Holy Trinity is at the heart of the village of Seer Green and serves an area that includes many outlying homes and the village of Jordans.
All Parishioners, their families and other visitors receive a warm welcome at all our services and events and Holy Trinity aims to reach out to the wider community working with the schools in Seer Green and Jordans, through pastoral care, as well as groups for parents with young children and groups for the over fifties.
Holy Trinity depends entirely on its regular congregation and “Friends”, both in and outside the Parish, to keep us running. This includes the giving of time, as well as financial support. We are sincerely thankful to all those people who spend time as volunteers to support our various rotas or offer time in other ways. We are also extremely grateful to all those who give us financial support on a regular basis or as one-off donations when they feel able. Without this generosity, the church would simply cease to run.
Why give?
In order to ensure the continuing presence of our church in the community we are appealing to church members and all friends of Holy Trinity who benefit from its existence to support us. The facts are that:
-
The largest source of income for Holy Trinity is donations from the congregation;
-
Holy Trinity does not receive financial support from the Government or the Church of England;
-
Last year the people of Holy Trinity gave very generously to the work of the church.
Our challenge
The cost of running Holy Trinity for the benefit of the whole community is approximately £85,000 per year. We have a challenge to raise money on a regular basis if we are to maintain our Church on a sound financial footing and ensure that it continues as an integral part of the village.
Oxford Diocese have published a useful information leaflet entitled 'Giving: A Simple Guide' which you can download by clicking here. It provides us with a useful quote on giving:
“We have an abundantly generous God. Jesus’s death on the cross was the ultimate demonstration of that generosity. How do we as Christians respond? Giving is an outworking of our faith. It’s all about living generously, something that’s at the heart of our ‘Living Faith’ vision. Generosity is part of our discipleship; it’s how we make a difference in the world, and it’s an indication of the vibrancy of our Christian communities.”
Where does the money go?
The Oxford Diocese is responsible for the cost of all church ministers in the Diocese (including the Vicar of Holy Trinity) which includes the cost of stipends, housing and pensions. The Diocese also provides a number of services which benefit parishes and the work of the Church as a whole. Each parish contributes each year towards its share of the cost and, not surprisingy, this contribution is typically the largest item of expenditure for parishes. Over 80% of our current income goes to pay Holy Trinity's contribution and, without it, we would not have the benefit of a dedicated parish priest. The remainder is used for our own expenditure which covers the cost of services, parish administration and a significant amount towards maintaining, heating and insuring the church building. We are looking to increase the amount we spend on Vision & Mission in coming years.
How much should I give?
The amount we give to our Church is a personal choice: an informed decision guided by prayer, allied to consideration of our individual circumstances. Consistent and regular giving is very important as this allows planning of what Holy Trinity can offer. When deciding to donate, consider an amount that is sustainable for you.
How can I give?
There are three ways to give to Holy Trinity:
1. Online one-off giving: credit/debit card: click on Online Giving
2. Regular giving: donating cash or cheque via the Envelope scheme: click on Envelope Scheme and Gift Aid Declaration
An additional regular giving scheme is a direct debit scheme. We cannot immediately provide an appropriate link for this, but as soon as it is available it will appear here.
If you opt to give on a regular basis and you pay income tax, then you should fill in a Gift Aid declaration form to allow us to claim back income tax at the standard rate from HM Revenue & Customs.
But if you want to give online (option 1), you will be asked to fill in a Gift Aid declaration as part of the online giving process – so no need to do it here as well.
Please use the Contact Us link if you would like to start regular giving via your bank or via the Envelope Scheme and/or to talk about donating towards the work of Holy Trinity.