Gift Day
Sunday 10th November 2024
Praise God for all he is doing through St Ebbe’s!
Our prayer for this gift day is that the Lord will provide enough to provide for the ministry and so balance the accounts this year, and to prepare for a church plant in the next year or so by restoring our reserves.
Our needs this Gift Day are:
£85,000 is needed to help meet our running costs.
6% increased giving in 2025 to meet rising costs.
In addition, we know that we need to increase our reserves by an additional £50,000 before the church plant takes place and we put this before the congregation now.
Let us unite in prayer and service.
The vision of St Ebbe’s is to proclaim the Good News of Jesus, to build up the Lord’s people and send them to serve Him in Oxford, UK and around the world. Our Heavenly Father has provided the material things that St Ebbe’s has needed to serve Him throughout this year. Praise God!
Our vision for the coming year is that we will be equipped to plant a church to the north of Oxford. The gift day is for our daily needs and these future plans.
Gift Days each year let us reflect upon God’s goodness and pray how we might all share in providing for the needs of St Ebbe’s Church.
Please pray the Lord will show us all how we can give by:
- giving for the first time
- increasing our regular giving
- making a one-off gift
- giving of our time and prayer in support of the ministry.
Please remember that all giving is a work of and for the Lord. We offer ourselves first to the Lord and then how we might use our money to serve Him.
Understanding St Ebbe’s finances
Most of the money that St Ebbe’s spends is used to pay for staff and most of that money is given by our current congregations. Each year we plan a balanced budget so that we can spend everything that we receive. Over the years, the Lord has provided for our needs.
2024…
St Ebbe’s holds two Gift Days every year during which we pray as a Church that the Lord will provide for our needs. This month, we are asking for £85,000 to balance the accounts at the end of the year.
2025…
Our staff are paid in accordance with Church of England salary scales, and these increase each year. We estimate that we will need an increase of all giving of ca £6% in 2025 to meet the planned increases (inflation, stipends, etc) and the fact we finally have a full staff complement in our children’s work.
Reserves
In May this year, we shared the need to rebuild the money that is wisely set aside as reserves. Our policy requires that we hold three month’s operating expenditure. These reserves cope with the normal ups and downs of income and spending and are also there to help with new projects. Following the purchase of the Rectory by Littlegate Trust in 2023, reserves dropped too low. Wonderfully, the surplus given in the May Gift Day along with a generous gift moved us closer to the target.
We now anticipate that shortfall of about £50,000 will remain at the end of this year. A church plant in 2025-26 will bring financial challenges and it is therefore prudent to rebuild reserves before planting.
Giving at St Ebbe’s
Work of St Ebbe’s is sustained by congregational giving throughout the year. We give in different ways throughout the year as we are inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Many are able to follow the urging in Scripture to set money aside each month and can make a regular monthly donation. We therefore urge those in this position to ask if this is the time in the year to increase their regular giving.
Others are equipped to give as the Lord provides their needs through the year – this is particularly true for those in our congregation who are in Oxford for a just short time or whose income is more variable. Gift Days are an opportunity for us all to support the work of St Ebbe’s through One-off gifts which are an important part the finances of St Ebbe’s as well as changes to regular giving.
Giving is for all and is more than money…
Please remember that giving is a work of and for the Lord. We offer ourselves first to the Lord and then how we might use our money to serve Him.
This means that those facing financial hardship and who cannot give or must give less money are just as much a part of the work of giving as those who can give money. We all share together in the work of the Lord. He is able to provide not only for our needs but also the needs of the work of St Ebbe’s. Previous generations of St Ebbe’s have provided a Hardship fund to reduce hardship in the Parish and congregation. The fund exists to glorify God by helping those in need. If you wish to discuss your needs, please contact a a Congregation Leader.
We invite each member of St Ebbe’s to give thankfully and prayerfully to the Gift Day
Practical things… how to contribute towards the Gift Day
Please either:
- Make a bank transfer or Standing Order to “Parochial Church Council of St Ebbes”, Account Number 00729507, Sort Code 20-65-18.
- Place a gift/voucher/cheque in the boxes in church
- Post a gift/voucher/cheque to The Financial Administrator (Private & Confidential), St Ebbe’s Church, 2 Roger Bacon Lane, Oxford, OX1 1QE.
Please make cheques/charity vouchers payable to “PCC of St Ebbe’s Church”. Whichever way you give, please also fill in the blue ‘Gift Day Response Form’ below to let the Finance Administrator know.
If you are a UK taxpayer, Gift Aid is a means by which the value of your gift can increase by 25% without any additional cost to you. If you are eligible, please tick the appropriate box in the form.
Your response will be confidential and known only to the Finance Administrator.
Thank you.
Any queries?
Please email Trevor Rayment, or the Finance Administrator.
