Happy new year from the Giving Team!

Happy New Year!

We’ve celebrated God’s greatest gift to us in Jesus, we’ve remembered the gifts of the Magi to the Christ Child, we’ve (probably) given and received gifts ourselves – and the gift of a New Year has opened up before us. We start our year bathed in generosity!

As the Generous Giving Team, we’re recommending three New Year’s resolutions to keep the generous spirit alive.

Thank you letters.  Start the year by expressing gratitude to givers of time, talents and treasure, all those who contribute to the mission and ministry of the church. It’s good practice to send a thank you letter every year, and the start of a New Year can be a great opportunity to look back and look forward. This template gives you a head start.

Join the Parish Giving Scheme (PGS).  Nearly a quarter of Southwark’s churches are already benefitting from this free Direct Debit service. The New Year is a great time of year for you to join them! Find out more here or get in touch with the Generous Giving Team: [email protected].

Givers with PGS may choose monthly, quarterly or annual gifts to their church.  They can opt into a prompt to increase their gift with inflation every year, enabling their ongoing generosity. PGS claim gift aid for parishes every month, saving valuable administration time, and improving cashflow.

From 1 January 2024, PGS was made available to all parishes nationwide, as ownership was transferred to Church of England Central Services. Churches already enjoying membership of the scheme will continue to receive the same free service. The PGS team will remain in place to process Gift Aid claims and statements and gifts will continue to be processed in their entirety for the giver’s chosen parish.

Say hello!  We as the Giving Team are here to help you with all things giving – stewardship campaigns, digital giving and more. We love meeting with you! Join us for one of our regular practical online sessions, a Cheerful Hour about Giving: Thursday 18 January (1pm-2pm) or repeated on Monday 22 January, 7.30-8.30pm. Click here to book.

Or for a more personal chat, book us in for a fresh and friendly look at your church finances. We can visit you or chat online, daytime or evening, to help you plan for a generous year. Email us: [email protected] to find a time.

We wish you a New Year overflowing from God’s abundance!