Greetings Willowdale Church Family,
Summer has come to an end, and as a church family we now stand at the threshold of the final quarter of 2026. As we look toward the remaining months of this year, I want to share openly with you about two important financial needs facing our congregation: our Local Church Budget and our Willowdale Building Fund, but before speaking about what remains to be done, I first want to say thank you.
Thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you for your generosity. Thank you for believing in the ministry and mission of Willowdale. During the first nine months of 2026, your giving has allowed ministry to continue, outreach to take place, our facilities to be improved, and the mission of our church to move forward. Ministry and mission do not happen without the faithful partnership of God’s people, and I am deeply grateful for what you have already done.
At the same time, there is still important work before us, and I am asking our entire church family to help us finish 2026 strong.
Local Church Budget
As of August 31, 2026, our local church budget is operating with a deficit of approximately $11,000.
In previous years, a deficit at this point in the year would not have caused significant concern because the final months of the year have traditionally been a season of increased giving. However, this year we are also awaiting our annual church insurance premium. Normally, that insurance bill arrives in April, but it has been delayed while the SDACC and Ontario Conference work to address the significant increases in insurance premiums affecting our churches. In previous years, Willowdale’s annual premium has ranged from approximately $17,000 to $18,000, and we are preparing for the possibility that this year’s bill could approach $19,000+.
If that happens, our present $11,000 budget deficit combined with the pending insurance expense could leave us facing a financial need of approximately $30,000. That is significant—but it is also manageable if we respond together. We have three months—October, November, and December—to close this gap and finish the year in a financially healthy position. I am asking every member and family who calls Willowdale home to prayerfully consider what you can do, above your regular tithe, to support our local church budget during these final months of 2026.
Willowdale Building Fund
There is also an important need concerning our church facility. On Tuesday evening, September 15, the Church Board voted to address our long-standing air-conditioning problem. The units located in the church attic have served Willowdale faithfully for decades, but they have finally breathed their last breath of cold air! The units have now been decommissioned, and the Board has approved approximately $55,000 to replace them and resolve this issue.
Our summers are becoming increasingly hot, and maintaining a safe, comfortable environment for worship, ministry, our children, our seniors, and everyone who uses our facility is no longer optional. It is something we must address.
Over the last several years, our Building Fund has allowed us to accomplish a tremendous amount. Because of your generosity, we have been able to complete multiple renovations and improvements throughout our church. What has already been accomplished is something for which we should be deeply thankful. At present, approximately $200,000 remains in the Building Fund. The air-conditioning project will significantly reduce that balance, and we still have one major renovation project before us: the renovation of our church kitchen.
Each month, our members faithfully contribute approximately $3,000 to $4,000 to the Building Fund. I am asking our church family to prayerfully consider giving an additional gift to help replenish the Building Fund so that Willowdale can complete these approved projects while maintaining a healthy reserve for future facility needs. The work we have accomplished together has been remarkable. Now we need to finish what we started.
Moving Forward in Faith
As I consider these financial needs, I am reminded of the promise of Philippians 4:19:
“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
I believe that promise. God has been faithful to Willowdale in the past, and I believe He will continue to be faithful in the future. But throughout Scripture, God’s work advances when His people respond to His blessings with faithfulness, generosity, and sacrifice. So, I am asking each of us to pray:
“Lord, what would You have me do?”
Some may be able to give a little more. Others may be able to make a significant year-end gift. Every gift matters. Every act of faithfulness matters. And when an entire church family works together, what may seem difficult becomes possible. Willowdale, thank you for everything you have already done. Thank you for supporting the mission. Thank you for investing in this church. Thank you for believing in what God is doing among us.
Now, with the final quarter of 2026 before us, let us finish strong—together. May everything we give and everything we do continue to advance our mission:
To Know Jesus and to Make Him Known.
In His Service,
Pastor Glenn DeSilva