PCC News

As incumbents, PCCs and congregation members, so often we don’t want to go there! Yet the only way we’ll remain sustainable people of God in a place is by prayer, thanksgiving for God’s provision and offering of our best, including money, for His purposes.

Arriving at Horsford Benefice three years ago, I discovered a heavily subsidised parish share wasn’t paid and giving was reducing. All three parishes were running at a deficit. Time for the “M” word to be talked about!

I invited one of the Parish Funding Support Officers to a joint PCC meeting, who was able to put God into context, His mission and our personal and parish response of thanks giving. Attitudes towards parish share changed that evening as the Diocese big picture and our role was discussed. Inviting someone to talk doesn’t change the situation but it did give openness of the ‘M’ word situation and helped kick start a broader plan with a mix of community and congregational response opportunities.

The parishes developed a budget/ annual planning from 2018. Transparency increased in PCC meetings of our finances with parish share discussions changing from “if we should pay it” to “what will we give”. 2019 has seen all three parishes contributing monthly to the Parish Share by direct debit. Sending Christmas cards to every household in the benefice started in 2017, with an Easter card introduced in 2018. They’re an investment, part of our mission to build relationship. There’ve been higher offerings at these festive services alongside the message “we’re here, we’re open and God loves you”.

Parish gift days started in 2018. Our mission strategy includes offering hospitality and these days gave us opportunity to do so. This year, alongside leaflets in every door in two of the parishes with the third parish as many as possible, social media activity and poster advertising is being used.

The Ministry Team explicitly integrate stewardship in our worship, our PCC meetings have open discussions about the reality of our deficits, the value of legacy giving has been experienced by one parish and so an example is used across the benefice. Robert Culyer, Parish Funding Support Officer, preached in 2018, movingly using the story of the widow giving all she had in thankfulness to God.

At life event services I’m specific where donations will be used so releasing congregational giving to keeping our churches open. We’re on the contactless pilot scheme, we started to give thanks for the offering of our best and/or first fruits verbally for all to hear in each service as well as praying for our finances; our weekly news sheet has prayer items around our finances. January 2020 sees the introduction of weekly giving envelopes as well as asking people to give regularly by standing order.

The finances still aren’t on track; we’re still struggling with our subsidised parish share. Culture change is slow but with prayer and thanksgiving I am encouraged God will work His purposes out.

Kind gifts do great things

St James’s Church Southrepps
St James’s Church was left a legacy of £750,000 which enabled them to build a well-designed extension. The ground floor includes a kitchen and small hall which is large enough to seat approximately 25 people sat around tables. There are also toilets and a store room and upstairs there is a useful meeting room and office.
This is the sort of development which would help so many of our churches become community buildings for their local village, but it is dependent upon us being proactive about encouraging legacies in our own parishes. With these sorts of facilities you can hold toddler groups and coffee mornings very comfortably as well as run several other much needed groups. Legacies like this help to make our churches sustainable for the future.

Christ Church Eaton
Christ Church Eaton were able to develop a welcome area in their church thanks to the generosity of a legacy. It has a fully accessible WC and kitchen facilities which are proving helpful for hosting concerts, weddings and major services and is also ideal for community events, exhibitions, lunches and school visits.
Legacy money has also meant that they can restore their pipe organ. Christ Church were very clever as they did not use every penny of their legacy money to pay for their projects but also applied for grants from grant-making bodies, which meant that their legacies went so much further. A legacy, however small, can be that important catalyst to get a project off the ground, and that is why each and every one of us in our church congregations as well as those living in our local communities should consider leaving a legacy to their church.

St Mary and St Botolph Church Hevingham
St Mary and St Botolph Church had a prayer answered in the form of a legacy. They needed to replace the lead on the church roof which had been stolen. They decided to go ahead with the work in the summer because they were very fortunate that they had been offered two interest-free loans to settle the account for the repairs which was due the following January. The problem with loans is that they have to be paid back, but just as the invoice arrived they received notification to say that they had been left a legacy. This was such a timely occurrence and we can only imagine the joy that the legacy brought to that parish. It is a lovely thought that we too can bring so much joy after we have gone.