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Giving for Life

Approved by General Synod in 2009 Giving for Life is an exciting new report building on earlier giving reports. The headline challenge was for Anglicans to give 5% of income to and through the Church as an initial target, We had been here before.

The mere thought of 5% had shocked some Anglicans whose giving aspirations were rather more modest. Others, inside and outside the C of E had smirked about half measures. But Giving for Life clarified earlier expectations: Anglicans should aspire to another 5% to other agencies that build God’s Kingdom.

In fact tithing is a very Anglican place to stand. Centuries ago Anglican theologian Richard Hooker affirmed tithing as an example of how we honour God with our substance, urging Christians not to ‘clip that coin which hath on it the mark of God’

Every church has financial responsibilities and Anglicans must be willing to pay for the parish ministry we say we want. But Giving for Life  treads some new ground in stressing four key words: discipleship, mission, lifestyle and generosity. Way more than keeping the show on the road, this is a roll call of faith in practice.

Generosity must be embedded as a natural part of church teaching and personal discipleship. In presenting four key tasks for church leadership teams Giving for Life helps us do just that:

• Teach and preach all aspects of money: we are stewards of all God gives.
• Be clear about ministry outcomes: the ministry difference giving makes
• An annual review of giving: a matter of discipleship not just balancing the books
• Say thank you: appreciation and transparency matter to good stewardship

The challenge is there; the resources are there. Can we do something with it?

Visit www.parishresources.org.uk/givingforlife/ to download the report and resources

By the way: Once every Preston Guild? Every twenty years!

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