How to donate

  • drop your donation into the donation slot in the left wall in the entrance to the sanctuary.  If you use a cheque, no envelope is needed.  If you give cash and want a receipt, use an envelope with you name on it.
  • send a cheque to River East Church at 755 McLeod Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R2K 0B8.
  • send an e-transfer to donate2rec@rivereastchurch.ca.  If you have never donated to REC before, write your address in the comment box so that we can issue a tax receipt after year end.
  • arrange for a regular pre-authorized transfer of funds from your account to REC’s account. If you choose this option, please contact the treasurer to request the form to complete.
  • to designate your donation or a part of it to a special REC fund or to an agency, do one of the following:  1) if your donation is by cheque, write the designation on the memo line (e.g. MCC, Care Links, SeEd, etc.); 2) if your donation is by e-transfer, write the designation in the comment box; and 3) if it is by pre-authorized transfer, send an email to Agnes Hubert (REC bookkeeper) in the pertinent month to give instructions.

When you make an undesignated gift to REC, we will assume that you intend it for the general fund, which supports REC’s various regular ministries.

However, we invite you to contribute also to various other REC funds by designating your gift or part of your gift for them.

  • Care Links—a team of REC folks who facilitate emotional, spiritual, and practical care for us and for persons in our surrounding community. Examples: bringing groceries to hungry homes; visiting and gifting lonely, ill, or grieving people with flowers; serving and helping with costs for funerals; helping community members with bus tickets, money for medication or for fresh food.
  • The SeEd Fund is River East's bursary fund for Service and Education. The fund supports youth and young adults as they offer voluntary summer ministry, and/or study at a Mennonite post-secondary institution.
  • Refugee resettlement—This fund enables REC to welcome refugees to our city. We sponsored a family from September 2022 to August of 2023.
  • Carbon Offset—People contribute to this fund to support projects that reduce green house gases and as a way of ameliorating the harm caused by their consumption of fossil-fuels (for travel, heating, etc.) or by any actions contributing to their carbon footprint. We send at least 66% of the funds we collect to projects overseas, while the remainder is available for strategies to reduce our carbon foot print locally.  For more details, see Creation Care under the Ministries tab of REC's website.
  • Prayer Shawl Ministry—A group of people from REC meet on the second Wednesday of each month to knit and pray for people who are experiencing challenging changes in their lives. They give the shawls they create to people as tangible reminders of their support in their lives.
  • Community Roots Resource Centre--A community hub located less than a mile away, at Jubilee Mennonite Church.  Community Roots serves the surrounding neighbourhood, which is also our neighbourhood, building community by providing programs and resources that nourish the body, mind, and soul in a loving encouraging environment. River East Church is a partner in this ministry.

River East Church belongs within the world-wide Mennonite family of churches.  The ministry of REC spreads out into its near community and into its global community through the work of various Mennonite agencies. We invite your designated support to the following:

  • Mennonite Central Committee (MCC)
  • Canadian Mennonite University (CMU)
  • Donwood Manor Personal Care Home
  • Eden Foundation
  • Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS)
  • Mennonite World Conference (MWC)

Giving

How much should I give?

  • At REC, all giving is voluntary.
  • Well over 90% of REC’s income comes through voluntary donations.   The remaining  amounts come from facility rentals, GST rebate, interest, and government grants (e.g., for summer staff salaries). 
  • In recent years, about 180 persons have been contributing to REC.  The average person donates about $2,300 per year.
  • Persons have varying abilities to give.  Some have limited resources and can give little.  Others have ample resources and give generously, well above the average donation, as much as $5000, 10,000 or even $15,000.
  • Many Christians consider 10% of their incomes to be the minimum standard for giving.  Most middle class Canadians can achieve that level.  However, persons with very limited resources may not be able to achieve such a level.  For some, a goal of 5%, 2%, or 1% may be a sufficient challenge.
  • It is good to establish a practice of giving regularly, e.g., each payday, once every week, or the first day of every month, etc.

 

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