Stewardship

Last Updated on Friday, 26 April 2013 14:50

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Giving for Life Roadshow
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Over 70 parishes have already benefited from the Giving for Life Presentations by
John Preston, The National Stewardship Officer.
For those who couldn't come along we have further presentations

at Derby Cathedral on Monday June 3rd - 2.00 pm prompt start for the Presentation

1.05 pm    Communion
1.40 pm    Registration and Coffee
2.00 pm    Giving for Life - why stewardship?
2.45 pm    Comfort break - juice and water available
2.55 pm    Legacies
3.20 pm    How can we work together + questions

at Brimington, St Michael and All Angels on Monday June 3rd - 7.30 pm prompt start for the Presentation

7.10 pm    Registration and Coffee
7.30 pm    Giving for Life - why stewardship?
8.15 pm    Comfort break - juice and water available
8.25 pm    Legacies
8.50 pm    How can we work together + questions

A booking form is available here

The Cathedral have offered those booking a 10% discount for the Cathedral Bookshop and the cafe on the day (max 1 voucher per person and 1 voucher per purchase).

There will be a further Stewardship event at
and at St Peter's, Chellaston on the 14th October at 2.00 pm

For those planning to run a 'Giving for Life' programme you can download all the leaflets here.
A pre-printed individual Giving for Life leaflet can be obtained by ringing or emailing Carole Lloyd (contact details below)

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Important Gift Aid news
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There are two important Changes to Gift Aid in 2013

Claiming procedures for Gift Aid

From later this year, most parishes will need to claim Gift Aid online. The new system will go live on 22nd April, but the current R68i forms can continue to be used until the end of September 2013. Latest guidance will be made available on the Parish Resources website. When the system is live, a detailed, step-by-step guide to claiming under the new system will be published there, including screenshots to simplify the process of moving across.
For more information please click this link

Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme - GOOD NEWS!!

We are all struggling to make ends meet at the moment and here is a way to increase your income by up to £1250 with just a little extra recording! Please be aware that the Small Donations Scheme will start from the beginning of the tax year, 6th April 2013.

To be eligible donations must be small cash donations

• small - donations of £20 or less

• cash - in coins or notes (standing orders, cheques etc are not eligible)

• donations only - not money from raffles, tombolas, sales etc

• from individuals, received in the building and on which no Gift Aid claim has been made.

Please note that this does not replace gift aid and we still need to encourage those who can to gift aid, especially as there is a limit on the claim of £5000 worth of donations. Also, if the church receives less than £500 gift aided donations the limit is reduced to 10 x the amount of gift aided donations

You will need to keep evidence as follows

• deposit slips from the bank

• vestry forms showing the cash collected (download here)

The Parish Resources website has more information here

You can download the latest guidance notes from the National Stewardship website here

Again the operating guidance has not yet been released by HMRC so please keep an eye on this site.

At the moment we are still awaiting final guidance from HMRC on claiming but the key is to start recording fully at the beginning of the tax year.

Please note that collections should always be treated securely - the plate should be collected and counted as soon as the service is over by two people so that no one is ever left alone with the money. You should also ensure that two people are always present when money is counted and both should sign the vestry form to confirm the count.

Please ensure that your Treasurer / Gift Aid Secretary is aware of these changes which will make a significant difference to the finances many of our churches and of our diocese.

New wording for Gift Aid forms and envelopes from January 2013

The wording that should be used on gift aid forms and envelopes has changed and you need to use this new wording on any gift aid forms or envelopes that you print. For full up to date information about Gift Aid please see the Parish Resources website for guidance.

 

The Stewardship Team

The Revd Carole Lloyd is Diocesan Stewardship Officer and combines this role with being Vicar of Swanwick and Pentrich. Carole works closely with the Church Growth Officer, Lee Townend and Mike Warner to develop stewardship policy and practice.

As Stewardship Officer, Carole is here to help you, as you develop a vision of your life and purpose as a local church, to resource your mission and ministry.

You can contact Carole on 01773 607947   or by email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Mike Warner works with Carole as Stewardship Adviser and is a Reader in Ashbourne, Clifton,
Norbury and Snelston.

You can contact Mike on 01335 346504  Mobile 07970 842687

or by email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Mike has a heart for Stewardship in its widest sense. He is passionate about helping people in the parishes to develop Stewardship programmes whereby stewardship becomes closely linked to discipleship.

Our Vision

• To promote Stewardship as an on-going process of discipleship which challenges us to consider our lifestyles as part of our relationship with God.
• To enable people, both lay and ordained to see Stewardship as an integral part of our Christian living rather than as an occasional campaign to plug gaps in budget.

What is Christian Stewardship?

Stewardship is the way that we look at the world when we become a disciple of Jesus Christ. At its heart is the recognition that all we have and all that we are is a gift from God.

We are on a journey and, as we come closer to God, we respond by living our discipleship in response to all that God has given us.

Stewardship is a way of life in which we recognise that we are stewards of all that God has given us; and that includes our time, our talents, our possessions and our money.

Stewardship is an active response to the words ‘I believe!’; or to put it another way stewardship is a part of our spirituality and a way of life in which we seek to use all that we have to continue the mission of sharing the good news of the God's Kingdom.

As a result:

• we advance the mission of the church to proclaim God’s love in Christ:
• we release resources for the relief of the poor:
• we become more aware of our responsibility to be good stewards of God’s creation.

The four key principles of Christian Stewardship

1.   Discipleship: How we handle money, wealth and possessions is a central part of our discipleship.

2.   Mission: Our giving of time, money and talents resources God's mission in the world.

3.   Generosity: Our generosity is one of the values that should mark us out as Christians.

4.   Lifestyle: Giving is from our whole income, not from what's left over.

What does the Bible say about giving?

The Bible has lots to say about money, our attitude to it, and our use of it. Altogether there are over 2000 relevant Bible verses. If you want to preach on giving you can find some themed scripture references here.

If you are considering preaching about money there is some useful help on the Parish Resources website.

Stewardship and Mission

As parishes and MMAs across the Diocese work on or review their Mission Action Plans outcomes will vary depending on context. However, underlying all mission is the need to resource new initiatives, not only with the necessary personnel but also by providing adequate financial support.

If you would like support with this please contact the Stewardship Officer.

So what about the Parish Share?

Parish Share is the contribution each parish makes to the total costs of Mission and Ministry in the Diocese with each MMA contributing for the benefit of the whole body of Christ.
Parish Share Supports:

• All clergy costs stipends, pensions, housing and training:
• Diocesan Administration:
• Diocesan Ministry and Mission Support:
• The Diocesan contribution to the national Church of England.

Local Good Practice

Parishes and MMAs need to develop good habits and keep stewardship on their agenda; the General Synod Report Giving for Life identifies the following four key strategies for parishes:

1. effective teaching on giving: to nurture holistically generous disciples. There are plenty of opportunities within the lectionary to raise the profile of stewardship with local congregations.

2.  linking giving with mission and growth: enables givers to see the effect of their giving.

3.  annual review of giving: most personal finances work on an annual basis, as do church finances, so it is good to help people review their giving once a year.

4.  thanking givers each year: values regular givers and gives them feedback on the mission that their giving has enabled.

Stewardship in Derby Diocese

The Stewardship team iworks together to identify strategies to support and encourage parishes and MMAs in their response to resourcing their Mission Action Plans. In Autumn we are rolling out a full Stewardship programme, which will involve engaging people at all levels with the principles of Stewardship to ensure that good stewardship of time, talents and finances becomes a part of all the lives of all who worship in this Diocese.

Stewardship Resources

There are many useful resources on the web which can be used to assist in stewardship campaigns. Select the heading to be taken to the website.

1. Parish Resources

This site is provided by the Church of England's National Stewardship Department and offers a wide range of resources to support all aspects of stewardship in the local church.
There are pages for those who preach and teach about stewardship, for encouraging giving in the local church, for Treasurers, Gift Aid secretaries and for those involved in seeking funding for major projects.
There are also resources for PCC members in their role as charity trustees, guidance on registering larger PCCs with the Charity Commission, a stewardship toolkit for rural churches, a good practice guide for managing parish reserves, and a number of activities for use in teaching stewardship topics to young people.

2. Stewardship – transforming generosity

Provide training and resources to help churches develop a biblical perspective on money matters. You will need to register to access all the resources available. The Seasons of Giving resources give some imaginative ways to approach a stewardship programme.

3. The Church of Scotland National Stewardship Programme

Developed by the Church of Scotland; a flexible approach to encourage congregations to review the giving of time, talent and money or just money. Poses questions about objectives, suggests events and how to communicate with individuals.

4. The Parish Funding Programme – Guildford Diocese

For parishes wishing to undertake a full stewardship programme (or annual renewal) the Parish Funding Programme (PFP) has a proven record of generating increases in Planned Giving. It encourages each parish to discern its vision and future plans, as the focus for an increase in Planned Giving.

5. The Money Revolution – John Preston

The book and associated website gives guidance on how we should handle our money based on the premise that all we have belongs to God.

6. Giving in Grace

Diocese of Liverpool site, with an abundance of resources which can be mixed and matched to form a major stewardship programme or an annual review, whichever is appropriate. It is recommended that parishes should follow their programme.

7. TRIO (The Responsibility is Ours)

Available as a binder with the materials needed for running a programme, based on presenting the needs of the parish to the church members. Includes:

a. guidance on running a programme:
b. sample presentations:
c. sample leaflets.

Southwark Diocese makes a charge for the materials to cover their costs.

8. Caring for the future - Legacies

This website offers a range of resources to help people think about making or reviewing a will, and how this fits into the Christian life.