St Michael's and Money
All things come from you, and of your own have we given you (1 Chronicles 29 v 14)
Christians are called to reflect the values of God''s Kingdom in every aspect of our lives, and how we think about and use our material goods and money is included in this. Recognising that all we have comes ultimately from God leads to an attitude of gratitude and open-handedness, which frees us from selfishness and greed and enables us to use our resources to further the work of God and help others.
You can read more about this and what it means in practical terms in our church in the leaflet below. In addition to regular giving to finance the day-to-day work of our church, we also from time-to-time run fundraising events and campaigns, either to pay for repairs to the church fabric or for particular projects, or to support outside charities.
Christians are called to reflect the values of God''s Kingdom in every aspect of our lives, and how we think about and use our material goods and money is included in this. Recognising that all we have comes ultimately from God leads to an attitude of gratitude and open-handedness, which frees us from selfishness and greed and enables us to use our resources to further the work of God and help others.
You can read more about this and what it means in practical terms in our church in the leaflet below. In addition to regular giving to finance the day-to-day work of our church, we also from time-to-time run fundraising events and campaigns, either to pay for repairs to the church fabric or for particular projects, or to support outside charities.
| stewardship_leaflet_2024.pdf |
Parish Finances
St Michael’s (in common with most Church of England parishes) is a separate registered charity (No 1134547) and therefore completes annual accounts in an approved format each year. For charity details please follow this link.
We have three main sources of income:
A little over 50% of our total income is paid to the Diocese of Oxford to provide clergy (including our Rector), training, and the infrastructure that ensures the church remains prominent in our national society. We receive no funds from the Diocese or the Church of England, apart from a grant from the Diocese towards part of the salary of our Family Worker.
The remainder pays for the ongoing operations of St Michael's, our work in the local community, and the upkeep of our buildings and churchyard.
We have three main sources of income:
- The generous giving by our members and visitors;
- The commercial income from the Pastoral Centre
- Statutory fees received with respect to Weddings, Funerals, and the Churchyard.
A little over 50% of our total income is paid to the Diocese of Oxford to provide clergy (including our Rector), training, and the infrastructure that ensures the church remains prominent in our national society. We receive no funds from the Diocese or the Church of England, apart from a grant from the Diocese towards part of the salary of our Family Worker.
The remainder pays for the ongoing operations of St Michael's, our work in the local community, and the upkeep of our buildings and churchyard.
Funds
We hold our money in a number of funds including:
- General Fund - typically holding about two months of expenditure;
- Repairs Fund - to cover significant urgent items of repair and renewal to our property;
- Winspire Fund - where we hold the funds specifically raised for the repairs to our stained glass windows, spire, bells and clock;
- Youth Work fund;
- Family Worker Fund - which covers the costs of our Family Worker;
- St Mary’s Mission Fund - which holds the proceeds of the sale of the site in Wellington Road formerly occupied by St Mary's Church and money received many years ago from the sale of two other houses. It is currently used to fund the salary of our part-time Family Worker.
- Hardship Fund - a small fund to assist anyone in the parish with immediate financial need in a crisis.
How to give to St Michael's
A collection is taken at the Parish Communion and the Family Service. At the back of the church there is a contactless terminal for credit/debit card donations and a box for a retiring collection at other services.
If you would like to make a regular or one-off gift to the work of St Michael's, please go to our Donations page where you can give online, or can download a Pledge Form.
The PCC reviews its own approach to good stewardship each year, and encourages the members of the church to do likewise. In line with Church of England teaching we encourage members to give 5% of their net take-home pay (i.e. after tax) to the church, and a further 5% to wider charitable work. We have developed a simple spreadsheet to help you analyse your giving - see the end of this page.
We would also ask you to consider including a bequest to St Michael's as part of your will. Such gifts enable us to undertake special projects and expand our horizons. You can see our legacies leaflet here.
If you would like to make a regular or one-off gift to the work of St Michael's, please go to our Donations page where you can give online, or can download a Pledge Form.
The PCC reviews its own approach to good stewardship each year, and encourages the members of the church to do likewise. In line with Church of England teaching we encourage members to give 5% of their net take-home pay (i.e. after tax) to the church, and a further 5% to wider charitable work. We have developed a simple spreadsheet to help you analyse your giving - see the end of this page.
We would also ask you to consider including a bequest to St Michael's as part of your will. Such gifts enable us to undertake special projects and expand our horizons. You can see our legacies leaflet here.
Charities Supported by St Michael's
The PCC is pleased to ensure that we give the first 10% of all donations received through our planned giving and regular collections to external charities of both local and wider scope. Details of the charities currently supported are given here
Financial Review Spreadsheet
The spreadsheet is below, but if you prefer to work with paper and calculator there is also a pdf version for you to print.
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