How can I give to the church?

Offertory plate
Each Sunday service includes a collection so that everyone has opportunity to contribute to the work of St. John's. All donations are gratefully received. However, if you come regularly to church we would like to ask you to join our planned giving scheme.

Planned giving scheme
We encourage all those with an ongoing commitment to St. John's to contribute financially to its ministry on a regular basis. The planned giving scheme is a confidential way of regularly giving money to church for as long or short a period as you wish. By joining the scheme you will be letting us know in advance how much you intend to give on a weekly, monthly or annual basis. This allows us to create a budget for each year, and so helps us to plan ahead for the future. However, joining the scheme does not imply any legal commitments to giving. You can stop, reduce or increase your giving whenever you wish. There are two main ways to operate the scheme:
Bankers order- It is very easy to arrange to give to church directly from your bank account. You remain in control of your giving, but once the order is set up you can forget about it until you want to change it. You can arrange to make payments as frequently as you wish - monthly, quarterly or annually. You may already pay your utility bills in this way. The advantage for St. John's is that it requires less administration, and continues even if you are unable to attend church for a while.
Envelopes- For those who prefer not to use bankers order, you can still give in a planned way by asking for a box of giving envelopes. There is one envelope for each week of the year in which you can place your cash or cheque. The envelopes have a reference number so that the giving secretary can match the amount in the envelope with the person in the scheme. As with other methods no one else will know how much you are giving.
Others- There are other, less frequently used, methods of planned giving, which some people find helpful. Ask for details if you would like to find out more.

Gift Aid
All charitable giving is tax deductible. This means that if you pay tax on your income or investments, then the church can reclaim the tax that you have already paid on any money you give to St. John's. By filling out a gift aid form you can increase your church giving by 28%! If you pay tax and have not already filled out a form, please let us know. At no extra cost to you the church can increase your giving.
 
Bequests / Legacies
Leaving a gift in your Will to the church is a very practical way of continuing to support its ministry for future generations. Please ask for more information on this if you think this is something you might like to do.

How much should I give?
We encourage everyone to give 10% of their net income to St. John's and then give extra to relief, mission and charitable organisations. However, the amount each person gives will depend entirely on their own personal circumstances, both financially and in respect to your commitment to the life and work of the church. We have no wish to place further pressure on those who are already struggling to make ends meet and, of course, no one is forced to give anything to the church if they do not wish to do so. However, the more people give to the church, the more effective we can be in fulfilling our ministry and mission to the parish and beyond. There is much that we would like to do in the future, but this will only be possible through the generosity of those who support the church. And, of course, we can never out-give God. As we give to him, his people and his work, so God will pour out his blessings upon us!