Church Funding

Content authorised by St John’s PCC, 2024

Our Church

Our giving sustains mission both here in Grove and overseas for people we may never meet but to whom we are able to give practical support through our ministry of giving.

Our giving sustains our ministry, shown by:

Our giving sustains our clergy, here and across our diocese and helps train clergy and lay people in new ministries.

Our giving sustains our church building, a sacred place dedicated to worship, prayer and witness.

This ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but overflows with many thanksgivings to God

2 Cor 9:12

Our Challenge

To cultivate what St Paul calls the grace of giving we need to think carefully about all we receive from God and prayerfully review our giving.

As of 2024, our church needs £12,996 per month (£2,998 per week) to sustain our building and clergy, our ministry and mission.      

In 2023 we received £12,620 per month. To bridge our income gap of £376 per month and for our ministry to flourish, we need the grace of giving.

This is a ministry for everyone – ‘each according to your means’

2 Cor 8:11

Our Choices

Our church planned giving schemes have 73 members.

Is it time to join Parish Giving Scheme?

The Gift Aid scheme has 57 taxpayers contributing.

Is it time to sign up?

Giving to God’s work through the church should be a priority.

Is it time to increase?

There are a number of people giving proportionately as the bible teaches.

Is it time to give a percentage of what we receive?

But just as you excel in everything …see that you also excel in this grace of giving

    2 Cor 8:7

How Much?

How do we decide how much to give?

There is no one, easy answer for everyone. We are called to love God and our neighbour and our giving is an expression of that love.

There are very practical things we can do:

1. increase our giving to meet our church’s needs
2. join our planned giving via the Parish Giving Scheme
3. optimise our giving using Gift Aid if we pay tax¹
4. make a legacy gift when we plan for the future of those we love and care for
5. give proportionately – a percentage of our income given to fund ministry

But at the end of the day how much to give is a thoughtful, prayerful decision only you can make. Love is generous, love is kind and love is selfless – we see that in all God gives to us; how will we respond?

Our Spending

In 2024 each month we will spend:

• £8,040    on our share of clergy costs: stipend, housing, training etc.
• £2,105    on our building: insurance, heat, light etc.
• £2,184    on worship and ministry: for our congregation and connected community
• £667       On our mission giving

Each month we will need:

• £8,384   from regular congregational giving
• £2,038    from HMRC for Gift Aided giving and donations
• £680       from fees: weddings, funerals etc.
• £1,896    from the hall, our fundraising and other income streams

Thank you for helping to make this happen!

A link to the Parish Giving Scheme is here: ParishGiving.org.uk

1. Notifying HMRC of Gift Aid donations, even if you do not fill in a Self-Assessment Tax Return, may enable additional giving from those who are Higher Rate tax payers or who claim Married Couples Allowance. ↩︎