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Growing in God’s love

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The Benefice of Sawtry,                                                                                         Reverend Becky Dyball

Glatton and Holme with Conington                                                                         The Rectory

                                                                                                                                Church Causeway

                                                                                                                                Sawtry

                                                                                                                                 PE28 5TD

                                 Email: revdyball@gmail.com

                                 Mobile: 07444 574039

                                 Office: 01487506217   

                                                                                                                                

                                                                                                                                 May 2020

Dear Friends,

Please know I am praying for you all, all those you love and our benefice; all those who live, work and support the local communities and further afield. This is a very disorientating and concerning time and the impact to each and every one of us is at the forefront of my thoughts.

I write following conversations with many of you and an awareness that we have an ongoing responsibility to our church family. Money is often an awkward topic and I hope this letter helps ease any awkwardness felt

and encourages us all to think realistically and honestly about what we may be able to give financially to the church.

Giving is of course far more than about finance and each gift of time, energy, skill and talent have significant value and cannot be underrated. I give heartfelt thanks to God for the variety of ways in which people use those gifts for the ministry of the church. It is on this occasion that I choose to focus on financial

giving due to the unusual situation we are placed in.   

The Bible talks a lot about money, Jesus spoke about it a lot, in fact a sixth of Jesus’ recorded sayings and more than a third of his parables are about the relationship between a person and their money and possessions. It was a hot topic and he sums that up best perhaps in Matthew 6:21 ‘For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’

The Bible teaches us that a Christian should give:

In proportion to our income (Proverbs 3:10)

In weekly, regular and disciplined way (1 Corinthians 16:2)

In a way that is realistic to the need (Luke 21:4)

Holistically (Galatians 6:7-10)

In secret (Matthew 6:4)

With joy (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)

Many people make gradual steps in their giving. It’s an individual’s decision, everyone’s circumstances vary and please don’t feel pressured by others (especially me). Pray about your giving and talk it over with your family. If the rest of your family are not Christians that will clearly affect your own giving. This will perhaps be

a challenge but important to hear that for many of us we need to move beyond the stage where we are giving to God our loose change or what we can spare, it should be a considered, thoughtful part of our worship (2 Corinthians 9:6-15). The bottom line is to be financially secure now and going forward we need your financial support where possible.

On average (for each church) it costs us around £150-200 a day to keep our church building open and the ministry and mission of the church active.

Standing orders

Many of you will already have a standing order set up with your bank to give regularly to the church; thank you. Please can I encourage you to review your giving and increase it where that is possible. It may be for some that this is a time, especially with the financial implications many feel as a result of Covid-19, to reduce your giving, please only give proportionately to what you can afford.

Many of you give regularly to the church by putting cash in the offering plate; thank you. Especially at this time when this is not a possibility please can I encourage you to set up a standing order with your bank to give monthly to the church. There are many benefits to this but a key one is this helps us immensely as we plan and budget (very similar to how many of you will receive a monthly salary/pension and budget accordingly). The churches bank details can be found at the end of this letter.

One-Off Gifts

I have had a request from a number of people about one-off gifts. We are so grateful when people are able to give in this way and adds additional resources to equip our ministry. This can be done electronically using the bank details listed at the end of this letter.

Legacy

Some of you have also asked me about legacy gifts and how to include the church in your will. We have been privileged to receive gifts over recent years which have made vital contributions to the mission, ministry and fabric of the spaces we use for worship. A gift in your will can be an expression of your gratitude and thanksgiving towards God, and can help keep your local church alive, and transform its future. In the useful information section at the end of this letter you will find some suggested words that can be included in your will. You can also find out more details and request a free information pack from www.churchlegacy.org.uk.

Gift Aid

Gift Aid really is a valued gift to the church because if you are a UK taxpayer and eligible to Gift Aid your donation, this will increase your gift by 25p for every £1 given at no extra cost to you or us – Brilliant hey! It’s really easy to do, especially if giving regularly, as all we need is for you to complete a one-off Gift Aid form and returned to us.

Money is a topic we shouldn’t shy away from but often do, it’s a topic Jesus spoke of often because He knows the role it has in our lives, in our values, in our priorities. Jesus was a radical person and teaches us to be radical also but sometimes we don’t need to be that radical to make a huge difference. The giving of our time, energy, talents and money is part of our collective worship to a God who loves us, A God who sacrificed for us and a God who is with us now. If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to giving, please feel free to get in touch with me to talk it through.

When I first started giving to church ministry the vicar suggested I could give the equivalent of the cost of a weekly coffee and cake with a friend, a bottle of wine or a meal out and when I saw my bank statement I could use it as a prompt to have time with God. I find this a really helpful practice, it also helps us as a family remain mindful about where we spend money, what our priorities are and how we would feel if God took a look….of course knowing God sees it all already.

Thank you

Whatever and however you give of your time, energy, talent and money thank you. Your gifts enable the ministry of Jesus to be seen in our communities, through the work we do in our schools, workplaces and homes. Thank you for making that possible.

Please do not hesitate to get in touch with me if you would like to talk any of this through.

Every blessing,

Reverend Becky Dyball

Useful Information

Bank Details

Please contact Rev Becky, treasurer or Church wardens directly for Bank Details.

Legacy

Suggested Wording for will

“I give the sum of £_________ (pounds only) free of all taxes to the Parochial Church Council of the parish of NAME CHURCH IN FULL in the Diocese of Ely for its general purposes, and I declare that the receipt of an officer of the Parochial Church Council shall be a sufficient discharge to my executors and trustees.”