Written by Gemma Curran our Generous Giving Advisor
As the Epiphany unfolds, it provides a natural moment to pause, reflect, express gratitude for the blessings of the past years and look forward with expectation and hope for the New Year. Just like the wise men, everyone’s generosity can bless others casting light and a hopeful vision for years ahead
Reflections and thanksgiving
Our team has been inspired by the financial contributions, volunteering, or rejoicing in your mission illuminating pathways of hope in a world often marked by uncertainty! Thank you for your unwavering dedication and gifts whether as clergy or volunteers: church wardens, treasurers, fundraisers all of whom make the incredible difference.
It has been heartwarming to hear about the various initiatives making a difference and helping churches think strategically about Giving and Stewardship and we have appreciated the opportunity, across the Diocese, to meet with you. Gathering with PCC’s, clergy and church wardens helps us understand the challenges you face and support you need. Being invited to preach is an honour, witnessing first hand your generous congregations giving their time to welcome, read, bake (delicious) cakes, lead Sunday schools – the love for your churches can be seen by all who attend.
There is much to celebrate! Southwark has over 100 churches signed up to the Parish Giving Scheme (PGS). Thank you to the new churches and new donors who have signed up to give regularly through this initiative. Not only does PGS make regular giving easier, but it also lessens the administrative burden for many treasurers in claiming Gift Aid and nudges givers to consider an inflationary increase each year.
The partnership with Christian Aid Faith Will continues to grow. Faith Will makes talking about gifts in Wills, and their impact, easier. Attending the speaker training with Kathy Childress from Christian Aid, along with other churches, gave us much to consider.
One particular highlight of the year, was the success of our Give to Go Green Campaign. A phenomenal effort across the twelve selected churches. Raising over £157,000 including matched donations from the Church of England of around £76,000. The success was testament to the impact of collective action and community spirit. We saw fantastic marketing campaigns, inventive calls to action and social media updates that reached out for donations from the wider community with compelling messages and the easy ways to donate.
Looking ahead
As we move into this new year, we pray that you will feel energized by the opportunities ahead. The Epiphany season reminds us to seek fresh perspectives and to shine a light in places where hope is needed most. To that end, we’ve been reflecting on our giving strategy and exploring ways we can help churches deepen their impact, building on the momentum of last year.
We’re delighted to announce we’ll be holding two webinars Living Generously – Encouraging a Life of Generous Giving in 2025. We will have examples from recent giving campaigns, sharing tips and lessons from our diocese and beyond.
- Wednesday 26 February 2025 – Midday until 1pm, Register here
- Tuesday 4 March 2025 – 7.30 pm until 8.30 pm, Register here
Please keep an eye on our webpage for more training opportunities and we ask Treasurers to watch out for the forthcoming joint newsletter in January from the finance and giving teams.
Coming later in the year…
- Hosting interactive sessions about All Things Tech – be it Digital Giving or using social media to promote and target campaigns effectively.
- Legacy campaigns – 2025 will see a focus on legacy giving and support offered.
Making a change is only possible with the energy and ideas from your parish. During 2025 we invite you to review your own giving and funding strategy with your PCC’s and congregation – we would be only too happy to work with you, support you with queries, e.g. on digital or legacy giving, and share good practice.
If you have suggestions for new initiatives or ways to enhance our current efforts, we would love to hear from you. Please also share your success stories of stewardship campaigns – collaboration is at the heart of everything we do at the Diocese. As we look to 2025, let us be thankful for God’s blessings and steadfastness. We witnessed extraordinary resilience and generosity, with even the smallest act of kindness rippling out and creating positive change. Wishing you a joyful and hope-filled Epiphany season and a bright year ahead!
