Freely you have received; freely give.
Matthew 10:8
Introduction
Holy Trinity Church is a centre of Christian worship and teaching, pastoral care, spiritual guidance and mission. However, to fulfil our ministry and mission, we need money to:
- Maintain the church building so that it remains a welcoming space for the community to use to worship God, pray, come and sit in quietness, or attend our regular groups and events, such as Café in the Church, Space to Grieve and Organ Elevenses.
- Fund our fantastic musical tradition and choir.
- Fund our work with children and youth.
- Pay and house our clergy, and contribute to the cost of ministry across the diocese.
- Support missionary and outreach work locally, nationally and internationally.
It is a common misconception that, as part of the Church of England, we receive funding from government, but this is not the case. Instead, each church has to raise the necessary funds to operate as a Christian presence in the local community.
Can you help?
In response to God’s love for us all, we are called to God’s service to live gratefully and generously through the giving of our time, the use of our skills and our monetary giving.
Giving time
There are plenty of opportunities to get involved at Holy Trinity Church by giving your time, including helping with our various groups, contributing to our prayer ministry and pastoral ministry, joining the PCC and many more.
To find out more, please speak to Fr André Hart or one of the churchwardens. You can find them at church, or contact them via the Parish Office on 0117 950 8644 or by emailing office@westbury-parish-church.org.uk.
Giving money
We must decide for ourselves how much we can afford to give because we all face different circumstances. One approach is “giving in proportion to what you have”. The initial target suggested by the Church of England is 5% of our post-tax income, but some Christians follow the traditional practice of tithing, which constitutes 10%.
For our church to plan confidently for the future, it is helpful if financial support is given consistently, such as weekly or monthly. However, the decision on what to give is an individual one. All giving is received with thanks.
Payment methods
The methods available for giving are explained below. If you are a tax payer, you can increase the value of your gift by 25% at no extra cost to yourself by completing a Gift Aid Declaration, which enables tax on your donation to be reclaimed.
Parish Giving Scheme
You can use the Parish Giving Scheme for both regular giving (by direct debit) and one-off gifts (by credit or debit card). Although the gifts are made to the PGS, they are restricted to the parish that you specify and cannot be used elsewhere. The gift (and any Gift Aid sum) is passed on to the parish by the 10th of the month.
Direct bank transfer
If you would prefer to make irregular payments, you can transfer direct to our bank account. Please contact our Stewardship Recorder or our Treasurer via the Parish Office to request our bank details. Remember to ask for a Gift Aid declaration if you are a tax payer.
Weekly envelopes
If you would like to make weekly gifts by cash or cheque, we can provide weekly envelopes that you can bring into Church. Please contact our Stewardship Recorder via the Parish Office to arrange this. Remember to ask for a Gift Aid declaration if you are a tax payer.
Card reader
There is a card reader near the church entrance where you can make donations whenever you like. The process includes the option to make a Gift Aid declaration so that we can reclaim the tax on these gifts.
