The COVID-19 virus has impacted all of our lives in many ways. First and foremost, we hope that all members of our Trinity family are healthy, safe, and continuing to find spiritual enrichment through our great church. Our committee met recently to discuss the potential impact of the temporary church shutdown on Trinity’s finances. Here are a few things that we would like to communicate to the congregation:
- Tithes and Offerings – Please continue to support our church with your tithes and offerings, as you are able, during our temporary shutdown. Our expenses continue, even though we will not have a chance to pass the offering plates. We encourage everyone to continue giving in your typical pattern/frequency via online methods, or by mailing checks to the church office at 903 Forest Avenue, Henrico, VA 23229.
- Online Giving – if you do not give online already, this is a good opportunity to switch! Trinity has several ways to give online currently, including ACH, e-check, and credit card. We are also investigating new ways to automate giving as well, including Zelle and Paypal. These are all easy, safe, and consistent ways to provide your gifts to Trinity. Please visit https://www.trinityumc.net/give/ for more information.
- Apportionments – our committee voted to temporarily suspend monthly apportionment payments to the Conference, until we determine if Trinity will be financially impacted during this time. While we intend to pay our apportionments in full by their due date (December 31, 2020), we want to be sure that funding is available to meet our essential expenses, most notably our priority to fund payroll for our clergy and staff.
- Capital Projects – Trinity remains committed to investing in long-term capital projects to grow our church and fulfill our mission. Our trustees are moving forward with several exciting projects, which are largely funded outside of our operating budget. Major capital projects will continue to be subject to church council approval, and will be evaluated in the context of our overall financial health.