Regular Giving
St Sebastian’s Parish welcomes local residents and church community members to give regularly towards the Parish mission and maintenance of our Church buildings. Below are details for setting up regular giving details as well as responses to frequently asked questions.
Frequently asked Questions
Recently, Parish Giving Scheme (PGS) started to offer a service for one-off gifts to be made by credit card either online or by telephone.
Who will know the amount I give?
The St Sebastian’s Stewardship Officer is the only person in the church who will know the amount of your donations (apart from the PGS team).
I still give regularly by Standing Order not through PGS
If you would like change your giving and/or switch to PGS please contact John Congram
Why should I give regularly to St Sebastian’s?
We serve our community by sharing our faith and values, worshipping together and by maintaining our church and other buildings for others to use. This valuable contribution to our community comes at a cost, which is largely met by personal gifts from you and other church members. For us to grow and fulfil the vision we have for the future then we need to increase our giving and have more people giving regularly. Money often dominates too many agendas in the church and takes up a lot of volunteers’ time in counting the money, administration and claiming Gift Aid. If you sign up to the Parish Giving Scheme more of your money and our time can be devoted to God’s mission.
How much should I give?
Giving by individuals is essential to secure our ability to serve its community and for the Church of England to minister across the country. How much you give is a matter for your personal and prayerful reflection.
“Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand”. 1 Chronicles 29:14
Our giving should reflect not only our willingness to give, but also our ability to give; since individual circumstances differ significantly, so will our individual gifts. A starting point when reflecting on our Christian giving is that, when giving to others, we should give in proportion to what we ourselves receive from God i.e. in proportion to our income. This practice of tithing has Biblical origins, and the “tithe” literally means a tenth.
For some time, the Church of England General Synod has encouraged us as Christians to review our giving annually and to give a proportion of our income. The initial target suggested by General Synod is 5% of post-tax income to and through the church and a similar amount to other kingdom building charities.
You can choose to calculate your proportionate giving on pre-tax, post-tax or disposable income but do whatever feels right for you.
“Each person should give what they have decided in their heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver”. (2 Corinthians 9:7)
How do I start giving regularly or change my monthly gift?
St Sebastian’s uses the Parish Giving Scheme (PGS) to collect regular donations. (The way PGS works is explained below).
Please contact PGS directly to set up or change your gifts. You can sign up or change your giving online using the QR Code below or by searching www.parishgivingscheme.org.uk
or phone PGS on 01452 835595.
To sign up you will need your bank details, and to quote our church details
Parish: Wokingham St Sebastian
Parish Code: 270627496
Diocese: Oxford
Alternatively, if you prefer to fill in a hard copy form or have any questions, please speak to John Congram, St Sebastian’s Stewardship Officer.
Email: johnsally368@gmail.com
What is the Parish Giving Scheme?
The Parish Giving Scheme is a free way to help you plan your giving and, if you are a taxpayer, to do so tax efficiently. The service is free to parishes
The Parish Giving Scheme (PGS) is an established service for managing Direct Debit giving to individual churches and provides a simple and secure service to givers. This Direct Debit system is tried, tested, and currently manages 55,000 gifts each month to more than 3,100 churches, across 30+ dioceses.
How does the Parish Giving Scheme work?
You give your regular donations for St Sebastian’s to PGS by Direct Debit on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis on the 1st of the month. Your full gift and any associated Gift Aid is automatically paid to St Sebastian’s by PGS in the same month.
You can change or cancel the amount at any time by a phone call to the PGS team.
What about inflation?
St Sebastian’s costs rise with the general increase in prices, and PGS offers an option to increase your giving in line with general inflation. If you choose this option PGS will send you a letter before it increases your gift, and if you wish you can ask them not to apply the increase. Alternatively, you can choose to review your giving at any time or when the needs of St Sebastian’s are outlined each year.
One-off Gifts
Recently PGS started to offer a service for one off gifts to be made by credit card either online or by telephone.
Who will know the amount I give?
The St Sebastian’s Stewardship Officer is the only person in the church who will know the amount of your donations (apart from the PGS team).
I still give regularly by Standing Order not through PGS
If you would like change your giving and/or switch to PGS please contact John Congram
Calendar
A Bible reading from the 60th chapter of Isaiah during this season of Epiphany: “Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you. Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the Lord rises and appears over you. All nations will come to your light; mighty kings will come to see your radiance." Amen
A Prayer for today Heavenly Father, you have called us in the Body of your Son Jesus Christ to continue his work of reconciliation and reveal you to the world. Forgive us the sins which tear us apart; give us the courage to overcome our fears and to seek that unity which is your gift and your will; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
Location
Crowthorne is located in the Royal County of Berkshire close to the Hampshire and Surrey Borders.
The village of Crowthorne is split between the Unitary Authorities of Bracknell Forest Borough Council and Wokingham Borough Council and even those who live in the Wokingham Borough will tell you that they actually live in Crowthorne. There are few retail facilities within the Parish a small parade of shops in the east...