BH Autumn Appeal FAQs
If you have questions or want to know more about our autumn appeal, then hopefully this will help you. If not, please get in touch with Nick, Don or Nigel, or the church office.
Why should I give to BH?
The only funding we receive is from our congregation, and from letting out our halls and properties. The more we use our own premises, the less we rent them out! Everything that happens in the life of the church relies on all of us who benefit from it supporting it.
For members of BH, this is simply part of our family commitment. If you are not a member, but still benefit from what happens here, can we invite you to support it financially?
BH is a registered charity: all funds received have to be accounted for in accordance with the terms of their receipt, and our accounts are filed annually with the Charity Commission where they are publicly available.
I have never given before…how do I start?
Our giving leaflet explains how to do this: standing orders through an arrangement through the Parish Giving Scheme are the simplest for everyone, and using gift aid if you are a taxpayer. Please contact the church office for more information.
One off donations can be made direct to the BH bank account, but please let the office know so that they can ensure it is processed properly.
How much should I give?
We have set out our needs in the appeal leaflet, but it is entirely up to you what you give. The bible teaches us two broad principles. Firstly we are told to give in a planned way, and to be generous. There is no fixed amount, but Christians often use the 10% (tithe) principal set out in the Old Testament. Some would say that we only begin to give after we have given that tithe. We have provide some further reading on this important aspect of our Christian life at the back of church.
Will my money end up with the national church?
All funds received from this appeal will be dedicated to our restricted Christian Workers Fund, which is used to fund our non ordained staff and any associated clergy. This fund is separately shown in our year end accounts which are subject to independent external scrutiny. It will not be used for other purposes.
What is the budget for next year?
Our budget will be finalised after we know how this appeal has gone – it gets signed off at the December? PCC meeting. As things stand we may be able to break even next year, but not with the staffing that we have historically enjoyed and or need to continue our ministry. Our request for extra money is to allow our historic ministry to continue, but exactly how that works will depend on this appeal.
£120,000 for an associate vicar seems a lot of money?
This is to provide enough to cover two years. The pay (“stipend”) for clergy is set by the Church of England. The Diocesan budget for 2024 is for associate vicars annual employment cost to be 40,024 pa including tax and national assurance. In addition associate vicars receive a % pension contribution ( needed to allow them to find accommodation in retirement). There is also an annual housing cost of £20,000tbc pa
How does this fit in with the new BH strategy?
The BH strategy will continue to involve, based on the two pillars of prayer and evangelism. BH will not change fundamentally with a new strategy though we may look to use our existing resources differently. Because our reserves are beginning to be eaten up, we need to appeal for further money now, rather than wait until the strategy is fine tuned.
Is this urgent – don’t we have lots of money in the bank?
We have benefitted from substantial legacies in the past and so there is money in the bank at present. Depending on how this year finishes, we probably have enough reserves to see us through another year- but every year our routine costs exceed our regular income. Meanwhile we are trying to maintain our buildings to an acceptable standard. For the last few years we have used money set aside for building work to pay our running costs, or relied on occasional major gifts. But this is an uncertain way to plan and we would like to make things more certain.
What if I don’t have money available right now?
Do not make quick decisions or incur overdrafts etc. if you want to give but can’t right now. However if you think you will be able to contribute in the future – especially a lump sum to the associate vicar fund – please let Don know so it can be factored into our plans.
Legacies
If you have not written a will, please do so! If you have not left a legacy to BH please see our separate leaflet. If you want to change something in your will, you can do this without changing the whole will be adding a “codicil”, or even by adding a “letter of wishes”, though this is not legally binding.
Write your will for free - https://www.churchofengland.org/faith-calling/lasting-gift-your-church/writing-your-will/free-wills
Why should I give to BH?
The only funding we receive is from our congregation, and from letting out our halls and properties. The more we use our own premises, the less we rent them out! Everything that happens in the life of the church relies on all of us who benefit from it supporting it.
For members of BH, this is simply part of our family commitment. If you are not a member, but still benefit from what happens here, can we invite you to support it financially?
BH is a registered charity: all funds received have to be accounted for in accordance with the terms of their receipt, and our accounts are filed annually with the Charity Commission where they are publicly available.
I have never given before…how do I start?
Our giving leaflet explains how to do this: standing orders through an arrangement through the Parish Giving Scheme are the simplest for everyone, and using gift aid if you are a taxpayer. Please contact the church office for more information.
One off donations can be made direct to the BH bank account, but please let the office know so that they can ensure it is processed properly.
How much should I give?
We have set out our needs in the appeal leaflet, but it is entirely up to you what you give. The bible teaches us two broad principles. Firstly we are told to give in a planned way, and to be generous. There is no fixed amount, but Christians often use the 10% (tithe) principal set out in the Old Testament. Some would say that we only begin to give after we have given that tithe. We have provide some further reading on this important aspect of our Christian life at the back of church.
Will my money end up with the national church?
All funds received from this appeal will be dedicated to our restricted Christian Workers Fund, which is used to fund our non ordained staff and any associated clergy. This fund is separately shown in our year end accounts which are subject to independent external scrutiny. It will not be used for other purposes.
What is the budget for next year?
Our budget will be finalised after we know how this appeal has gone – it gets signed off at the December? PCC meeting. As things stand we may be able to break even next year, but not with the staffing that we have historically enjoyed and or need to continue our ministry. Our request for extra money is to allow our historic ministry to continue, but exactly how that works will depend on this appeal.
£120,000 for an associate vicar seems a lot of money?
This is to provide enough to cover two years. The pay (“stipend”) for clergy is set by the Church of England. The Diocesan budget for 2024 is for associate vicars annual employment cost to be 40,024 pa including tax and national assurance. In addition associate vicars receive a % pension contribution ( needed to allow them to find accommodation in retirement). There is also an annual housing cost of £20,000tbc pa
How does this fit in with the new BH strategy?
The BH strategy will continue to involve, based on the two pillars of prayer and evangelism. BH will not change fundamentally with a new strategy though we may look to use our existing resources differently. Because our reserves are beginning to be eaten up, we need to appeal for further money now, rather than wait until the strategy is fine tuned.
Is this urgent – don’t we have lots of money in the bank?
We have benefitted from substantial legacies in the past and so there is money in the bank at present. Depending on how this year finishes, we probably have enough reserves to see us through another year- but every year our routine costs exceed our regular income. Meanwhile we are trying to maintain our buildings to an acceptable standard. For the last few years we have used money set aside for building work to pay our running costs, or relied on occasional major gifts. But this is an uncertain way to plan and we would like to make things more certain.
What if I don’t have money available right now?
Do not make quick decisions or incur overdrafts etc. if you want to give but can’t right now. However if you think you will be able to contribute in the future – especially a lump sum to the associate vicar fund – please let Don know so it can be factored into our plans.
Legacies
If you have not written a will, please do so! If you have not left a legacy to BH please see our separate leaflet. If you want to change something in your will, you can do this without changing the whole will be adding a “codicil”, or even by adding a “letter of wishes”, though this is not legally binding.
Write your will for free - https://www.churchofengland.org/faith-calling/lasting-gift-your-church/writing-your-will/free-wills
There are three ways in which you can support the work of the church and our mission partners:
PCC
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BHCWF
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JHMT
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Many people at Bishop Hannington Church give to one, two or three of the above, often by standing order..
To give to the PCC and the CWF
To give regularly to the work of the PCC and/or the CWF please sign up to the Parish Giving Scheme. Let us know if you would like to split the gift as a percentage. The Parish Giving Scheme (PGS) is a simple and secure way for churches to receive regular donations by Direct Debit. To sign up please follow the link below. For more information please contact the church office.
To give to JHMT
To find out how to give to JHMT please contact the church office
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You can also find out more about leaving a legacy gift here
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Another way to give
Photo from wuestenigel
