Thanks to the generous giving of parishioners in Peasedown St John, St John’s Church has given away another £12,000 this year to local, national and international causes.
The congregation follows the biblical principle of giving away the first 10% of its income each year in a bid to practice what it preaches. This year £12,000 was set aside for the church’s Mission Giving Committee to make decisions about where the money should go.
Over the last 14 years, St John’s Church has distributed a staggering £139,000 in charitable giving!
In the past 12 months the committee has received applications for funding and financial assistance from a range of organisations.
Church Leader, Revd Matthew Street, said,
“This year we have been able to support international projects such as Christian broadcasters SAT7 and Flame International – an organisation that works with grassroots projects around the world to alleviate poverty. St John’s is part of the child sponsorship scheme where we support families in Africa – enabling children to go to school and have opportunities they wouldn’t have otherwise. The overseas projects we support often have a personal link for our church so we can receive regular feedback on how our donations are being spent.
"We are also extremely pleased to be supporting local initiatives such as the Timsbury-based charity Bibles for Children and Somer Valley Foodbank– an essential project that supports local people in food crisis.”
St John’s Church has also supported other local community-based projects such as The Hive Community Centre in Peasedown St John and the village’s popular Party in the Park festival.
Matthew added: “The team here at St John’s feels extremely blessed to be in a position to donate this money each year. As we continue to move further into a culture of collaborative working, with grassroots organisations running services, the church can play an increasingly key role in supporting projects which in the past would have received their support from elsewhere.”