Stewardship is a way of life in which we recognise that we are stewards of all that God has given us; and that includes our time, our talents, our possessions and our money.
Our churches are funded almost entirely through the generosity of their congregations. The provision of services, buildings maintenance, children’s work, outreach and mission in Westbourne and Woodmancote costs around £8,000 per month. We commit to paying our full Parish Share to the Diocese and we look to run a balanced budget. Quite simply we cannot function without your support.
Regular giving allows us to plan confidently for the future. The best way to do this is through the Parish Giving Scheme (PGS). We currently have 70 members of the congregation giving monthly, quarterly or annually in this way and Gift Aid can be automatically recovered. The information and sign-up pack are available here.
You can enrol in the Parish Giving Scheme by phoning 0333 002 1271 (Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm) to set up a regular donation. All you need is your bank account details and our parish code – 102080326
Equally, St John’s could not function without volunteers giving their time to keep the Church running. For example, churchyard maintenance, the choir, bell ringing, flower arranging, serving on the church committees. Have you considered whether you could help? See our Groups page for more information.
Have you considered leaving a gift to St John’s in your will?
We welcome all gifts in wills, however large or small and we promise to use your gift to make a difference to our parish. Our PCC Legacy Policy is to use gifts to help fund significant development projects, whether buildings, equipment or staff.
Since our needs change over the years, we encourage you to leave a gift in your will for the general purposes of the parish rather than for a restricted purpose. We will discuss possible uses of your gift with your executors when the time comes, bearing in mind your known areas of interest in the church (e.g. music, buildings, children and youth, outreach, overseas mission or aid) and the church’s priorities at the time.
You can be confident that your gift will be used to make a real difference to our future mission and ministry at St John’s.
We acknowledge gifts in whatever way the donor and/or their executors feel is most appropriate. Equally, we can make sure that gifts remain anonymous if the donor prefers.
If you would like to talk to someone in confidence about the sorts of purposes your gift might fund, and how/if you would like your gift to be acknowledged, please contact Stewart Taylor our Treasurer by email: stewart.m.taylor@btinternet.com
If you would like to make a gift to our church in memoriam, please come and discuss this with us too. It can be a wonderful and appropriate way to remember a loved one.
Rev Andrew Doye (Rector)
Stewart Taylor (Treasurer)
