Category: St Michael’s Centre

Heart of the Community Gift Day 12 May 2019

Posted on by Laura Thomas







This Gift Day supports the resources and buildings for St Michael’s Church, as we aim to be a Christian heart at the centre of the community.

Living to make a difference, through discipleship, outreach and service.

Supporting:

  • The completion of St Michael’s Centre
  • The refurbishment and protection of St Michael’s Church
  • Upgrading the Old School Rooms
  • Mission in the UK and beyond.

Giving Thanks

  • St Michael’s Centre continues to thrive.
  • The Gift day in May 2018 has enabled work to start on the upstairs offices.
  • During 2018, we reapid £280,185 of capital off our loans, and £32,447 of interest on those loans.
  • We serve church and community groups, local and regional charities and businesses, and many more.
  • We have hosted many invitational events.
  • In 2019 we’ve donated £100,000 towards mission initiatives.
  • We’ve invested in renewing St Michael’s Church tower.
  • We’ve resources double glazing in the Old School Rooms Coffee Shop.

One Church, One Vision

  • Our vision is Living to make a difference by being a Christian heart at the centre of the community.
  • Our vision is realised by focusing on Discipleship, Outreach and Serving Our Community.
  • To make our vision happen, we hold 2 gift days a year. One in November to support day-to-day minsitry, and one in May to support our resources and buildings.

God has told us:

Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back, lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left.


Isaiah 54:2-3

Our aims

  • Develop the arches corridor, giving access to large meeting rooms, storage and kitchen to support large events and complete the Auditorium.
  • Upgrade the Old School Rooms kitchen facilities.
  • Support the refurbishments of St Michael’s Church building.
  • Continue to meet our mortgage obligations, and, if possible, repay some loans early.

What we’re asking now

  • Gift day is 12 May 2019.
  • We are continuing our journey of faith with the Heart of the Community project.
  • Please pray about what you are able to give. Together we can play our part. We can make more of a different across our community and beyond.

This appeal is an invitation

If you’re not yet giving…..

Some of us haven’t been able to support our resources and building project as yet. Could now be your time to begin giving?

If you’re new to St Michael’s…..

Maybe you’ve recently joined church and not yet grasped the vision to be a Christian heart at the centre of the community. Would you consider giving towards the development of the buildings and resources to enable the vision?

If you can give more…..

Some of us are in a better financial position than wehen the Heart of the Community project began. Please pray about increasing your giving.

What next?

Please download a pledge form here,

UK taxpayers can also complete a simple GiftAid form, which means the government will donate an extra 25% on top of your giving at no cost to you or the project.

If you would like to know more about any of the Heart of the Community project, how the money is spent, or help with ways to make one-off donations or arrange regular giving, please contact the church office.

HOTC Gift day 2019 by Laura Thomas

Living to Make a Difference – Gift Day 2017

Posted on by Laura Thomas

At St Michael’s, we are privileged to be part of a vibrant, growing church. It’s encouraging to see the continued growth of our ministry and mission, both locally and overseas.  Thank you to everyone who has given their time, money and prayer support in 2017.  Looking ahead to 2018, there’s a sense that God is drawing more people in.  This will bring both challenges and opportunities for us all. Our November “Gift Day” is a chance for us to celebrate God’s goodness and faithfulness and to renew our commitment to living generously.  How will you give in 2018 to help deliver the vision of St Michael’s?   With your support we will achieve our church’s vision and lay stronger foundations for the future.  Thank you for your generosity.

Simon Jones

Our Vision

St Michael’s, Stoke Gifford is a lively, growing Anglican Church.  We share a vision of “living to make a difference” by being a “Christian heart at the centre of the community”.

Our Strategy

Discipleship: through Life Groups, Youth & Children’s groups, helping each of us grow in our friendship with Jesus.

Outreach: to creatively share the Good News of Jesus with others.

Serving the community: in a variety of ways that generate goodwill and community regeneration.

Our Investment in Ministry & Mission in 2017

Thank you to all our amazing staff and volunteers we have reached and blessed many more people in 2017: Children’s Ministry at Sunday Club, Beehive, Saplings, Messy Church and St. Michael’s School; Youth & Student Ministry through Youth Club, Uganda Mission Trip, Youth Retreat, Abbeywood & Bradley Stoke Schools and UWE; Alpha, Baptism Preparation, Marriage and Parenting Courses, Divorce Recovery Workshop; Over 65s Ministry lunches, teas and Osbourne Court; Pastoral presence offering a ‘listening ear’; Prayer Opportunities and 24/7 prayer weeks and a new “Sacred Space”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Future

We have a vision for growth of our congregations and our community outreach.  We require faith, boldness and generosity in our giving according to our circumstances.  By God’s grace and our commitment we will have the resources to lay hold of these opportunities.

In 2018, we’d like to see more young people come to know God through our Children’s, Youth & Student Ministries.  We are excited about our outreach Youth Club, Soul Survivor camp and Hope Bristol.  We’d like to start “Make Lunch” to provide lunch for children, who might otherwise not eat a hot meal, in the school holidays.  We’d like to provide better ongoing support for those who’ve experienced Alpha.  We’d like to offer parenting courses to parents of children of all ages.  We’d like to expand our Over 65s ministry to provide wider opportunities for engagement. We’d like to strengthen our pastoral ministry through “Listening” training.  We’d like to develop an ‘us-together’ culture of ‘Welcome and Hospitality’.

Our Financial Target for 2018

To maintain and develop our ministry in line with our Vision, we need to raise additional income of £60,000 in 2018.  This is an extra £5000, £4000 + 25% Gift Aid of £1000 per month in regular giving.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Giving

We receive no financial support from local or national government or the Church of England including the Bristol Diocese.  Our parish relies on the generous financial support from those who attend St. Michael’s. Giving and gratitude go together and we give out of gratitude for what we receive from God.

‘Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.’ 2 Cor 9:7

 

Our Challenge

Many of us faithfully and sacrificially give, even in difficult financial circumstances, to support the work of God and this Parish. 

If you live in a household which is not yet contributing financially to God’s work at St. Michael’s, please prayerfully consider how you can change that.

‘Each one of us should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.’ 1Peter 4:10 

Our Response

  • If you are not yet a regular giver to the Church, please pray about starting regular, planned giving.
  • If you are an existing regular giver, please prayerfully consider increasing your gift.
  • If you receive a windfall gift, for example, a bonus or inheritance, please consider making a lump sum gift to St. Michael’s.
  • If you are a tax payer, please take advantage of Gift Aid by signing a declaration form. This will mean an extra 25p on every £1.00 you give.
  • Click here to download a  Response form 

Our Prayer

Loving Father, you have made us your people, richly provided us with good gifts and called us to live for you. May gratitude be in our hearts, may generosity be in our hands, may justice and righteousness guide our feet and may the life of your kingdom and the joy of heaven be found among us.

‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God’. Philippians 4.6

 

 

Heart of the Community Gift Day – May 2016

Posted on by Laura Thomas

The Heart of the Community project is integral to the vision of St Michael’s Church. Every part of the project will resource, enable and advance our work as a Christian heart at the centre of the community. Last year, we celebrated the opening of our new church and community centre. But the Heart of the Community project is not about community buildings.

It’s about building community, locally, regionally and — through our tithed giving — internationally.

We have pledged to:
– Preserve, protect and increase the use of our historic church building
– Refurbish the Old School Rooms
– Complete the new centre, and
– Give a tenth of money gifted by church members to support building and development projects undertaken by our mission partners.
We have raised £2.73m through the generous and sacrificial giving by church members. We need £4.04m to repay the loans and complete the project.
As we use the new premises and see the church grow, we give thanks for what God is doing and pray to see His Kingdom come in this place.
Sunday 22nd May is our Heart of the Community project Gift Day. Please pray and seek the Lord about how we can give to His service and leave a lasting legacy of God’s love for future generations.
Thank you for your continued support, faith and generosity.

Simon Jones, Team Rector

Gift Day Leaflet and Response Form

Heart of the Community Spring Update

 

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