The ministry of St Mary’s is supported by the generous gifts of its members. On this page, you’ll find details of how you can partner financially in this work.
As followers of Jesus, we want to be generous with the resources God has given us. Paul reminds the Corinthian church that their generosity should come not because they are commanded to give or are pressured into it. Instead, they are to be reflect Christ’s generosity to us:
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
2 Corinthians 8:9
We don’t give because of a command or a law but because we are joyfully generous—in response to the generosity of God. Paul says later:
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7
We would love you to join in supporting the ministry of St Mary’s financially. The work of St Mary’s is funded by two trusts—the St Mary’s PCC and the Christian Workers Trust (CWT). The St Mary’s PCC focuses on the day-to-day running of the church. The Christian Workers Trust funds staff engaged in ministry across many different areas. Giving to either trust goes to support the work of the church.
Read the appeal letter from the PCC, and complete the response form to give.
Read the appeal letter from the CWT, and complete the response form to give.
Gift Aid
To encourage charitable giving, the Government allows tax to be reclaimed on donations made. If you are a tax payer, the value of your gift will be increased by 25% of the amount you give, at no cost to you, provided you pay tax in excess of the amount reclaimed.
Tax-efficient giving is now very straightforward. Taxpayers fill in a single Gift Aid declaration for each charity to which they give money. This allows the charity to reclaim tax on every payment made (whether regular or irregular and of whatever size) until further notice.
The PCC or CWT can only reclaim tax at the basic rate on your gift. Higher rate tax payers declare such gifts in their tax return and receive relief on the total value of gifts made. This means that the real cost to them of making a gift is less than the amount they have given.
If after completing a Gift Aid declaration, your circumstances change and you no longer pay sufficient tax to cover the tax that would be recovered by St. Mary’s, or if you move house, it would be necessary to inform the appropriate Stewardship Secretary. This is important so that we submit accurate information to HMRC, and do not claim back tax to which we are not entitled. Please note; If you pay less income tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed it will be your responsibility to pay any difference.
Given the benefits to St. Mary’s, if you are a tax payer, please Gift Aid your donation.