WHAT IS STEWARDSHIP?
Stewardship is about how we respond to all that God has given us.
It is:
- Giving thanks for God’s generous gifts
- Sharing our time, skills, and resources
- Caring for the church and its mission
Stewardship is not just about money. It is about our whole life—how we live out faith, serve others, and play our part in the life of St Mary’s.
As a parish church, St Mary’s exists for everyone in the village and beyond. It is a place of worship, prayer, comfort, and welcome for all.
WHY IT MATTERS
St Mary’s is here for everyone – a welcoming and inclusive place of worship, prayer, celebration and support. For over 900 years Christian worship and prayer have been offered on this site. We are called to sustain it for future generations.
As stewards, we can all play a part in providing:
- Care for people
- Care for our ancient and beautiful building
- Faith for the next generation
Everything we do depends on the generosity of those who support St Mary’s whether by offering their talents or helping to secure our finances.
TALENTS
We need people willing to share their time and skills. There are many areas in which you may be able to help – click below for a suggested list where you can express your interest and add any ideas of your own.
OUR FINANCIAL CHALLENGE
Our annual running costs are approximately £55,000 per year currently. These include heating, lighting, insurance, general maintenance, churchyard care, and parish activities. The largest single cost is our Parish Share – nearly £25,000 per year. This funds clergy ministry, housing, training, and essential diocesan support services. Without Parish Share, the Church of England could not maintain a presence in every community.
In addition, we have a beautiful Grade 1 Listed church to maintain.
We need help from our community to put our finances on a sound footing for the years ahead.
GIVING
- Regular giving helps us plan confidently for the future
- Giving through schemes like Parish Giving Scheme enables stability and simplicity
- If you are eligible for Gift Aid, your gift increases by 25% at no extra cost
STEWARDSHIP FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How much does it cost to run our parish church each year?
In 2025, we paid just under £24,000 to the Diocese to cover our rector’s pension (he receives no salary), the upkeep of the rectory and a contribution to essential services provided by the Diocese such as safeguarding, building advice and training. A further sum of around £31,000 was required to cover the church insurance and its running costs (including utility bills), council tax and the sundry day-to-day expenses all organisations incur.
How much does it cost to maintain the church building?
We have a beautiful, grade 1 listed, historic church: but it requires specialised maintenance. Every 5 years we are required by law to have it inspected by a qualified church architect who will determine what work is needed both urgently and over medium and longer periods. Some tasks can be carried out by local volunteers (such as churchyard maintenance): but often contractors are required. Expenditure will inevitably vary year-on-year: but in 2025 we spent around £22,000 and have further identified expenditure in 2026.
Where does all this money come from?
Basically, it comes from our congregation, donations from visitors, occasional legacies, and fund-raising events such as the annual Fair. For specific projects, we can look for some grant-funding: but these are hard to come by in the current climate and require a lot of work by unpaid volunteers to prepare applications. Not surprisingly, therefore, we have been eating into historic reserves to balance the books: but these will disappear in a few years unless we can increase our regular income.
Does the Chichester Diocese pay for anything?
Yes, they provide the vicar’s housing (the Rectory) and maintain it. As mentioned above, they also provide essential support services.
Do the Church Commissioners pay for anything in the parishes?
Using income from their portfolio of investments, the Church Commissioners spend over £200 million a year supporting dioceses and churches around the country (in addition to supporting the Cathedrals and their staff). However, this money is focussed on areas with the highest levels of deprivation.
Does the parish have any paid staff?
No – all the work is done by unpaid volunteers including those on the Parochial Church Council (PCC) and others who value the role of the church as a focal point in village life.
If I am not a churchgoer, why should I be concerned?
The Church of England is unique in trying to maintain a presence in every parish in the country – regardless of financial viability in the purely economic sense! The rector considers every resident – regardless of faith or none – to be under his care. For instance, every resident has the right to be buried in the churchyard, to have their family members baptised and to be married in the church. Many value the church as a place of beauty and peace, as well as a venue for events, even if they are not worshippers. How would you feel if the church closed and fell into ruin?
What can I do to help?
Everyone can help by attending church events and making donations there. Some tasks can be carried out by volunteers – maintaining the churchyard and its graves, for instance, or clearing drainage gullies after the leaves fall. Everyone has talents and access to them even for a few hours can be invaluable. In many European countries, churches are maintained through their tax systems: but not in England. If as many residents as possible were to make regular donations (e.g. through the Parish Giving Scheme), according to their means, we could close that gap in our finances – and, in the case of taxpayers, we would get the added benefit of Gift Aid.
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