Partnership Giving
The work of St John’s Church is entirely funded by the congregation and we would love to see St John’s gospel ministry grow, and financial support is a key element in enabling this to happen. The work of St John’s costs about £7,000 per week, the largest proportion of which is to pay for our church staff. Because salaries need to be paid every month, it follows that we need regular income to cover these costs. We therefore invite you to consider prayerfully your contribution to St John’s so our work in the community and with our mission partners around the world can continue to grow.
We do not have regular weekly collections in the services at St John’s. Instead, we encourage members to make a regular commitment to support the work of SJE by becoming a partner. Our preferred approach is through the Parish Giving Scheme (PGS), which enables you to make a regular monthly, quarterly or annual donation. Details of PGS are given below. Some partners also give through a work payroll plan, through setting up a standing order, or through committed regular giving via cash or cheque.
For a quick link to join PGS press here.
Giving in tune with Biblical Teaching
In keeping with Biblical teaching we encourage everyone who worships at St John’s to contribute to the cost of the ministry of the Church.
“On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income…”
We want to build up the body of Christ in St John’s. We also want to invest in Transforming our Community through ministries that bring the love of Christ and the Gospel to our neighbours. In addition, we want to be able to support other ministries overseas and at home, with approximately 10% of our income being given to mission support.
According to 2 Corinthians, Christian giving should be:
- Motivated by grace (8:1–9) It is an expression of thanks to God for his inexpressible blessings to us.
- In proportion to our means (8:12–15) We give according to the riches God has given us.
- Carefully stewarded (8:16–24) To guard against any suggestion of financial mismanagement.
- Willing and cheerful (9:1–7) Because God loves a cheerful giver who gives gratefully to God.
- A source of spiritual blessing (9:8–11) God promises that grace will abound to us as we give
St John’s Partnership and the Parish Giving Scheme
St John’s prefers the Parish Giving Scheme (PGS) as the method by which regular donations from Partners are made to St John’s as part the Partnership Scheme.
PGS is a 21stcentury solution which improves the efficiency, safety and confidentiality of personal giving to St John’s and has advantages for both individual donors and the parish. The PGS is a registered charity administered on behalf of the whole Church of England. It is fully tax efficient, and there are no fees at all to St John’s. We receive 100% of the money you donate (plus an extra 25% if you are a tax payer!). How is this possible? The modest costs are paid for by the Diocese of Guildford.
The method used by PGS is to collect donations behalf of St John’s by Direct Debit. These can be on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis. All donations are held specifically on behalf of St John’s and the scheme is guaranteed as being safe by the Direct Debit Guarantee provided by all UK banks. This means that Direct Debits are in fact a safer method of payment than standing orders or cheques.
The benefits that PGS provides for St John’s is that it vastly reduces administration, meets current HMRC requirements and all information is held securely and confidentially. One other important benefit is that PGS returns the Gift Aid due to us promptly on a monthly basis, directly into the St John’s General bank account. This has a significant and positive impact on St John’s cash flow.
For givers, PGS is EASY to set up, EFFICIENT, SECURE and CONFIDENTIAL. There is a direct UK telephone number (0333 002 1260) for PGS should you need to speak to them or amend your payments. Our interaction with the team up in Gloucestershire, whether by phone or email, has been friendly and positive. Follow this link to see answers to some Frequently Asked Questions.
If you are already a member, note you can now log on with your email to check your payments, or change your giving amount or amend any details.
Thank you very much for considering joining the St John’s Parish Giving Scheme. Please note that the Parish Giving Scheme is confidential and like all partnership communications, personal details and giving amounts are only be seen by the Partnership Secretary, his backup and the Parish Giving Scheme administrators up in Gloucester.
Giving may also be done via Stewardship, CAF, Payroll/Charitable Giving, Online Banking and Cheque (cheques should be made payable to ‘PCC St John’s Church Egham’, and posted to the office or in the box at back of church on Sunday)
For more information on becoming a partner or on the Parish Giving Scheme please contact Phil Johnson, Partnership Secretary on email partnership@stjohnsegham.com or call St John’s office on 01784 605400.
If the partnership online form is not working for you, here is a printable version that you can email back or drop off at the collection box in church. Or just send an email with your response.