Giving

We are continually reminded of the goodness and faithfulness of God. Ephesians 3:20 reminds us that we serve a God “who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.”

Time and time again, He provides financially into the life of His church through the generous giving of our congregation. It is your generosity that enables our vision to be a Christian Heart at the Centre of our Communities.

We aim to be open and transparent about how our finances work, where your money goes, and how we can all count ourselves in.

How Our Church is Structured

To understand our finances, it is helpful to know that St Michael’s operates through two linked charities:

1. The Parochial Church Council (PCC)

• Registered Charity Number: 1134709
• Role: Funds our core church ministry activities, staffing, and day-to-day mission.
• Nursery & Coffee Shop: The PCC also oversees St Michael’s Nursery and the Coffee Shop. Both are non-profit ministries designed to support our wider community mission.
  • The Nursery is financially secure and generates a modest surplus that is reinvested directly into improving its facilities.
  • The Coffee Shop requires a financial ministry subsidy each year, but serves as a vital and welcoming open door into our local community.

2. St Michael’s Church Centre Ltd (SMCC)

• Registered Charity Number: 1149601
• Role: Responsible for the construction, maintenance, and operation of the Church Centre building.
• Financial Status: SMCC is self-sustaining and carries no outstanding loans or debts. It is funded through local community room hire and a structured annual operational contribution from the PCC. Because SMCC is self-sustaining, all congregational donations are directed to the PCC to support direct ministry.

Restricted vs. Unrestricted Funds: What’s the Difference?

When you give to St Michael’s, your donation falls into one of two categories:

• Unrestricted Funds (Mission & Ministry): This is our general income used to fund everyday church operations, ministries, and staff. The vast majority of our regular donations are unrestricted.
• Restricted Funds: These are gifts given for a specific, legally designated project (such as a major building renovation). Restricted funds can strictly only be spent on that designated purpose and cannot be used for the day-to-day running of the church.

Where Your Money Goes

Our day-to-day mission relies on unrestricted giving. Beyond necessary administrative costs, our expenditure is focused on four core areas:

• Mission Giving (Our Tithe): We believe in being a generous church. We set aside 10% of donation income to support our mission partners, both locally in Bristol and around the world.
• Ministry Staffing & Clergy: It takes a dedicated staff team to support our large congregation—including clergy, children and families, youth, student/young adults leaders, and operational support staff.
• Church Centre Contribution: The PCC makes a fair annual contribution to SMCC for our usage of the Church Centre facilities.
• Parish Share & Regional Mission: We receive no central funding from the Church of England or the Diocese of Bristol. Instead, we are a net contributor to the Diocese through the Parish Share scheme, which covers clergy costs and shared regional ministry training.

The Financial Reality & Governance

• No Endowments or Capital Investments: Unlike some historic churches, St Michael’s holds no capital investments, legacy funds, or central subsidies to draw upon. Our day-to-day work is funded by ongoing congregational generosity.
• Prudent Reserves: In line with Charity Commission guidelines, we hold cash reserves equivalent to approximately three months of core operating costs. This is maintained purely as a prudent safety net for good governance rather than a buffer for operational expenditure.

Generosity as a Way of Life

In Mark 12:41-44, Jesus observed a widow putting two small coins into the temple treasury. He celebrated her not for the size of her gift, but for the heart behind it—she counted herself in and gave out of faith.

Eugene Peterson famously described Christian discipleship as “a long obedience in the same direction.” It is not made up of rare, dramatic gestures, but of slow, steady, everyday faithful choices that gradually shape us into the image of Jesus.

As a Church, we have been using the Practicing the Way resources to develop a Rule of Life. Generosity is a core practice of that life. Setting aside regular, planned giving month by month is a practical expression of that “long obedience.” It is not just about funding a budget; it is a spiritual discipline that forms our hearts over time. Every gift, no matter the size, matters deeply.

Ways to Give & Maximising Your Impact

Whether you prefer to give regularly or via one-off gifts, there are several tax-efficient ways to support the church:

1. Regular Planned Giving

Setting up a regular monthly gift via bank standing order or direct debit helps us budget effectively for the year ahead.

To set up or amend a standing order, log in to your online banking or visit your local branch with our bank account details

Account name: Stoke Gifford PCC St Michael’s

Sort code  30–16–11  

Account Number 01814843

Quote reference as: your first name and surname

Once you have set up or amended your standing order, please email us so we can identify your gift and thank you. Please also complete a Gift Aid form if you are eligible

2. Gift Aid (Boost your gift by 25%)

If you are a UK taxpayer, completing a Gift Aid declaration allows St Michael’s to claim an extra 25p for every £1 you give directly from HMRC at no extra cost to you.

Gift Aid is a scheme available to charities which means they can claim extra money from HMRC. The charity can claim an extra 25p for every £1 you donate, as long as you’ve paid the basic rate of tax and make the donation from your own funds. That means Gift Aid can increase the value of your donations by 25%, so St Michael’s will benefit further from your giving.

UK taxpayers can also complete a simple Gift Aid form, which means the government will donate an extra 25% on top of your giving at no cost to you. What is Gift Aid?

You can complete an online Gift Aid form here

For more information on giving, or to speak to our finance team, please contact us

3. Give As You Earn (Payroll Giving)

If your employer offers a Payroll Giving scheme, you can donate directly from your gross pay before Income Tax is deducted. This is especially tax-efficient for higher (40%) or additional (45%) rate taxpayers. 

4. One-off Donation

Click on the donate button below. Please choose “ordinary fund”.

By cheque

Made payable to St Michael’s Stoke Gifford PCC

If at all possible, we would be so grateful if you could try online giving instead.

Get in Touch

If you have questions about church finances, setting up a regular standing order, or completing a Gift Aid declaration, please do get in touch.

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