Giving for God's Work

Giving Renewal 2015

Giving is part of life.  We give presents to family and friends.  We give our time to help other people.  We give money to good causes.

Most of the money Holy Trinity needs to do God’s work comes from giving by our congregation.  There is no  magic source of income.

Please will you read this page carefully, pray about what you will give, and fill in and return the promise card.

Facts and Figures

Holy Trinity’s living expenses come out of our ‘general fund’.

During 2015 we expect to spend:

Ministry in the parish                              £72 000
Given to the diocese (parish share     £103 500
Charitable giving (tithe)                           £13 500

TOTAL EXPENSES                                  £189 000
which is £3,630 per week

At the moment we receive:

Congregational giving (inc gift aid)     £117 000
Room lettings                                           £25 000
Other income                                           £18 000

TOTAL INCOME                                     £160 000
which is £3,070 per week.

That makes a gap of £29 000 per year or £560 per week

Our General Fund reserves are £84 000—less than the six months expenditure we aim to keep. We cannot afford to draw on our reserves.

What can you do?

We would like everyone who belongs to Holy Trinity to consider carefully and prayerfully what you will give to God’s work through your church. There’s a suggested way of praying about this on the back of this leaflet.

The Church of England recommends that its members contribute 5% of their income after tax to the church - and another 5% to other charitable causes.  How close are you to giving 5%?  Could you get a step nearer to it this year?

Once you’ve decided, please tell us what you will give.  You can do this using the promise card. If you pay income tax, please fill in the Gift Aid declaration so we can reclaim the tax you’ve already paid. If you wish to give by standing order, please also complete the Standing Order form. This is the easiest and most reliable way of giving, both for you and for the church.

If you’ve never been part of the regular giving scheme before, please consider it.  It helps immeasurably if we know what our income is likely to be.

FAQs

Doesn’t the church get money from the government?

No, the church receives no money from the government (except the Gift Aid we reclaim on your gifts).  The church relies entirely on its members to support its ministry.

Didn’t Holy Trinity receive a lot of money from a legacy?

Yes, we were fortunate to receive a large legacy some years ago. 55% of this has been given away to good causes. The remaining 45% has been allocated to capital projects on the church, like the new church heating and floor, repairing the organ, replacing the sound system, and essential masonry work.

We give the central church a lot of money. What is this ‘Parish Share’ for?

The vast majority of it goes to pay and house clergy—including our own clergy.  As a richer church, we do pay a bit more than we receive back from this. The rest supports poorer parishes which would not otherwise have priests.

Where can I find out more?

We’d love to answer more detailed questions.  Please contact either our Stewardship Officer, Tracey McDermott, or Treasurer, Jonathan Hett, via the Parish Office

Thank you for your gift

Resources

Click below for:

Our Giving Renewal Leaflet

The promise card and gift aid declaration

Chris Palmer's sermon about the giving renewal


‘I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over,
and make up your own mind what you will give.
That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting.
God loves it when the giver delights in the giving.’

2 Corinthians 9.7, The Message