Why Give?

Like many other churches, Saint Mary operates on an extremely tight budget. Nonetheless, we don’t shy away from our calling as Christians to give sacrificially to the work of His Kingdom.

We give in response to God’s Generosity.

As a church, we believe in a generous God who has blessed us in various ways. God’s grace toward us is abundant – excessively so. The Bible reminds us that  “for everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more” (Luke 12:48). The message is that our possessions are to be used not merely for our enjoyment. They are for the benefit of the world around us. “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8). Of course, this doesn’t mean that giving is to be approached as a grim, oppressive duty. “Let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). Our responsibility to give primarily responds to God’s generosity as an expression of joy and gratitude.

We Give for God’s Mission

Here at Saint Mary’s, we believe giving is part and parcel of our worship and discipleship. It is an integral part of showing our love for Christ. It is a vital part of who we are as Christians. Our efforts are not limited to the boundaries of our parish. We continue to support various charities such as our local Foodbank, Elmbridge Rentstart, caring for the homeless. We also support The Leprosy Mission working to eradicate this disease worldwide, and The Bible Society. Every year, we give a part of our income to these charities. Besides, we collaborate with our local schools yearly through the Shoebox Appeal, sending Christmas gifts to children worldwide and hosting school events and services. Our halls are used by many in the community, often at reduced prices and, in some cases, at no cost.

We give to cater for our community and the Vulnerable.

We have various services, events, and activities that cater to the lonely and vulnerable, elderly and young, and everyone who lives works or visits our parish. We have community activities such as SMART for toddlers, Meeting Point and Knitting and Colouring for the not so young, amongst many others. We seriously take our work with the community, especially our local schools and uniformed organisations. This is why we employ a Children and Families Worker and many volunteer helpers.   These align with our parish vision is ‘Loving, Serving, Growing’. As a church, we want to continue loving, serving, and seeing our community grow in harmony with each other and our environment.

We give to grow God’s Kingdom amongst us.

Part of our giving is spent maintaining our facilities, paring our staff, and contributing to creation’s beauty. We believe this is an essential part of our calling as Christians. We hope we ensure that Saint Mary’s continues to exist as a worshipping community for many years to come.

Everyone is encouraged to give in whatever way they can. Below are various methods and opportunities to contribute towards God’s Kingdom here in Oatlands