I am a Christian. I am the Church Treasurer in my spare time and in my day job I am an accountant, which really helps me in my role as Treasurer. My family are very important to me and even though we do not all live nearby to each other we are a close family. I enjoy my job as an accountant, working closely with small businesses in the North West.

 

I am responsible for making the payments that the church must pay e.g. Gas/electric/rates and other bills, and recording the financial transactions for St Paul's in the books. I reconcile and keep track of all the incomings and outgoings, and I report to the Church Council.

 

At each Church Council meeting, I report on the income and expenditure since the last meeting and provide figures of average weekly offertory, advise where we need to cut back, or where we can spend some money. I attend other meetings as required.

 

Also, I prepare the Annual Accounts for the church, compliant with the Charity Commission, although this is not strictly my job as Treasurer. I am able to do this as I have the necessary skills and experience, drawn from my day job. The accounts are then independently examined.

I was christened as a baby at St Paul's.  I started attending St Paul's services regularly in the 1980’s as a teenager and have been coming ever since. I want to worship God, which of course I could do at any church, however the people at St Paul’s are very friendly and as I now know most people who attend the church, they feel like an extension to my family. I have made many friends from church, which I otherwise would not have. I like the way our church services are conducted, the variety of services and also the music group playing the choruses that we sing.

 

I feel at home in St Paul’s and much as you have memories from places you have lived I have memories from church. I mean, from times spent with the church family, and not just times spent in the building. I have fond memories of former vicars and their families and events I have attended, particularly holidays in the Lake District attending the Keswick Convention and many outings and times spent worshipping God in different ways over the years, with the church family. My own confirmation also holds special memories for me.