Help support St John's Church

A famous prayer of St Francis says

‘it is in giving that we receive.’

We all have different circumstances and we all have different gifts.

Giving is not just a matter of giving our money;

it is about giving of ourselves, our time and our energy.

Each of us is called to discern what the right balance

is in each of our lives. But we are all called to give!


Historically, the church has often taught the biblical principle of tithing, suggesting people give 10% of their income.

Of course, we might want to give to many charities and initiatives.

We are all so different, with such different circumstances, so it is not appropriate to be too legalistic in our thinking.


Fundamentally, we are called to give!

(Details on how to give are below.)
 


Here are some principles that might help:


• Generosity is part of our faith and our giving should come from a sense of abundance


• Our giving needs to be realistic about the needs of our church community life


• Our giving needs to be planned so that we balance appropriately the needs of our families and loved ones, our communities, and ourselves


• We are not all called to give the same amount. Within the church community, there should be a sense of equally shared sacrifice: those with more can afford to give more; those with less can give less!

 How to respond
, 2025 Campaign
Since re-opening the church buildings in 2021, our church finances have broadly stabilised, due to the increase in planned giving and collections. A great cause for celebration and gratitude!

But challenges remain. Recently, as part of reviewing our insurances, we have been alerted to the need to update our building for latest fire regulations.

The total cost of the project is likely to be around €20,000.
We feel it prudent to raise this money in a special one-off appeal, saving existing resources to cover any future building maintenance or repair.
Please prayerfully consider your level of giving and whether you could pledge a one-off gift or commit to a monthly or annual donation (or commit more if you already have one set up).

Once you are ready to respond, please contact our treasurer Bob Edwards, either in church or by email, to tell him of any gift you will be making and Bob can provide more details as needed. The information will be completely confidential to Bob.
 [email protected], +44 7796 330370

 
Tax efficient giving

If your donation (one-off or regular payment) is by bank transfer (rather than anonymously
 into the basket), it is traceable and tax benefits are available.


• If you are a French tax payer, your gift will lead to a significant reduction on your tax
 bill, so you could consider giving more!


 • If you are a British tax payer, the church can claim back Gift Aid on your GBP gift,
 increasing its value to the church.

Frequently asked questions


-Would it help if I left a legacy to the church in my will?
                                            Yes!


There are tax efficient ways to do this, both in France and the UK. Please ask Bob for details.  [email protected], +44 7796 330370


-Can’t the Diocese in Europe or Church of England help St John’s out?


In the Church of England in Europe, churches are entirely sustained by their own income.
 We receive no income from the Diocese. The Diocese does make discretionary grants, but these are for one-off initiatives, and are never to cover recurring operational expenditure. If St John’s ever got to the point of not having sufficient funds, we might have access to a hardship fund but this would only be for a temporary ‘bridge.’ We need to be financially self- sustaining for the long term!


-Why does the church have to pay a share of its income to the Diocese in Europe?


We are part of the Church of England in the Diocese in Europe. Each church pays an annual amount, based on income and size of congregation, to help fund the Diocese. This covers such costs as senior clergy and central staff costs, communications, discretionary grants,
 legal costs and safeguarding. In England, the diocese pays the costs of parish priests, but each church pays a much higher share than we currently pay in the Diocese in Europe. In the Diocese in Europe, each church covers the costs of its priests, but we then pay comparatively less to the Diocese.


If you have other questions, please don’t hesitate to ask Bob, Chris or a member of Council. 

[email protected], +44 7796 330370


[email protected]