You can set up a recurring “bank bill pay” payment through your online banking, or you can set up a recurring payment through our website at locumc.org/give or through the Church Center app. If you need help or if you want to set up a recurring payment through Zelle or Venmo, contact our Finance Coordinator, Karen Larson, at Karen@locumc.org.

If you set up a recurring gift through bank bill pay, there are no fees deducted from your gift. If you give online through locumc.org/give or through the Church Center app, be sure to select the option to cover the associated fees (typically 3%) so that the church receives the full amount you want to give.

About $10,000 of that increase is to increase our Pastor & Staff salaries by 4%. Our Staff-Parish Relations Committee has done research in recent years about salary levels for churches our size and discovered that we have some catching up to do. Part of our 5 Year Plan/Vision is to increase these salaries by 10% and provide health and pension benefits for our staff members by the end of 2030. The rest of this increase is due to rising prices with utilities, paper products, etc.

Yes, we receive some contributions/fees from outside groups that rent our facilities. We keep these rental costs low to serve our community, but we use these contributions to mitigate the cost of utilities and supplies. Half of these funds are saved in our Replacements Fund for when something in our buildings needs to be replaced, and half goes toward our Ministry & Mission budget. We will also be applying for some grant funding in the coming year.

Seek the well-trusted guidance of the United Methodist Foundation of Western North Carolina:

• to donate stock to benefit your church through the Foundation,
• to create a Donor Advised Fund (DAF) for your family’s charitable giving, or
• to receive guidance on setting up a bequest in your will to benefit the church in the future.

Call the Foundation at 704-817-3990 or fill out their Contact Form.