Over 60 representatives from parishes around the diocese have attended the much awaited Money Matters event at St Kea Church. 20150312_13 LL (15)

Bishop Tim opened the day and shared his own reflections on generosity as a Christian and as a Bishop before handing over to National Stewardship Advisor Dr John Preston who provided much of the content for the day; facilitating workshops around giving and generosity.

The event provided an excellent opportunity for delegates to network and share ideas about how they approach the issue of stewardship within their churches and the intrinsic link to discipleship and generosity as opposed to merely ‘meeting the costs’.

News of the Parish Giving Scheme was shared in the afternoon – a practical tool which the diocese is offering to parishes in order to increase the efficiency of donors, improve cash flow and provide valuable assistance in terms of gift aid claims.

The scheme, which has been running in the Diocese of Gloucester for four years, is already being trialled within the Diocese of Truro and allows donors to give via direct debit with the option of increasing their gift in line with inflation on an annual basis.

If you were unable to attend the day and would like a CD of the resources that were provided or for more information about how to run Parish Giving in your parish please contact Rebecca Evans on Rebecca.Evans@truro.anglican.org or call 01872 360039.

Speaking after the event, Bishop Tim said: “I found the skills of John Preston as a communicator encouraging and helpful. Stewardship is a key issue about which we should speak regularly in our churches and there are plenty of resources we can use.”

Archdeacon Audrey said: “I was particularly moved by the ‘handful of rice’ example from South India. It shows what ordinary people can do if they are generous with the ordinary resources they have. I am challenged to work out what the equivalent of a handful of rice is for me, to regularly set aside for God’s work.”