GIVING

St Stephen’s is a remarkably generous church, with many, many people giving generously, regularly and sacrificially, both in time and money. Everything, that God has done here so far would not have been possible without it, and future growth and impact won’t happen without it either.

Giving our prayers.

It may not surprise you that Jesus prayed a lot! But it seems especially at important times in His life, Jesus would give time to pray. Therefore, please allow us to encourage you to pray. Pray for St Stephen’s as a whole. Pray for others you know here. Pray for yourself. But whatever you do, pray.

Giving our time.

Growing as disciples isn’t going to happen on its own; it is going to need our time and energy. It will require each of us giving time to our personal relationship with God. Giving time each week to worshipping God together. Giving time to one another in our small groups and Prayer Partnerships, both to help us grow, and for us to help others grow. Giving time so we can serve others at church, in our community and in the wider world.

Giving our money.

Many of the things we would love to do in the years ahead are going to require money. Many already give generously. There will be others who are perhaps new here who do not yet give, or only give occasionally. We encourage everyone to seek God and to give generously in accordance with the resources with which He has blessed you.

We recognise that your personal circumstances will affect how you are able to give. If this is a difficult time for you financially, please do not feel under any obligation – we feel you should only give out of what you have.

Where does my money go?

Firstly, we follow the Biblical principle of giving away at least 10% of our donated income. What is left covers our running costs, ministries and community outreach (including all our work with children and young people, running our weekly services, Living Well Tonbridge, chaplaincy to local care homes and pastoral care). And we’re hoping that your future giving will also enable to us to do much, much more.

So here are six ways you can support St Stephen’s financially:

  • Give a one-off gift or a regular donation. You can give a one-off gift or arrange a regular payment here, or you can pick up a Standing Order form from the Welcome Desk on a Sunday, or contact the church office.
  • Gift Aid. If you are a UK taxpayer we can use Gift Aid to claim £2.50 from the Inland Revenue for every £10 you give. Gift Aid forms are available from the Welcome Desk on a Sunday or from the church office.
  • Fundraising. If you’re embarking on a sporting activity such as a triathlon or running a marathon, how about asking people to sponsor you to raise money for St Stephen’s? Or what about hosting a coffee morning, running a stall at a craft fair, washing cars, etc?
  • Matched Giving. Many companies throughout the UK offer employees the chance to boost their fundraising efforts by ‘matching’ the money they raise. This means you could double anything you raise for St Stephen’s. Contact your employer for details.
  • Shopping. Yes, you can even earn money for St Stephen’s through shopping! Easy Fundraising will give a percentage of your purchase amount to St Stephen’s when you shop online, at no cost to you. Visit Easy Fundraising for details.
  • Leave a legacy. At St Stephen’s, we welcome all gifts in wills, however large or small, and we promise to use your gift to make a difference in our parish. See our Legacy Policy below.