Giving

The information on this page relates to financial giving. The other pages of this website describe how you can get involved and serve at the various groups and ministries within the church.

Introduction

God is blessing us with creativity, new life and growth. God's challenge to us now is to continue to grow. We are planning to make room for growth to begin to give away the life he has given us - to share it wider with the people and churches of Leeds.

To do this we need to continue to invest in our staff team. So, as the church is currently growing at around 15 per cent a year, our staff team and our giving need to keep pace.

New to the St George's family?

Our hope is that as you receive God's blessings through St George's, you will help us to pass his blessings on to others, not only by offering your time and talents, but also by starting to give financially to St George's.

We have over 400 adults who regularly worship with us at our Sunday services of whom 200 give regularly by Bank Standing Order. This is why it is realistic to pray for 100 new regular givers.

For those who don't have bank accounts or pay tax, and for visitors, there is the opportunity to give cash into the offering bags week by week. For everyone else it would be helpful if you gave monthly by Bank Standing Order. Remember, if you set up a Bank Standing Order, you can always cancel it or change it if your circumstances change.

So, how should we give?

Tax Efficiently

If you are a tax payer, fill in a Gift Aid Form so that St George's can get the extra 25 per cent tax back.

Realistically

In 2009 we plan to spend £438,000 on clergy, staff, building and admin costs, ministry and mission (15 per cent of everything you give goes to our mission partners). If all adult worshippers gave regularly, we would need to give an average of just £20 a week each (or £85 a month or £1000 a year) to pay for everything.

According to our means

This is fair, because our household incomes vary enormously. 10 per cent (a tithe) is the proportion the Bible mentions; for some this will be a challenging target to gradually and sacrificially work towards; for others it will be a starting point.

Reviewing your giving

I would like to encourage everyone who gives regularly to St George's to review your giving, every year, in a way that suits you. This year, it is vital that we do this as a whole Church Family, because some of us will, quite rightly, have to cut our giving. It is therefore vital that the rest of us, who have not been so hard hit, make sure that we are pulling our weight; in this way we will be helping each other out, as families do.

More information

A summary of the 2009 budget and explanatory commentary is available from the Church Administrator.
Please complete a pledge form at return it to Janet Gibson in the church office if you want to start giving regularly or when you have reviewed your giving.