FAQs about Giving
Why give?
The church is entirely self-funded. While a small amount of church income is derived from cetral investments, the vast majority of the costs of running a church are met by its members and friends.
Your giving covers the cost of providing a priest and a ministry team for the benefice, their training and supervision. It also contributes to the cost of training their successors and their expenses. Everything that this benefice gives ultimately comes back to the benefit these five churches.
In addition, your giving can be used to maintain and improve the buildings in which the church meets, preserving them for generations to come.
However, the church can only operate within its means. Your generous gift is precious and we do our very best to use it well and for the glory of God.
How can I give?
STANDING ORDER:
If you would like to give regularly, we encourage you to consider a standing order (which can be gift aided if you are a UK tax payer, this allows us to claim an extra 25% from the government). To give regularly and automatically helps us enormously as a church to budget and plan for our future. To give in this way is clearly a commitment and one which you need time to think and pray about.
If you wish to give in this way, please speak to the Vicar or a church warden who will put you in touch with the church treasurer.
CASH/CHEQUE:
You can give cash/cheque each time you come to church, again this can be made tax efficient if you use the Gift Aid envelopes in the pews. This is the money that is collected during worship and offered to God at the altar for blessing; and we pray for wisdom to use this money wisely.
Cheques can be made payabe to one of the four PCCs:
Hormead with Wyddial PCC
Anstey PCC
Brent Pelham PCC
Meesden PCC
ANNUAL OR ONE-OFF GIFT:
Some people give annual gifts, or gifts at a particularly meaningful moment in their lives. I.e. after marriage, in thanksgiving for a birth of a child or Grandchild. Again, these might be GiftAided.
LEGACY:
You could consider leaving a gift in your Will. Your solicitor will be able to advise how you do this, but over the generations many people have left legacies which we try to use for special one off-purchases, so a lasting legacy is left in their memory.
How do I decide how much?
This is clearly a personal decision, and one we each take prayerfully and with thought. Some decide on a % of their personal income and others prefer to think of an amount. But, whatever we give, we do so in response to God’s generosity with us.
This is a ministry for everyone – “each according to your means” 2 Cor 8 v11
If you would like more information about any of these options please ask a Churchwarden or the Vicar, who will be able to help you make an informed choice. All gifts are given anonymously, and no-one other than the treasurer knows the amounts involved.
I can’t give any more than I already do!
Thank you! What you give matters enormously, and is deeply encouraging. Of course we can all give in ways besides money - God gives each of us talents and gifts as well. Many people offer their talents in a variety of ways; grass cutting, cleaning, reading and praying in worship, visiting the housebound or lonely, the list is long! However, the most important gift you can give is prayer; for this church and for her mission in growing the Kingdom of God here.
I already give but could give a little more.
We are grateful to all our generous givers. We certainly only wan't you to give what you can afford. However, we do understand that it's helpful to review finances, especially if it's not been done for a while. You might be able to consider raising your gift by a modest amount anually, perhaps in line with inflation. Anything extra will be gratefully received.
I’m not really a regular, but I love the building…
You are not alone; many people give to a building as an important landmark and integral part of village life. Without the help and generosity of the wider community of people like you, some churches could fall into disrepair and be lost.
We wlcome volunteers who may not want to be part of the worshipping community but would like to help maintain our churches in all sorts of practical ways. All of our churches have a ’fabric’ account for donations to maintain and improve the fabric of our buildings. Great Hormead and Wyddial also has a 'Friends' association who look after and maintain the fabric of the buildings there.
Our giving sustains
our church buildings - sacred places dedicated to public
worship, private prayer and witness.
We pray they will be here for future generations to use as we do,
for daily worship, baptisms, weddings and funerals.
Our giving sustains
parish priests and readers across the diocese
and trains new clergy for the future.
Our giving sustains
parish ministry; measured by every service held,
every ill person visited, every confirmation course run,
every assembly taken, every bereaved
family comforted, every baptism celebrated,
every sermon preached, each Eucharist celebrated,
each marriege blessed, every memorial made
and each person shown the love of Christ through
our care, comfort and compassion.
Our giving maintains
five active churches and our sunday school,
weekly communications in print and online,
our bimonthly newsletter, office and travel expenses.
Our giving covers
all the bills that enable us to provide hospitality and warmth
in a safe environment
and the fees that enable us to communicate
online and in print with those we serve.
Our giving enables mission
both here in our villages, in this diocese of St Albans,
and overseas; for friends and neighbours
and for people we will never meet
but to whom we are able to give practical support
through our ministry of giving.
Our giving makes a real difference to the communities we serve
and, by example, encourages outhers to give.
This ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but overflows with many thanksgivings to God 2 Cor 9:12
Contact
The Vicarage
Great Hormead
Buntingford
Hertfordshire
SG9 0NT
01763 289258