giving

our vision

Our vision is to establish a vibrant, town-wide church that celebrates and demonstrates the love of God.

how can I give?

Everyone in our church is needed to achieve our vision, including you! There are lots of ways to do this. You could pray, serve on a rota or give money to the church. On this page you will find further details about our finances and how you can give.

how is Stockport Family Church financed?

God has called our church to do a job. From the beginning, the people in our church have given time, energy and money to this task. We believe that giving away some of our income to finance the work and ministry of the church is an important part of Christian commitment and something that the Bible clearly teaches.

Stockport Family Church (SFC) is a self funding Charity. That means all the money we spend is donated by members of the church, we do not have another source of income.

We support various organisations and give to appeals throughout the world and want to continue to do so.

Monthly donations are given to The Boaz Trust, Christ Central Churches and Jubilee+. We take offerings and give to special events, recently to a Prayer Room in Rwanda, offerings to Zambia and Nigeria.

We run creche, kids and teenagers' clubs, parenting courses and we employ 3 part-time staff (administrator, youth worker and church worker).

what are the benefits of giving?

Behind the Bible's instructions to all believers to give, there are a number of reasons for giving. The apostle Paul lists some of them in 2 Corinthians 9:6-15:

generous giving generates rich rewards (v6)
we experience God's love and favour (v8)
God's grace is multiplied to us (v10)
it results in thanksgiving to God (v11)
people's needs are met (v12)
it creates gratitude (v15)

Giving should always be characterised by joy and cheerfulness and no one should give either reluctantly or becaue they feel they have to (v7).

what are the principles for giving?

Paul gives helpful instructions on this issue. In 1 Corinthians 16:2, he sets out at least 5 principles for giving:

Periodic - "on the first day of the week" - choose a regular set time for your giving
Personal - "every one of you" - we are all invited to join in
Planned - "set aside" - let your giving be thoughtfully planned
Proportional - "in keeping with his income" - this means those who earn more give more than those who earn less, the proportion is far more significant than the amount
Purposeful - "when I come no collections will have to be made" - our first commitment is to our own church

how are our church finances organised?

Stockport Family Church is a registered charity and has to follow the law governing charities. In April 2016 we changed our trust status from a Charitable Trust to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO 1161763). This change of structure means we have greater flexibility and room for growth in the future. There are five trustees who, between them, look after the church's finances. The team currently consists of: Paul Leake (Chair), Hannah Anthony, Tim Conry, Pat Elder, Rita Kaydea and Steve Leebetter.

what are the safeguards against mismanagement?

We seek to follow the principles set out in the New Testament regarding the management of money given to the church. We take great care to do what is right in the eyes of both The Lord and accepted good practice; we try to avoid any grounds for criticism of the way money is administered; involving a team of trustworthy people, not just one person. An annual report of our financial activities is submitted to the Charity Commission each year. These are available to view at any time.

debt advice

If you are a regular attendee of Stockport Family Church and are having financial difficulties, please do the following:

Firstly, speak to your lifegroup leader, an elder or someone else you trust - don't struggle in silence.

Secondly, the following organisations offer financial advice and help with managing debt. It would be good for you to make contact with one of them for expert help and support:

Christians Against Poverty (CAP)

The Jubilee Project

useful contacts for further info

For more information about finances or giving, please contact the church office or one of the elders or trustees

email: welcome@stockportfamilychurch.org.uk tel: 07835 393688

how can I give?

CASH

By cash in the offering bucket. This will always be available at the front of church on a Sunday. If you are giving cash and you have signed a Gift Aid Declaration form, please put it in an envelope marked with your name.

STANDING ORDER/BANK TRANSFER

Giving by Standing Order makes a lot of sense if you are paid regularly into your bank account. You can set up a Standing Order so that a fixed amount is paid directly from your account to the church account each month (or week). This is a very helpful way to give as it helps us to budget effectively. This can be changed or stopped at any time. You can set this up by sending a form to your bank or, if you use online banking, by setting up a regular payment using our account details. Please contact the church office for details. Please give your surname as a reference. If you have set up a new Standing Order or made changes to your existing one, please let us know by emailing welcome@stockportfamilychurch.org.uk

SUMUP

A SUMUP card reader is available each Sunday if you wish to give directly by card.

GIFT AID

If you are a UK taxpayer, the church benefits greatly (at no cost to you) if you complete a Gift Aid Declaration form. This will enable the church to reclaim income tax from the Inland Revenue on every amount you give, no matter how large or small. For every £1 you give, we can reclaim 25p from the government. This adds a substantial amount to our income at no extra cost to you.

Sunday

cash or cheque in a bucket on the welcome table

bank transfer

you can set up a standing order or online transfer, details here.

This way is most helpful!

sumup card reader

pay by card reader

Many thanks and please do contact us if you have any questions. Enjoy helping church life happen!