Why Give?
We believe as Christians all we have comes from our generous God and it is part of our discipleship to steward these gifts well. Outward giving overflows when we are caught up in God’s extravagant love and self-giving. When we give to the local church it enables mission and ministry to our community that they may know God’s love too.
Each week hundreds of thousands of Church of England members give their time, their skills and their money to support the work of the Church. Without them, the Church’s ministry and its participation in mission would be far less effective. As uncomfortable as it may sound, financial giving is a key part of this. As a local church we give away at least 10% of our income to mission partners locally, nationally and internationally. We are blessed to be a blessing!
Some helpful guides on how we view giving:
Giving for Life
Living Generously
How To Give – Please look at our Good Giving Guide 2022
What is the most helpful way to give towards expanding the vision at St Stephen’s?
Monthly standing order (preferred).
Complete a standing order mandate which provides an automatic payment directly into St Stephen’s bank account each month of the £ amount you have decided to give.
- Forms can be found at the back of church, contact the office; or click here.
Gifts in Church
- Cash in our perspex collection box at the back of church.
- Every £1 you are able to give makes a difference!
- This is the least tax efficient way of giving. Although HMRC allows St Stephen’s to claim 25% of your cash donations under the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme (GASDS), even if you don’t pay tax.
- Tap to Give – Use our GoodBox machine in church for contactless payments.
PLEASE NOTE – If you are a non taxpayer, then cash (notes/coins) really is the best way to give as we can claim an extra 25% from HMRC.
Online
- Scan this QR code using your smartphone to give via our Stewardship Fundraising page
- You can make one-off donations to St Stephen’s with a credit or debit card through give.net. Donating with give.net is really easy and completely secure. If you are a UK taxpayer, please confirm that you would like to reclaim Gift Aid on your donation. This will add 25p to every £1 you give. Just click on the image below to be directed to our fundraising page.
Other Ways to Give
GAYE
If your employer operates a payroll giving scheme they will deal with the tax reclaim on your behalf, and you can nominate St Stephen’s as the charity recipient. Sometimes employers will add a contribution to increase their employee’s donations. Payments are sent direct to the church. There may be an added benefit to you as the donation is taken from your pre-tax salary. The church cannot reclaim gift aid on GAYE contributions.
Legacies
Our interim treasurer, Noel Fairbairn would be happy to explain Wills and the process, without obligation, if you are thinking about leaving a legacy to assist St Stephen’s in the future. A codicil is a simple one-page addition to your current Will, and the treasurer can explain and provide a template (and help you complete the form if required). Gifts under a Will or Codicil are exempt from Inheritance Tax.
Easy Fundraising
Earn money for St Stephen’s whenever you buy anything online – from your weekly shop to your annual holiday. There are over 3,000 shops and sites on board ready to make a donation, including Amazon, John Lewis, Aviva, the trainline and Sainsbury’s – it doesn’t cost you a penny extra.
To sign up go to Easy Fundraising and join for free. Every time you shop online, go to easyfundraising first to find the site you want and start shopping. After you’ve checked out, that retailer will make a donation to your good cause for no extra cost whatsoever ! There are no catches or hidden charges and St Stephen’s Shottermill will be really grateful for your donations.
Gift Aid
If you are a UK Tax payer, St Stephen’s can claim an extra 25p back for every £1 you give. All you have to do is fill out a form here Gift Aid Declaration Form or pick one up in church and hand it to the Treasurer or Office.
If you would like to discuss any of the listed ways of giving, or have any queries, please contact the treasurer, Noel Fairbairn
Bring you all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house, and prove me now, said the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Malachi 3:10