer, William Wong, are pleased to answer your questions regarding this service.… Click here to read more

07
May

Update to Health Measures & Church Services

By now, you may have heard about the province’s latest health restrictions to control the spread of COVID-19. It may feel like déjà vu all over again that we are back to a lockdown like last year. It can feel disappointing that after making so many sacrifices, we still do not have the end in sight.

Yet, in this uncertain time, we continue to worship the Lord our God upon whom our hope lies. At the same time, our church has adopted new measures to protect you & your family, our staff, our community, and the healthcare system while complying with all public health measures to further limit in-person attendance and move to online services, where possible.

Effective immediately, our enhanced safety measures include:

  • Worship services will be exclusively online or streaming
  • Scheduled baptismal services will be postponed indefinitely
  • In-person church events will be cancelled or postponed indefinitely

These measures include postponing Pastor Stan’s in-person farewell event to a later date in October. You will be notified as soon as we have a finalized date.

As of now, the church building is closed to all but essential staff, and all programs and activities will remain online.

With COVID-19 hanging over us like a dark cloud, we may feel fatigued, anxious, or disappointed. Rest assured that our Lord is walking with and encouraging us every step of the way.

“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:29-31).… Click here to read more