Monthly Archives: September 2009

Ralphs shoppers can help The Place’s charitable efforts by registering their Ralphs Rewards cards online. Ralphs gives back to The Place a portion of all your grocery spending.

Everyone needs to buy groceries . . . so why not join our eScrip Grocery Club Card program and send a percentage of your grocery dollars directly to programs at The Place.

 

Escrip is a no cost way for you to raise funds for youth and social programs at The Place.  If you shop at Vons, Pavillions, or Safeway and have their Club Cards, all you need to do is register The Place as the organization you want to support.  It doesn’t cost you anything and the grocery stores mail us a percentage of total sales each month.  And once you sign up, there is nothing else you need to do.  You can also sign up grandparents, friends, relatives, and neighbors – another easy way to support The Place financially.

 

Renew

1. 1. Go to www.escrip.com
2. 2. Click on “YES RENEW”
3. 3. Enter either your phone number, email, or Club Card Number

Sign up online – it’s quick and easy.

1. 1. Go to www.escrip.com
2. 2. Click on “1 – Sign Up”
3. 3. Enter your Club Card Number

Ways to Maximize Your eScrip Giving:

• Register not only your Vons/Safeway cards, but credit, debit/ATM, and Macy’s card as well.
• Shop at the eScrip Online Mall – there are over 800 of the most common online shops that you may shop at already. You’re paying the same prices, but a percentage of your purchase – up to 16% – goes to The Place.

Where can I receive a contribution statement?

The church distributes one annual contribution statement to all contributors following the end of the calendar year in which your donation(s) was given. Questions about your contribution statement can be directed to the Treasurers.

 

Does the church have a budget? Who administers it?

Tithes and offerings given to the church are administered based on our annual budget. Copies of the budget are available from the church treasurers. Any adjustments to budget amounts are made with the approval of our Finance Committee.

When I put cash in the offering plate, where does it go?

With “Company” status with the Southern California Conference (SCC), The Place can retain 100% of loose offerings.

 

What’s the difference between tithe and offering?

The tithe is the main source of funding for the total proclamation of the gospel to all the world by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Within the Seventh-day Adventist Church, tithe is received by the local congregation and sent on to the local conference office. From here, the tithe money is distributed according to an agreement by the world church as to how tithe funds will be used. The largest portion of the tithe is used to fund the ministry of local churches through pastoral salaries, as well as evangelism and additional services provided to the local church.

 

Offerings are collected for designated purposes. Because we’re a developing church with “Company” status with the SCC, The Place can retain 100% of loose offerings. Still, we collect for other purposes, too, such as our mission trip to Peru, the Bere Hospital in Tchad.

 

So, if my tithe doesn’t stay inside the church, where does it go?

100% of your tithe money pays for the proclamation of the gospel worldwide. The church’s tithe guidelines outline that church and school operating expenses must not come from tithe, but rather from our offerings and gifts.

If The Place doesn’t get any of that money, why should I give tithe?

Tithe pays our pastor’s salary, for one! If we didn’t pay tithe, we couldn’t have a pastor. For a church in the Southern Califonria Conference to maintain a full-time pastor requires more than $180,000 a year in tithes. But, if we paid only tithe, we wouldn’t have a church building, Sabbath School materials, and more.

 

What are the primary expenses of The Place?

The primary expenses are rent for our church building; educational subsidies of our local schools, CAES and NPAA; children’s programs; worship service, and other programs here at The Place.