Parish Share What is it and how does it work?

When Jesus talks about ‘Life in all its fullness’ he is teaching about the life of God, which overflows with generosity, exceeds expectations, is more than imagined, abundant. When thinking about stewardship, giving and finance, we do so as Christians from this place of generosity, recognising that the heart of the gospel is God’s gift to us in Jesus Christ and that all we have is God’s: ‘All things come from you, and of your own do we give you.’ (I Chr 29:14)

Summary of generosity 2014 £’000 2015 2016 Our Diocese 5,932 6,099 6,296 1st year of new model

Parish share calculations In our Diocese we have an annual budget and we need a system of sharing that across all of our benefices in a way that is seen to be fair & equitable Please read the leaflet on parish share

Stipends Fund Previously subsidised all ministry equally, regardless of need Now targeted – ½ to give a “bias to the poor” and ½ allocated from an Inter Deanery meeting chaired by Bishop Rachel & Chair of DBF

Why benefice calculations not parish? As we have a large number of multi-parish benefices, we have always calculated Parish Share at a benefice level. Where do the Usual Sunday Attendance figures come from? Annual mission statistics – the finance team at College Green take 3 year average, so the USA figures used in the 2018 calculations were those submitted for 2014, 2015 & 2016

How can we grow our giving?

Resources & support from College Green Julie Ridgway – Head of Finance 01452 835564 jridgway@glosdioc.org.uk Jess Ahern – Diocesan Finance Officer 01452 835519 jahern@glosdioc.org.uk Helen Taylor – Operations Manager PGS 01452 835533 helen@parishgivingscheme.org.uk

Parish share is the way in which together we fund the work of the Church of England in and around Gloucestershire.