PARISH MISSION PRAYER AND GIVING POLICY

The Parish is establishing a deeper mission relationship with a limited number of charities through the year.   We demonstrate our Christian Love through action, prayer and giving; also responding as a Parish to major natural and humanitarian disaster appeals. 


Christian Aid : is a year round commitment with a special focus on Christian Aid Week in May.  
We no longer undertake a door to door envelope collection but aim to find creative ways of gathering donations both from Parish members and the public during CAW and through other events – Big Brekkie, Quiz Aid and occasional lunches and sponsored activities


Harvest thanksgiving : we commit to giving food items to CEF and cash to Water Aid every year,  so seek to share more information about their work from speakers and leaflets/websites/ media.  We will engage with them by praying for them regularly, not just on one autumn Sunday a year. We maintain all year collection points in both churches for donated goods to CEF, which is based at St Francis church   


Christmas : our Cowley Christmas tree festival relationship with SeeSaw and ROSY demonstrates our recognition of the instruction to ‘suffer these little children to come to me’. 
Following annual PCC approval, all Christmas service open plate collections will be added to the CTF donations, shared equally between the two charities.


We value our Parish relationship with/involvement in :  

OWNS (Oxford Winter Night Shelter),  

BeSpace  (prayer spaces in schools) Open the Book and support them with personnel, prayer and donations.

The Parish Mothers’ Union also fundraises for the national MU and provides knitted items to the Oxford Children’s Hospital. We coordinate filled Christmas gift boxes for Operation Christmas Child.   


The Parish maintains  the donation of 5% of annual planned giving to parishioner nominated Christian causes, ensuring that everyone learns about the recipient causes’ work and that we pray for them.  It is another great, exciting statement of thanksgiving for all that we receive from our Father. 


We maintain our own Parish fundraising to cover the costs of worship, fellowship, outreach and buildings  through stewardship, planned giving and annual events : Plant sale,  Christmas gift and craft fair, Caribbean evening and other small scale social occasions.