PCC Giving

PCC Giving

Thank you for your partnership in the gospel and your loving service across the church family.

Whatever our gifts, resources or income level, God has graciously given us all things to steward for his glory. We are asking you to pause and to prayerfully consider how you might best steward your financial resources and to consider the support needed to enable the ministry at St Mary’s.

As a PCC, we only make a request of this sort once a year. We choose not to have collections, nor to make frequent requests for giving as we want to communicate how God’s grace to us is free to us. However, we want to encourage everyone annually to review the stewarding of their resources and to invite people to consider how they support the ministry in our church.

Summary of PCC finances

The PCC finances are divided between a General Fund and a Building Fund.

The General Fund covers the day to day running costs of the church including the cost of the Rector and Curate via the contribution to the Diocesan Common Mission Fund. The exception is other staff costs which are paid by the St Mary’s Christian Workers Trust—a separate, independent organisation.

The budgeted expenditure for PCC General Fund for 2024 is set at £187,453 including approximately £38,000 of self-funded expenditure (e.g. Weekends Away). The large items in the budget are: Diocesan share £95,594, church buildings £33,778, plus utilities £20,081.

New giving is continually required to replace that which is naturally lost year on year due to regular givers leaving St. Mary’s, or changes in their circumstances. Over the last few years this has resulted in around £5,000 a year being lost.

The Building Fund is restricted to the development and maintenance of our buildings. No expenditure is yet planned for 2024 although a regular 5-yearly inspection of buildings is due which will result in expenditure being required. There are sufficient funds available for foreseeable use and there is no need for increased or new giving to this fund.

How the money gets used

We set out a full account of how our resources are used in the Annual Report, which is available to all. However, some of the main expenditure includes:

  • A contribution to the Common Mission Fund. The salary, pension and housing costs of our Rector and Curate are paid for by the Diocese and this contribution helps cover those costs. Our contribution is related to the size of the congregation at £95,594. The amount is based on the number of church members and does not change whether or not we currently have a Curate.
  • Routine running costs. These include utilities which cost around £20,081 and day to day running costs of £33,778, which includes insurance, office expenses and equipment and maintenance costs.
  • Church mission. These include the many children and youth groups that meet during the week, some events and ministry with the wider community.
  • Less frequent costs. There is the occasional need to replace old worn-out equipment. In addition, moving to online services and the greater use of technology, will require investment in technical equipment.

Request from the PCC

We really value your support and would ask you prayerfully consider your continued giving for 2024 in light of the alternatives mentioned in the presentation to the congregations. If you are able to give more to the ministry, please consider doing so.

If you consider yourself to be a member of the St Mary’s church family and are yet to regularly give, we would encourage you to commit to supporting the ministry financially. As church members we will have very different income levels and resources; however, it is not the amount of giving that is important as the act of giving. Even very modest support is gratefully received and enables ministry to be supported in the future.

Please also consider a gift to St Mary’s PCC when you are writing your will. Legacies have been a very valuable help in the ongoing ministry of the church.

What to do next

If you are making a new commitment, or changing your existing giving, we would be grateful if you could respond by completing the ‘My Response’ form (and where appropriate including the Gift Aid declaration) to David Marlow by Sunday 10 December 2023 (You can do this either via the St Mary’s Church website, or as a paper form).

Please note that your response is confidential and not circulated within the church or PCC. Paper copies of all forms, including bank standing order forms, are available at the church office.

If you are a UK taxpayer please complete a Gift Aid Form as this increases the value of your gift by 25%. 

For more information on:

Thank you for considering this request and, if you are already a regular giver to St Mary’s PCC, thank you very much for your continued generosity.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

2 Corinthians 8:8–9

With our warmest Christian greetings on behalf of your Church Council