Donations & Giving
As a church, we believe in giving back to God in response to His generous blessings. We are called to generously bless the church with our time, talents, and finances. When it comes to giving, it's up to each of us to decide how much and when to give, but here are some guiding principles to help you make that decision:
Give to God first!
Let us be mindful of our giving and give to God what is rightfully His - the 'firstfruits' of our efforts - instead of giving only after all other needs are met.
Give generously!
The Church of England suggests we aim to give 5% of our income (after tax) to our church; the Bible clearly teaches us to ‘tithe’, which is giving 10%.
Giving is good!
Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35) – as we give, we are blessed, our church and our community are blessed, and God is honoured!
Please do think about how God has blessed you, and how you can use this to further the work of his church and continue to build his kingdom in our community. You can download a copy of this year’s giving booklet here.
As a regular worshipper or visitor to St. Mary’s Theydon Bois, you can give a gift by following the most appropriate option below:
Standing Order
We encourage you to give the same amount regularly through a standing order. You can arrange a standing order through the following options:
- Your online banking portal, referencing the following payee details:
- St Mary’s, Theydon Bois PCC at Barclays Bank PLC. Sort Code 202986 Account Number 20868329
- Or a Standing Order form can be found in the following places:
- Printable form here
- The back of church
- Request to our Church Office
Please return your completed form to your bank to complete the standing order.
Please do not forget to complete a Gift Aid form if you are eligible (see below for eligibility).
Existing Standing Orders
If you are an existing standing order giver and would like to amend the amount you give this can be done online or by visiting your bank/branch, please advise us if you are changing the amount you give, by completing this form.
Cheque
You can give cheques on a one off or regular basis.
Cheques should be payable to ‘St Mary’s Theydon Bois PCC'.
Cheques can either:
- be placed in the collection box at the back of church, or;
- given to Andrew Tunks at church, or;
- posted to Andrew Tunks, Treasurer, at 8 Avenue Road, Theydon Bois, Essex CM16 7JJ United Kingdom.
Cash
Cash donations can be made during collection in our services. You may also give regularly using special envelopes which can be obtained at the back of the church.
You can make payments using the contactless pay terminal at the back of the church.
Employer Matched Funding
Many employers offer matched giving schemes. In most cases, the company will match your donation pound-for-pound up to a specific amount: a handful of organisations will even double your gift.
Please contact the Human Resources or Social Responsibility department at your (or your spouses') workplace to find out if they operate a matched giving scheme and if you are eligible to claim matched funding for The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Mary's Theydon Bois (Registered Charity, No: 1128901).
Gift Aid
Please gift aid your giving if you are able to.
If you are a taxpayer, you can increase the value of your donation through Gift Aid at no extra cost to yourself. This allows St Mary’s to reclaim tax on any donation you make to the value of 25p for every £1 you give. You can complete a Gift Aid declaration in the following ways:
Please return the completed form to the Stewardship Committee or deliver to the box in church and we will reclaim the tax on your gift.
Remember to notify us if you cease to be a taxpayer.
For further information on Gift Aid, please read our FAQ document here.