Our Church
Our giving sustains parish ministry - think of every ill person visited, confirmation course run, bereaved family comforted, baptism celebrated, sermon preached, Eucharist celebrated, and every person shown the love of Christ through our care, comfort and compassion.
Our giving sustains our church building here - it is a sacred place dedicated to worship, prayer and witness.
Our giving sustains -parish clergy across the diocese and trains new clergy.
Our giving sustains mission both here in this diocese of St Albans, and overseas - for people we will never meet but to whom we are able to give practical support.
This ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but overflows with many thanksgivings to God. 2 Cor 9:12
Our Challenge
If you would like more information, you can download these documents:
Parish Giving Leaflet (pdf)
Pledge & Giftaid (pdf)
Pledge & Giftaid (Word etc)
St John's needs £3,017 each week for its ministry of worship, witness, service and mission, or about £21 for each person in the congregation each Sunday.
In 2012 income is expected to fall short of spending by about £220 per week or £11,425 for the whole year.
We have very limited scope to make cost savings, partly because our largest expense, the Parish Share, is not under our control and partly because we have already made those savings we can.
The challenge therefore is to increase our income.
Did you know?
St John’s welcomes all members of the congregation. Whether your worship with us is short or long-term we encourage you to make a contribution to the life of St. John’s, spiritually, socially, practically and financially as your means allow.St. John’s is funded almost exclusively by donations from our congregation. Over 85% of our income comes from donations from members of our congregation. We do not receive grants from the government, the diocese or the rest of the Church of England, or from other charities.
We are blessed with a large congregation, but this significantly adds to our costs. A part of our Parish Share is calculated based on church attendance. This costs £3.65 each week for every member of the congregation over 16.
St. John’s has very few reserves. At the current rate of income and expenditure, we can cover any shortfall for only about 3 years.
Our Choices
Should I join our Planned Giving scheme? About 180 people and families at St John’s give regularly through the Planned Giving scheme. If you are not yet a member of the scheme please consider joining. If you are already a member, please review how much you give and consider increasing the amount. To join the scheme or amend your giving, please speak to our Parish Giving representative (details overleaf) or fill out the form.
Should I remember St John’s in my will? St John’s was blessed to receive a significant legacy more than 20 years ago, the "Ted Ward bequest", which has funded a number of major projects we would not otherwise have been able to afford. However, it has been fully exhausted by the replacement of the church roof in 2011.
Remembering St John’s in your will is one way to help ensure the future of our church for the next generation.
Should I make a one-off donation? If you cannot commit to regular giving or if you wish to top up your regular giving, you can make a one-off donation. When making your donation please fill in one of the "Gift Aid" envelopes available in church to enable us to reclaim some of the tax on your donation. Envelopes can be placed in the weekly collection.
