PCC News

It addresses head on the reticence many people have talking about money. 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.