From: The Revd Mark Bailey, The Rectory, 6 Green Close, South Wonston, SO21 3EE

To our church family,

I am contacting everyone across our church family within the Parish of Barton Stacey & Bullington. I want to say a huge and grateful ‘thank you’ for the way so many have contributed to the running of our churches and for all that you do to shine the light of Christ across the different places where we live, work and interact. Your prayers and practical support make a massive difference as we seek to move forward, being one body in Christ, striving to fulfil the mission that God calls us to. So much occurs through All Saints and St Michael & All Angels from work with children, our pre-school and school right through to supporting the more elderly and vulnerable across our churches and communities.

Like most things in life, there is a financial cost to the mission of our church, as well as maintaining its fabric to make our church a safe, accessible and welcoming place for all. We feel blessed that our Sunday congregation continues to welcome new members, alongside saying a fond farewell to some longer-standing members of our worshipping community who have moved away. This natural ebb and flow can have an impact on our regular income. It is, therefore, more important than ever that together we embark on a process of exploring the theme of generosity and giving, after which folk will be asked to consider their own giving. To help us:

1. I have enclosed a short prayer card to help everyone pray about their giving and to use as an aid to quiet reflection.

2. From September through to November articles will appear in the Weekly Sheet and in the West Dever News about Giving with information about how your Giving impacts on the work of our Churches.

3. On November 3rd we will be having a Bring & Share Lunch at All Saints, which will include a fun interactive quiz on church running costs. Please put this date in your diary now.

4. On November 17th the Archdeacon, Richard Brand will be our Guest Preacher. Richard will preach on the subject of Giving and afterwards everyone will be given a Giving Review Form to take away to fill in.

Please be reassured – a review of giving is simply praying through how you believe you should respond and then doing one of three things. You may sense God calling you to:

• Increase your giving or…

• Maintain your giving at its current level or…

• Reduce your giving.

I want to give you plenty of time to think about this carefully and prayerfully, hence the reason for mentioning this now. Just to reiterate… you won’t be asked to review your giving until 17th November. What’s important is that we all do this together but respect confidentiality (only our Treasurer, Angus Saunders, will see any detail, and this is for administrative purposes). Ultimately how you proceed (whether increasing, maintaining or reducing your giving) is entirely between you and God.

I hope you will receive this letter in the spirit in which it is intended. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me or speak to Angus Saunders, our PCC Treasurer on [email protected].

Yours in Christ,

Mark

Prayers & Reflections on Christian Giving and Generosity

Psalm 24: 1

The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it,

    the world, and all who live in it

Generous God,

by your grace you have given all that we have, and all that we are;

help us to be faithful stewards of that which is

entrusted to us: time, talents and wealth,

and consecrate gladly to your service a due

proportion in gratitude for all that you have given to us,

for Jesus Christ’s sake,

Amen.

2 Corinthians 9: 7

… each should give as their heart decides not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Heavenly Father, give grace to us, the living stones who form your Church, to reflect prayerfully at this special time on our love for you and our neighbour. Make us mindful of the many gifts You bestow upon us and we ask that your Holy Spirit will inspire and direct us in our choice of giving, remembering that we are only giving back that which is truly yours. Strengthen us, Lord, to meet this challenge according to your will. Through Jesus Christ our Lord who has given all that we may live,

Amen.