Supporting the Five Parishes

GIVING TO SUPPORT THE WORK AND MISSION OF THE CHURCH

How do we get the money we need?

The ministry in The Five Parishes is funded by:-

those who attend church services
The Countess of Warwick Show (www.countessofwarwickshow.org)
The Friends of the Five Parishes
Donations
Investment income
Fees from weddings and funerals, and legacies

Why give?

The Bible tells us to be generous in our giving to the Lord, and
to be organised in the way that we give.

The work of the churches is greatly helped in managing it finances by knowing that a large proportion of its money is given regularly and systematically. Planned giving helps us to know how much is coming in so that we can pay the monthly bills.

How can I make a donation?

Donations may be made in the following ways:

regular giving by donation incorporating the Gift Aid scheme:
- using Parish Giving Scheme (see below)
- or occasional giving for non-taxpayers by standing order
- via JustGiving at www.justgiving.com (see below)

WHAT IS THE PARISH GIVING SCHEME

The Parish Giving Scheme

Operated by the Diocese of Gloucester, the Parish Giving Scheme (PGS) is an established, free service for managing Direct Debit donations to support churches to fund their mission and ministry. It reduces the burden of work on church volunteers and provides a simple and secure service to donors. The PGS makes it possible for donors to:

Donate monthly, quarterly, or annually by Direct Debit
Sign up to inflation-linked giving annually (a voluntary option)
Enhance your gift to your church by having Gift Aid at 25% added to your giving
Give securely and, if you prefer, donate anonymously

With PGS, there are three ways to set up a Direct Debit to donate regularly to your church:

via website www.parishgiving.org.uk
using a gift form (available from your PGS parish representative), then mailed
via the PGS telephone service on 0333 002 1271, Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm.

You can donate to the Five Parishes Parochial Church Council (PCC) or any of its churches, but you will need the appropriate registration number given below:

The Five Parishes PCC: 08A608528	St Mary’s Church, Broxted: 080608510
St Mary’s Church, Tilty: 080608528	Little Easton Parish Church: 080608524
St John & St Giles Church, Great Easton: 080608515

A. Some notes to help you to set up your own Direct Debit

Via Internet, go to www.parishgiving.org.uk
Scroll down the dotted line to Parish Search, and in the box
Enter the appropriate registration number as given above, and next to it
Click on Find your church where the next page will have
On the left side, a distance guidance helpful if you have come in via another route
On the right, a map showing your church’s location and below it
A box confirming its name and address
Next to that another box saying Donate
Click on this to take you to a page dedicated to your church/PCC. This is called The Landing Page. There you will find the instructions dedicated to you as the donor.

JustGiving

Enter the amount you wish to donate in the small box to the left of the purple donate button below
Click on the purple donate button (this does not charge you but takes you to the next screen).
Check the amount and that you have chosen “One off” or “Monthly” as required.
Continue to follow the instructions and you will be taken to choose your payment method and Gift Aid option
Continue to complete the transaction remembering to fill in the field to leave a message to tell us which area of the Five Parishes you wish to benefit – either the show, any one of the churches, the magazine, or the general work of the Parochial Church Council.

We are featuring the show on JustGiving not only to publicize the Show but also because there are many entries using the words “five” and “parishes” and at least two other groups of churches known as The Five Parishes!

CONTACT US:

For help with Parish Giving Scheme, one-off donations, payment by standing order or queries regarding Gift Aid, please contact Gift Aid Secretary, Angela Harbottle on 01371 876707 or Email.

PLEASE CONTINUE TO GIVE VIA THE METHOD THAT SUITS YOU BEST. WHATEVER YOU GIVE IS OF GREAT WORTH TO GOD AND HIS CHURCH.

Thank you for supporting our work.

For legacies, please ensure that your Will contains the correct information that will be required by your beneficiaries to make contact with us.

Check with Angela as above or a churchwarden.

THE FRIENDS OF THE FIVE PARISHES IS A REGISTERED CHARITY
(NO. 1059862)

Their mission statement is:

“The Friends of the Five Parishes is a registered charity dedicated to help preserve the fabric of the church buildings of Broxted, Tilty, Great Easton and Little Easton in good order for future generations”.

The Friends have been held up as a model of excellence for parishes wishing to start their own Friend’s group. Currently, there are over 120 active members.

Fundraising activities include:-

membership subscriptions
the sale of merchandise
the 50% club monthly draw
and other fundraising activities.

The Friends have given over £88,000 in grants to our four churches and are expecting requests for still more as work continues in the churches during the coming months.

Chairman Warwick Newbury and members of the Executive Committee thank everyone for their continued support.

The Annual General Meeting

This event takes place in May each year when everyone is welcome to come along to hear how The Friends have fared during the past year, to enjoy some goodwill with other friends and refreshments. Non-members are always welcome but only members may vote.

Future Events planned by The Friends

Details of these and other events are always to be found in The Five Parishes Magazine.

The Friends 50% Club

This fundraising event operates from September to August, each person taking part paying £1 per month entry fee. A draw is held in church on the last Sunday of each month, half the proceeds going to the winner and the balance (less some minor expenses) to The Friends. This provides on-going valuable income to The Friends and some fun for the participants! Contact the secretary on 01371 876707 or by Email and she will put you in touch with the organiser. The Draw is registered with Uttlesford District Council.

What do we do with the money we receive?

Every parish contributes an assigned amount of money each month to the Diocese. In 2021 our monthly payment was £3,545 each month. Then, of course, there are the household bills: heating, lighting, water rates, insurance, maintenance, and ministerial expenses.

The Christian Church also has a responsibility under God to support the wider work of the church. Our Parish gives ad hoc donations to such charities as The Children’s Society, the Diocesan Bishop’s Lent Appeal, Christian Aid and others. Support is also given to overseas children via ActionAid.

As the local Great Easton Primary School is a Church School, we support the school by making an annual financial gift to their work. In addition, we pay for the distribution of bibles to those who leave the school from year 6.

Nothing offers so practical a test of our love for Jesus or for others as does our attitude to money and possessions…

The world asks how much we own. Jesus asks how we use it
The world thinks more of getting. Jesus thinks more of giving
The world asks what we give. Jesus asks how we give
The former thinks of an amount. The latter thinks of the motive
People ask how much we give. The Bible asks how much we keep!

The church teaches that ‘All things come from God, and of his own do we give him’

Thank you for thinking and praying about what you can give back to God.