giving

giving back to GOD Introduction At Swan Bank we believe that as followers of Jesus we are called to give of our time, our talents and our money to help grow God’s work. If you are a follower of Jesus and are regularly attending Swan Bank then we encourage you to play your part in God’s work by considering how you give of your time, your talents and your money to the church. This booklet gives you an overview of why we give money to the church and how you can set up a regular giving commitment to Swan Bank. We hope you find this helpful. If you would like to discuss any of this further please speak with Ashley Cooper (Minister) Amy Wyatt (Assistant Pastor) Sandra Hearson (Treasurer) Julie Chapman (Finance team) Steve Adams (Finance team) John Mayer (Finance Team)

Everything is God’s Psalm 24 reminds us that ‘the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it’. As Christians we believe that everything we have comes from God and that we are called to be good stewards of all of our possessions, including our money. Stewardship is not just about our giving to the church, it affects how we spend all of our money and use all of our possessions.

Since everything we own and everything we have comes from God, when we give, we simply offer Him a very small portion of all the abundance he has already given to us. Giving is an expression of our thankfulness and praise to God! It comes from a heart of worship. For everything we give already belongs to Him!

Why do we give to the church? God has called us to be a generous people with the resources he has given to us. The Bible talks about giving as being part of our worship and a demonstration of our commitment to the work and life of His Church. At Swan Bank we want to be a generous church that not only has the resources to fulfil God’s mission, but is also demonstrating God’s generosity outside the church through what we give away. Swan Bank is financially dependent on God’s provision. The majority of our income comes from the generous gifts of our church members who care about God’s work and want to help grow His church.

In 2011we recognised that our income and expenditure did not meet. Whilst dealing with this challenge we have worked hard as church, we have pulled together and many have reviewed their giving for which we are really thankful. We have worked towards a balanced budget and are excited about what God has in store for us in the days ahead.

giving back to GOD Our vision We believe that God is calling us to be a church that transforms lives through loving God and loving people. We want to serve our local communities bringing the good news of Jesus in practical ways through a wide range of activities, helping people move forward in their faith journey as they find out about the love of Jesus.

Giving as part of a discipleship Financial stewardship is one of the hallmarks of discipleship. It is our desire that everyone grows in their relationship with Jesus, and by committing to devote our time, energy, skills and money to God, we acknowledge His Lordship over all of our lives. Jesus gave his life for us and in response we are encouraged to give generously so that God’s kingdom can be extended. We believe that regularly giving away a proportion of our income, to finance the work of the church that we attend, is something the Bible clearly states and is an important part of our Christian discipleship. Jesus said, ‘where your treasure is, there your heart is also’ (Matthew 6:21), referring to our values and priorities.

What is a helpful guide for my giving? The Bible clearly teaches the principle of tithing. The word ‘tithe’ means ‘a tenth’. The Old Testament instructed God’s people to give a tenth (10%) of our ‘first fruits’ back to God (Proverbs 3:9), giving back to God the best and the first tenth of all that God has given to us ‘bring the whole tithe into the storehouse’ (Malachi 3:8-12).

What are the benefits of tithing?

 Teaches us the value of putting God first in our lives, by giving Him the ‘first fruits’

 It requires calculation and causes us to count our blessings and be thankful for everything God has given us

 Being faithful with a 10% tithe of our income reveals our heart for managing the other 90% as stewards of everything we have At Swan Bank we believe that the tithe is a helpful guide for our giving, for some of us this will be the starting point and in response to the multiple gifts and blessings that God has given us we will want to give much more. For others, you may be working towards giving a tithe. As you will read over the page, ‘Everyone should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver’ (2 Cor 9:7). We want to be cheerful givers, giving back to God in recognition of the abundant blessings he has given to us, that everything we have is his.

What does the Bible teach us about how we should give? Give cheerfully

Give expectantly

Everyone should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver’ (2 Cor 9:7).

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Luke 6:38

Give generously

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse , that there may be food in my house. ‘Test me in this’, says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it’. Malachi 3:8-10

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation in the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. 1 Timothy 6:17-19

Give systematically Honour the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all of your crops. Proverbs 3:9

Give proportionally and regularly On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income. 1 Corinthians 16:2

Give willingly For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have. 2 Corinthians 8:12

Give eternally Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-20

Give extravagantly A poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins. Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the other. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything’. Mark 12:41-44

I want to give to God’s work Having prayerfully considered my giving, as an act of faithfulness to God for all He gives us and as an act of faith that he will continue to provide all we need, I commit to give: Regular giving 

I wish to begin/change by Bank Standing Order and I have completed the attached form



I will give by envelope-please send me a set of envelopes

If you pay income tax or capital gains tax we can reclaim the basic rate of tax on your giving to Swan Bank. 

I want Swan Bank to reclaim the tax I have paid on my giving and I have completed the Gift Aid form on the next page.

Name

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Telephone

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Address

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Postcode….………………..

Please remove this sheet from the booklet and put it in an envelope addressed to:

The Treasurer, Burslem Methodist Mission, Swan Square, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, ST6 2AA

Or bring back to Swan bank All giving is kept confidential, only the treasurer sees this.

Gift Aid Declaration To: Burslem Methodist Mission I want Burslem Methodist Mission to treat all donations I have made in the last six years and all donations I make from the date of this declaration until I notify you otherwise, as Gift Aid Donations.

First Name

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Surname

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Telephone

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Address

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Postcode….………………..

Signature

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Date

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Please notify Burslem Methodist Mission if you: 1.

Want to cancel this declaration

2.

Change your name and home address

3.

No longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or capital gains

You must pay an amount of income tax and/or capital gains tax in each tax year at least equal to the tax that Burslem Methodist Mission will claim from HM Revenue & Customs on your Gift Aid donation(s).

Burslem Methodist Mission will reclaim the tax on every £1 you give. If you pay income tax at the higher rate, you must include all your Gift Aid donations on your self-assessment tax return if you want to receive the additional tax relief available to you.

Standing Order Instruction Bankers Order Form For your promised gift to the Burslem Methodist Mission

When completed this form must be forwarded by you to your bank. To: The Manager (Name, address and postcode of your bank) Bank Name

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....Bank PLC

Address

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Please pay the account of Burslem Methodist Mission, National Westminster plc, Fountain Place, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent Account Number: 01288644

Sort Code: 01-01-38

(Insert how much you want to give each month) The sum of £………………………(in figures) …………………………...……………………………………………………(in words) Monthly from my account: Account number: ……………………………………………. Sort code: ………………………………………. Starting on: Day ………………………… Month ………………………… Year …………………………. And on the same day in each subsequent month until further notice.

*Please also cancel, from the date this new one starts, any previous order to pay the Burslem Methodist Mission as this new instruction now replaces it. (*delete if not applicable)

Full Name

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Signed

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Address

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Date

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(Note to bank: Please quote donor name on payment)

Our Mission Work

How can I give my money? By standing order

What if I pay a higher rate of tax?

Many people find it easier to organise their financial affairs through their bank and a standing order can be set up to pay the church the amount you wish to give on a regular basis, either weekly or monthly, direct from your account.

Tax can only be reclaimed by the church at the basic rate. However, if you pay higher rate tax then you can claim back the extra tax that you have paid on your giving through your annual tax return.

Surely there must be a catch? By envelope You can put your regular giving into an envelope (supplied by us) every week or month and bring it to church. If you are unable to attend a particular Sunday, the envelope can still be filled with your gift and brought to church on your next visit.

No! All you have to do is sign a Gift Aid form which covers any gifts you make to the church in the future and make you gifts to the church either through the envelope scheme or by Bank Standing Order so that we can keep a record of how much you give.

Payroll giving Gift Aid By signing a Gift Aid form, Burslem Methodist Mission can reclaim from the Inland revenue the basic rate tax that you have paid on the money that you give to us. For example, the basic rate of income tax is currently 20%, so for every £100 that you earn the Inland revenue deducts £20 so you receive £80 in your pay packet. If you sign a Gift Aid form, we can reclaim the £20 of tax that you have paid on every £80 that you give us. So if you give £200 each month to Burslem Methodist Mission then your total gift over the course of a year will be £2,400 (£200 x 12months) on which the church can claim an extra £480 from HMRC at no cost to you!

Some companies offer a payroll giving scheme whereby you can give to the church (or any charity) direct from your monthly pay. The benefits of this scheme are that the church receives your gift with the tax included and it is the most effective way to give! Ask your manager or HR department at work if your company has a payroll giving scheme (and let us know if you decide to give in this way so we can look out for your gifts).

How do we spend our money? The chart on the page opposite provides a summary of how we have budgeted to spend our money at Swan Bank in 2012/2013.The monthly expenditure figure based on projections for September is £17,500. (To retain staffing and pull back the church secretary hours to Swan Bank.)

We are aware of so much more we could do and would like to do but we are restricted and committed to working within the budget. If giving increases and there is flexibility in our finance we will be able to increase further the mission of the church, support more widely those in need in our community and more passionately tell others about Jesus.

The Upper Hall and Youth Rooms The refurbishment of the Upper Hall has enabled many groups to utilise the facilities. Groups such as: Swan Bank Youth Club, Basketball, Dance Group, Cell Group, More Training Ltd, Caudwell Children's Trust, The Potteries Theatre Co, Holiday Club, NXT Ministries and our ever increasing Junior Church.

Lift Work has been carried out on the lift in order to ensure easy access for those people unable to use the stairs.

Heating System The mission of Swan Bank has been enhanced significantly as a result of the improvements in our facilities. This building is now fit for the mission of the church. We have a great resource to use as we proclaim the good news.

The Upper Hall, Lower Hall and Worship Venue have also had a brand new heating system which is much more efficient and ecofriendly. The windows in the Fellowship Room and the Office have also been renovated in keeping with the property.

Many activities at Swan bank have benefitted from the work we have carried out

Youth For Christ

The Coffee Lounge The Coffee Lounge is open 10am-3.00pm on weekdays, 10am-2.00pm on Saturdays and is also open after each service on a Sunday. The Coffee lounge also hosts other activities such as:- Alpha, Project Twenty, Wednesday Night Bible Study, birthday parties, meeting facility, live music venue , Men’s Bible Study, Thursday Night Coffee, holiday clubs and serves as an alternative worship venue.

The property at the back of the church has also undergone significant work and is currently being rented by Youth For Christ.

How do we spend our money?

We ask that you review your giving prayerfully and respond to God’s challenged way to play your part in growing His kingdom through Burslem Methodist Mission. Please complete this form and return to one of the following members of the finance team so that we can plan for the year ahead. The Finance Team

Ashley Cooper

Sandra Hearson

Amy Wyatt

Steve Adams

Julie Chapman