Parish of Walton-on-Thames
St Mary with St John

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2008 Annual Review

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Introduction

The principles of stewardship are the foundation of our life together as a church.

Every few years we run a Planned Giving Renewal programme to encourage parishioners to re-consider their committed level of giving, both money and time and talents. In this way the PCC is better able organise our life and direct our mission, knowing what income to expect.

Read details of this year's Planned Giving Renewal in the leaflet 'Parish Commitment 2008' and an extract from David Henderson's speech on giving.

We are extremely grateful for all contributions, whatever form they take.

Traditionally the main methods of giving were by collections at services or the envelope scheme. These days more and more parishioners are giving by standing order. We are also able to claim back tax paid by those of our congregation who pay tax.

Standing Order

If you are able to commit your planned giving using a weekly, monthly, or annual standing order this is much simpler both for you and for the parish. You can do this by either printing off or picking up the planned giving form from either church, filling in the form and returning it to the Planned Giving Recorder.

Envelope Scheme

If you want to give regularly via collections at services, you can ask to have a set of weekly 'planned giving' envelopes for the year. Only designated members of the Parish Finance Team have access to planned giving information.

Gift Aid

If you pay tax and you complete a simple gift aid declaration, then we are able to reclaim from the Inland Revenue an extra 28p for every £1 you give. This is obviously well worth doing.

Legacies

Many people have given generous legacies to the parish in the past, and this continues to be an important source of funding. Within the past year the parish has received three legacies, which will benefit our churches' ministry and outreach in many ways. Have you thought of leaving St Mary's and St John's a gift in your will? If you are drawing up or amending a will, you many want to consider leaving a sum of money to the parish. It is easier legally and financially for the parish if legacies are unrestricted, in other words that they do not state what the legacy is to be used for. A suitable form of words might be "I give (sum of money or percentage) absolutely to Walton-on-Thames PCC".

Frequently Asked Questions

I am new to the parish and wish to give regularly. Who do I contact?
Please contact our Parish Stewardship Promoter. He can answer any question you have and provide forms for regular giving and Gift Aid.

How confidential is my giving?
Whichever way you choose to give, only designated members of the Parish Finance Team have access to planned giving information.

What is the recommended method of giving to the Parish?
We strongly recommend giving by Standing Order and completing a Gift Aid declaration if you pay tax. You can of course give via envelopes if you wish. You can also take advantage of any Give As You Earn contributions sometimes made by employers..

I am not sure how much I should give each week, is there a norm or expected amount I should give?
How important is the work committed by Christ to his Church in your life? More or less than leisure activities? One of the essentials? The most important of all?

How often should I review my contributions?
Each October we hold a stewardship Sunday to remind everyone of the need to consider their giving. The costs of running our parish are continually increasing, as like every church we have to become more self-financing. Although costs rise for everyone, circumstances change for each of us as each year passes. Rather than wait for a major stewardship campaign, we suggest that you take that annual opportunity to review your own commitments, but this is entirely up to you.

What if my circumstances change and I wish to alter my donations?
You can change how much you give at any time. If you have a standing order then you can either inform your bank directly or simply fill out a new mandate and return it to the Planned Giving Recorder. We do ask you to advise Planned Giving Recorder if you alter your regular contributions so he can be sure no error has occurred. If your address or other contact details change, we would also be grateful if you would inform him.

If you do have any further questions, then please do contact:

The Parish Stewardship Promoter
David Henderson
c/o Parish Office
St Mary's Church Hall,
Church Street,
Walton-on-Thames,
Surrey, KT12 2QS
e-mail :- stewardship@waltonparish.org.uk

or:

The Recorder
c/o Parish Office
St Mary's Church Hall,
Church Street,
Walton-on-Thames,
Surrey, KT12 2QS
e-mail :- recorder@waltonparish.org.uk

Please make any cheques or standing orders payable to:

"Walton-on-Thames PCC"