make a difference

One of our core values as a parish is generosity: we always strive to be generous with everything we have: our time, energy, skills, resources, and our finances. We don’t ask anyone to give to our mission out of a sense of obligation or necessity, rather, we expect everyone who gives to do so as a prayerful, joyful, and free response to the love of God who in His superabundant grace has gifted us all that He is in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. We give as a grateful response to what Jesus gave for us on the Cross.

We believe that giving is a spiritual discipline, and like all spiritual disciplines, it is good for you, it is good for others, and it is good for the Church.

  • giving is good for you

    It’s telling that Jesus talked about money more than any other subject. Money matters. It matters because if left unchecked it can become a what the Scriptures call an ‘idol’. Our bank balance can become our Lord and Master if we don’t engage with our finances prayerfully and faithfully. Idols turn us in on ourselves, distancing us from others and from God, and making “me” and “my desires”, “my needs”, “my judgements”, the Lord and Master of our lives.

    Jesus calls us to radical discipleship in every area of life, including our finances. When we put our trust in Jesus as Lord, when we trust God with everything including our finances, then money loses its power over us, and we are freed to become people of grace, who give freely and generously. Every penny given becomes the prayer “Lord, let your Kingdom come and your will be done - not my own - on earth as it is in heaven.”

  • giving is good for others

    Jesus’ vision of the Kingdom of God is an egalitarian community where everyone is included (not just the select few with the “skills to pay the bills”). If everyone is included, that means everyone has a part to play, and everyone can contribute, no matter how great or small.

    When we give, we are choosing to belong to this kind of Kingdom community. Though they weren’t without their troubles, the earliest communities of Christians had this going for them: “The whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.” - Acts 4:32-35

  • giving is good for the church

    Jesus is the greatest resource we have, and the Church lives on the faithfulness of the Father and the sustaining presence of the Holy Spirit. But it shouldn’t come as a surprise that running a church - let alone two - costs money.

    All of the activities and events in the parish are funded by people’s generous giving. Contrary to the popular misconception, we don’t receive money from the central Church of England. In fact, the opposite is true, we practice generosity as a parish by actually giving money to fund the mission of the national church. We might sometimes receive grants from statutory bodies and trusts, but these occasions are rare and usually restricted to specific projects. The primary source of our income is through regular giving.

    Your gift helps to enable the church to flourish and better pursue the mission of God here in Hastings and beyond.

How can I start giving today?

Regular giving

If you would like to give regularly to the parish, then the easiest way is to pay directly into our bank account via standing order. To set up a standing order, simply login to your online banking or visit your local branch with the following details:

Bank

Barclays

Account name

St John’s Hollington Parochial Church Council

sort-code

20-27-91

Account number

40775673

Gift aid

Did you know that you can boost your donation by 25p for every £1 you give at no extra cost to you? If you are a UK taxpayer, make sure you fill out the Gift Aid declaration form below so that we can claim this extra 25% on your behalf.

one-off gifts

One-off gifts can be paid directly into the bank account using the credentials above, or by using a debit/credit card at one of our electronic donation stations (we have one in each church). We also take a collection during our services each week if you would like to pay with cash.

Cheques can be made payable to St John’s Hollington PCC, and sent to: The PCC Treasurer, St John the Evangelist, Upper Church Road, St Leonards on Sea, TN37 7AT.

gift aid declaration

Please notify the PCC if you:

  1. Want to cancel this declaration

  2. Change your name or address

  3. No longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or capital gains

If you pay income tax at the higher or additional rate and want to receive the additional tax relief due to you, you must include all your Gift Aid donations on your Self Assessment tax return or ask HMRC to adjust your tax code.

legacies

Some people like to give by including St John’s Hollington with St Peter & St Paul in their will. A legacy allows you to continue to support the vision of the church beyond your own life, and help others find and grow a relationship with Jesus in the future. If you intend to make a gift to the parish in your will, or if you've already included a gift to the parish in your will, we'd be delighted to hear from you. We’d love the opportunity to say thank you. Contact our PCC Treasurer here, or contact our Priest-in-charge Toby if you would prefer. 

It’s very easy to include the parish when making a will.  We suggest you include a form of words like this:

I GIVE _% of the residue of my estate to the Benefice of Hollington, St John’s with St Peter & St Paul, Upper Church Road, St Leonards-on-Sea, TN37 7AR for its charitable purposes. I further direct that the receipt of the Honorary Treasurer or other proper officer of the Parish for the time being shall be a full and final sufficient discharge for the said legacy.

or

I GIVE to the Benefice of Hollington, St John’s with St Peter & St Paul, Upper Church Road, St Leonards-on-Sea, TN37 7AR the sum of £_/specific asset or item for its charitable purposes. I further direct that the receipt of the Honorary Treasurer or other proper officer of the parish for the time being shall be a full and final sufficient discharge for the said legacy.