1 FINANCIAL CONSULTATIONS 2015 Welcome

Life - Giving Any understanding of Christian giving must start with God – recognising it is the heart of His character. “God gives what God is – his life. The gift is not a substitute for God. It is God, God in motion, God in action.” Rowan Williams “For God so loved the world that he gave…….” John 3:16a

His giving is what should provoke our thanks-giving ‘All that we have, and all that we are’… …originates in God’s generosity And so our giving is the natural response to this… ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.’ Psalm 118:1

A Biblical framework for Christian giving… Prayerful – an act of worship and thanksgiving. (1 Chron ) Priority – not the ‘spare change’ after all other needs have been satisfied (2 Cor 8) Proportionate – assessed in relation to all we have (Deut , 1 Cor 16.2, 2 Cor 8.5) Planned – but not prescriptive and always allowing for spontaneity! (2 Cor 9.7)

How: simple ingredients… One - Praying, preaching and teaching about giving, sharing and discipleship Two - Linking giving with vision Three - Regularly thanking people Four - Structured approaches to annual renewal

New Christian Giving Resource… Support for senior leaders in developing and sharing a diocesan wide vision for generous Christian giving Oversight and professional skill to develop good and accessible resources to support parishes – Grants, Friend, Legacies etc and oversee the introduction of the Church of England’s ‘Parish Giving Scheme’ A resource to work with Area Teams to identify and focus on support for specific deanery/parish priorities and initiatives.

“If this scheme becomes the principal funding method for your Church, you will have inflation-proofed your giving, maximized your cash-flow and minimised your administration.” Parish Giving Scheme A quality launch Automated administration Regular review Opportunity to index link (60% of donations…)