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We believe that God gives gifts to us all – gifts to be used in our lives and in our work for him. We are called, not just into discipleship but also into being ministers. As we receive so much, we must give back too, not least in the ways we are generous with our time and money for God’s service.
Offering our times and gifts
All the time we need our members and friends to ‘get involved’, in all sorts of ways. Here are examples of the areas in which we would welcome offers of help:
WORSHIP
Welcomers
Altar Servers
Readers and Intercessors
Help with refreshments
ADMINISTRATION
Secretarial and admin support
PUBLICITY
Graphic design skills
‘Scallop Shell’ writers, editors. assemblers and distributors
MAINTENANCE
Regular cleaning on rota
Occasional maintenance jobs
Churchyard gardening
Flowers for decoration
COMMUNITY
Involvements with local organisations and charities
Local support for national charities
Volunteering for helping agencies locally
Help with organising church/community social events
PASTORAL WORK
Caring for neighbours
Visiting
What are your particular skills? Contact Canon Colin Gough to discuss these and other possibilities (581100)
Offering our Money for God’s work
All that we have comes from God and part of our Christian commitment must be to return a portion of it in support for the Church’s work locally and nationally. The Church of England invites its members to work towards giving 5% of our incomes for this purpose (and hopes that a further 5% will be offered to other charities etc you want to support) . Because of ‘Gift Aid’, if you are a tax payer, your gift can be enhanced by a further 25% through the church being able to reclaim the tax you have paid on what you give. What St James’ needs is to know what income it can expect and to be receiving it regularly through the year. Please will you ‘share responsibility’?
Go to the Contact Page and ask for further information about giving financial support.
Friends of St James’ Church
A company of ‘Friends’ has been formed to provide extra financial support for ongoing maintenance and repair work that the church will require in years to come. This will be of special interest to those who have Shilbottle links but perhaps don’t live here anymore. You can have individual or joint membership on an annual or lifetime basis.
Go to the Contact Page and ask for further information about the Friends of St James’ Church.
The Open Church Project
In 2017, major repair work to the Church tower will take place. This will be accompanied by other work which will increase the flexibility of use for the building as our ministry develops, providing open space in the building for music, drama, displays and work with children, serviced with the provision of disabled toilet facilities and a servery for refreshments. You can read more about this in the Open Church section of the website
We invite donations to further this work
For further information about the Project and to make other offers of help, contact Christopher Lendrum: 575846