In 2023 we were given a very generous one off donation. The predictions for 2024/25 are based on our currently monthly donations.

Each church within a Methodist Circuit pays an assessment to the circuit. Out of this central pot each church is able to assess help and resources such as (but not limited to) legal guidance, Safeguarding oversight, Human Resources and Employment services. Each Circuit will also have a Superintendent (Rev David Miller for Launceston Area Methodist Circuit) and various employees who offer spiritual and practical oversight and guidance to all churches in the circuit. 

The loans shown on our budget are to repay private loans that were taken out to purchase our building.

The responsibility and oversight of the building is held by the Bridge Church Trustees however all church buildings within Methodism are owned by the National Methodist Body as custodian Trustees.  

We have 7 members of staff working at Bridge Church. This including Toby Lee (Worship Pastor and Head of Media), Lucy Worth (Administrator), Naomi Thomas (Seed Manager), Lydia Lee (Seed Cafe), Leah Blacher (Bridge Kids Pastor), Michelle Rutter (Children’s and Families Community Pastor) and Tom Rutter (Schools Pastoral Worker).

As a church we have made a commitment to pay all our staff the ‘Real Living Wage’ as set by the The Living Wage Foundation.

This income is generated mainly from renting out areas of the church both long term and short term. In 2024 the local Portage Team who support families with children with additional needs hired space within the building to hold support groups for families. This agreement is currently due to end at the end of 2024.

Although we do not currently have an employed Youth Pastor working at Bridge Church we are still dedicated to supporting our teenagers. We have been blessed by Lydia Duke this year who has worked hard as a volunteer youth worker alongside a team of volunteers to facilitate youth work within the church. This has included organising Sunday morning sessions, social trips, running a teen Alpha Course, and taking our youth to Satellites Camp. We also have Tom Rutter who is employed with the church to work with young people at Launceston College offering both one to one support and group sessions.

As a team we are looking at ways we can get the church involved in presenting their ideas and capacity on how we continue to fundraise together with an entrepreneurial and missional heart. If you have any ideas, please get in touch below.

You will see from the document that we are predicted to have a deficit at the end of 2023/24. This means our outgoings are more than our income for that year. The reason we have been able to continue despite this deficit is due to previous financial giving that created a surplus in our account. We have been using this to offset the deficit however this surplus will not sustain us into next year which is why it is important that we seek to balance our 2024/25 budget.