GIVING
Jesus said, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ Matthew 22:37-39
If you are interested in getting involved with any of the giving options on this page, or just want to chat to someone about it, please contact the Parish Office (office@stjohnmenston.org.uk) or fill in a Contact Form and someone will get back to you as soon as possible.
Why support the church financially?
We know that there are many demands placed upon us financially and our world is full of good causes. Whether it is giving to St John’s or elsewhere, giving is a key part of the Christian faith. All through the Bible there are examples of generosity of all kinds, be that practical or financial. Famously, there is the story of the Good Samaritan who was generous with his time and his money to a complete stranger in need.
Our giving is motivated by God’s generosity to us— we give in thankfulness for all that God has given us: life itself, a world to live in, and a life of hope, meaning and forgiveness offered because God gave himself for us, as Jesus, to die for us. We give in thanks and in hope for a better world.
Giving, whilst an important Christian discipline, should never be done our of guilt or compulsion. Instead it is an act which helps us to praise and thank God for his love by loving others.
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You may wish to consider setting your giving to St John’s at a proportion of your own income. This relates to the Biblical principle of tithing. The Church of England recommends that we offer 5% of our income to the church and use another 5% to support other Christian work.
This page gives you all the information you need to financially support St John’s Parish Church.
How can I give?
There are different ways you may wish to give:
PARISH GIVING SCHEME (PGS)
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The preferred way of giving is through the Parish Giving Scheme. Click here to visit our PGS webpage.
We are members of the Parish Giving Scheme (PGS) which provides the simplest and most secure way for everyone to give to our church. By making a gift through PGS, they manage all the admin on our behalf, which makes a big difference to the church staff and volunteers.
In fact, if you already give regularly through a Standing Order, please consider moving across to PGS. It’s quite straight forward to make the change (you just cancel the standing order with your bank and set up a new gift with PGS) and you’ll be lightening the load of our church team!
When you set up a regular gift by Direct Debit with PGS, you can choose the frequency and amount of your gift and opt in to Gift Aid, if you are eligible. Through Gift Aid, we receive an extra 25p for every pound you give which makes a significant impact across the year.
There’s also an option for you to increase your gift annually, with the peace of mind that you can adjust your gift at any time. One of the most important aspects of our choice to partner PGS to process gifts on behalf of this church, is that the giver always remains in control.
The quickest and easiest way to set up and manage your regular gift is online, through the PGS website.
It is also possible to make a one-off gift online, using a debit or credit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Click here to visit our PGS webpage.
If you’re not connected to the internet, don’t worry. You can set up your regular gift by phoning the PGS team on 0333 002 1271, Monday to Friday, 9-5, or completing a paper gift form.
If you’d like to know more, please get in touch with the Parish Office.
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Planned Regular Giving
Planned Giving is ideal as it enables us to budget based on regular income. You can give on a weekly, monthly, or annual basis.
There are two alternative ways of giving in this way:
Bank Standing Order – This is by far the easiest way to give regularly. A form to enable you to set up a standing order is available at the back of church, or can be downloaded here. Please return to the treasurer/Parish Office.
Envelopes – You can request a box of designated envelopes in which you place your regular donation and leave them on the offering place.
All planned giving remains confidential.
If you are currently a tax-payer the please consider completing a Gift Aid form so your giving can be increased by 25%. You can download a Gift Aid form here - please return to the Parish Office. If you would like a paper copy, please contact us.
Offering at services
At most services, there is be an Offering Plate (or equivalent) for donations. Do not feel like you have to give - any amount is greatly appreciated.
Bequests and Legacies
Leaving a gift to the church in your Will is a very practical way of supporting its work for future generations. Even a small proportion of your estate may make a significant contribution. Please see our separate leaflet for details.
Other ways of Giving:
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To make a one-off gift to St John's via bank transfer please use the following details:
PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL of ST. JOHN THE DIVINE, MENSTON with WOODHEAD
HSBC,
Sort Code : 40-22-28
Account No: 40572640
We recommend giving the transfer a reference so that any issues can be tracked, particularly if the transfer is a payment rather than a gift.
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​To give to St John's via Give As You Live, an online giving platform, click here. You can make a single donation or set up a monthly donation.
To give to St John's via Text, Text STJOHN followed by your donation amount to 70460.
Donations can be of any value, but must be a whole pound (eg. STJOHN10).
Texts will cost the donation amount plus one standard network rate message, and you’ll be opting into hearing more from us. If you would like to donate but don't wish to hear more from us, please text STJOHNNOINFO followed by your donation amount instead (eg. STJOHNNOINFO10).
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Where does the money go?
The largest portion of our annual income at St John’s Menston is given to the Diocese of Leeds in what is called the Parish Share. Parish Share is the amount of money that our parish is asked to contribute to pay for mission and ministry, specifically for clergy stipends and their housing. Details can be found here.
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The Diocese is also very committed to other charitable causes. Details of which good causes are supported can be found on the Diocese of Leeds homepage.
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There are also costs attached to running a church locally and our income covers this too as maintenance and support. Running a church is not only covering heating and lighting and staffing costs but also the cost of developing the church so that it is fit to serve the Parish in whatever generation it finds itself. The mission of the Church is not simply related to a building, but instead it is supporting the wider community and helping them to engage with faith and praying for them, as well as providing for Christenings, Weddings and Funerals.
At St John’s Menston, we also aim to model generosity within our Parish and therefore we give away a proportion of our income to key charitable causes (mission giving) which the Parochial Church Council have chosen to support. This ranges from ongoing commitment to particular charities to being able to react to more immediate global humanitarian crises. In 2022 we supported the following charities: BEACON, USPG & Church Action on Poverty.
In 2023 we supported Medecins sans Frontières, Samaritans, and Wheatfields Hospice. To find out more, use the arrows to scroll through the images below.
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