Wise and faithful stewardship

Parish Share Explained

Parish Share is the financial expression of what it means to be part of God’s mission in this part of the Church of England. Every year, parishes are asked to support the cost of ministry across our diocese. Without the financial support from Parish Share we would not be able to pay for our clergy or provide the support needed for mission and ministry.

A downloadable booklet has been created to explain the concept and importance of Parish Share in the Diocese of Newcastle. To understand the cost of supporting ministry and mission based on the 2024 budget, please see Newcastle Diocesan Synod Agreed Budget for 2024.

Download Parish Share Explained

Managing Reserves

The parable of the talents teaches us that the resources that have been entrusted to us should be put to good work, rather than be simply buried in the ground. This surely means that money we have beyond our immediate needs and reasonable reserves should be spent on mission and ministry in our parish and within the diocese (via the parish share mechanism), in order to ensure we are growing the church and that it remains vibrant and thriving for the generations to come. At the risk of plagiarising a great quote, what would it profit a man if excess money is left sitting in a bank account whilst the church around us in unable to grow and expand?

Yet the question may legitimately be asked how much reserves is it reasonable and prudent to keep? We need to find the right balance of faithfulness without being reckless in the stewardship of money entrusted to us. For further discussion, please download our Managing Reserves document below.

Download Managing Reserves

NB: In the run up to Generosity Week 2024, the Generous Giving Team ran a series of presentations to support parishes keen to develop a faithful reserves policy. This included an overview of the role of the Church Commissioners and why they hold money on our behalf. A copy of the presentation is available by contacting the team, who are are also willing to deliver the presentation on request, either online or in person.

Gift Aid and the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme

Gift Aid is an arrangement that allows charities to reclaim tax on a donation made by a UK taxpayer. Where a valid Gift Aid declaration has been receiced, donations will be worth 25% more, at no extra cost.

There are circumstances where no Gift Aid declaration is required. The Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme (GASDS) allows parishes to claim a Gift Aid style repayment on small cash or contactless donations up to a maximum value of £30 and a threshold of £8,000 per tax year per church (from April 2019). You will still need to keep evidence showing when the cash was collected.

Parish Buying Service

The Parish Buying Service was set up by the church, for the church. Their contracts and discounts are available to all parishes, cathedrals and dioceses in the Church of England. Through the bulk buying power of the Church they negotiate competitive prices with suppliers across a range of different contracts including; energy, contactless equipment, church supplies, phone and broadband.

Tips for Saving Energy and Money

The September 2022 DAC Conference produced a useful paper on practical tips and suggestions to help parishes save energy and money which is available here. Additional guidance from the Energy Savings Trust aimed at buildings which are “places of work” may also be of some use and can be found here.

Supporting Treasurers Toolkit

For further resources aimed more specifically to support treasurers please visit the Supporting Treasurers Toolkit created by our finance team.