Diocese of Chichester

Following on from the success of our Testimonial Generous Giving Video of 2023, we are pleased to announce a new version has been released year. In this latest video, recorded in Autumn 2024, we have captured the comments of seven churches, representing a broad range of traditions, and drawing from those serving in both rural and urban context.

With observations from ordained and lay members, the video seeks to share how individual churches started their “Journey of Generosity”, the importance of the recruitment and building up of a team, and the need to tie generosity and stewardship into the overall mission and ministry of the church. Participants share how key messages are embedded into the life and work of the church and therefore becomes a natural part of the way church grows.

A key factor is the way generosity and stewardship impact not only the congregational members but also the way this allows the local community to join in. Particularly in the rural context, a church is often seen as a key feature and centre of village life, and even those who do not consider themselves regular attenders at a service, wish to participate in the support of fabric and function of “their” local church.

Fostering Hope and Generosity for Future Growth

In the video, we hear from Emma and Tim Bell from Christchurch in Ore. Their aim is to increase both one-off and regular giving to plan for ongoing and future ministries.

"Despite facing deficits, we've been blessed with grants and donations that have covered our shortfalls, demonstrating God's grace. However, our goal is to move beyond survival mode and into a position where we can confidently plan and grow our ministries.

“Our financial transparency has meant people are now more comfortable talking about money.”

Tim added, "At our monthly prayer meeting, we pray about stepping out in faith – to not be afraid. We're here to proclaim God's kingdom, but we know money has to come from different sources as well. We have members of our own congregation helping to write bids, and being part of those teams means they feel part of that generosity.

"Already, generous giving has enabled us to enhance our youth programs. For instance, we took our youth group to Thorpe Park—a first-time experience for many who've never left Hastings."

The parish had already seen a shift towards people investing in its ministries, an encouraging trend for its future growth.

Realistic Giving in a Deprived Area

Fr Felix Smith, is the vicar at Chalk parishes in Sompting, Lancing and Coombes.

Being located in a relatively deprived area, it was crucial to ensure that giving levels were realistic. Fr Felix said: “Comparing ourselves to other parishes with higher giving rates wouldn't have been productive. Instead, we focused on setting achievable giving goals for our congregation, and being open about our efforts to raise funds through other means.

“We found that when congregations see the church actively seeking alternative funding sources, they're more willing to join the journey and contribute what they can.

“One of the key strategies we employed was being open and direct about our financial situation. With regular, transparent communication about our financial needs and early discussions to prevent last-minute financial emergencies.

We introduced a Lenten giving program that encouraged one-off donations for specific causes. For example We asked for donations to help families or individuals who couldn't otherwise afford to go on the pilgrimage to Walsingham. This initiative resulted in two significant donations

“These donors now want to make this an annual part of their Lenten discipline

“Another important aspect of our strategy is to consistently follow up on pledges made during these initiatives”.

We hope that this video will be really helpful for other churches to start the “Journey of Generosity”, by being encouraged by the stories of others who are already some way along it, and by signposting resources and top tips which we trust will be useful.

The video is published via our Youtube account for sharing either at your next PCC vision day, or in church groups, as part of your generosity campaign message.

If you require an MP4 for downloading, please contact  Andrew Smith.