Here's a short, practical guide to helping St John's and feeling good about it.

Why should I give to St John’s?

St John’s relies on the generosity of its congregation for its survival and development.  We receive no external funding, such as grants from government or the local council.  This is why we need to ask you to think about how much you can give to us.

How much does it cost to run St John’s?

St John’s needs about £300,000 of income each year—that’s £6,000 each week.  This pays for items like clergy, music and staff salaries, heating, lighting, telephone, printing, postage, repairs and insurance.  This may not sound exciting, but it all has to be paid for!  Don’t forget that all these bills need to be paid for the six days a week that you don’t come to church and for the Sundays that you aren’t here.

How much should I give?

We would like you to make a regular monthly payment, as this helps us to plan ahead for the year.  The majority of people give between £50 and £200 per month, with some giving less and some giving more.

How can I make my donation more valuable?

If you are a UK income tax payer, then the taxman will add a valuable 25p in the pound to any donation you make, provided you sign a simple Gift Aid form.  This means that if you give £50 per month, the church claims £12.50, making your donation worth £62.50!
There is even better news if you are a higher rate taxpayer: you can reclaim the difference between the standard tax rate (20%) and the higher tax rate (40%).  This means that your actual cost of giving £50 is only £37.50, while the Church gets £62.50!

Why should I feel good about giving?

Look around the church at the fantastic restoration job that was done in 2005.  This all came from donations by members of the congregation, plus a large portion reclaimed from the taxman by Gift Aid.  Everyone who gave feels good about their contribution.  Some people feel really good about us getting useful money back from the taxman!
The church will continue to thrive if you give to us regularly.  We can all feel good about the excellent clergy team, the music and administration staff and the splendid period building.  We are fortunate to have these fine people and premises, but only because we have all done our bit to pay for them.  Together they build and facilitate our thriving community life.

Download our Standing Order form

Download our Gift Aid form.