Church planting: Sittingbourne sows and Stewardship tends
Church planting can be a costly business – but a new support team can help people over those first financial hurdles.
In the past 12 months, 25 new churches have been launched using Stewardship’s services, including Sittingbourne in Kent. Another 92 plants are currently in discussion with the organisation.
‘Our pioneering guide informs church planters,’ explains Stewardship’s John Keskeys. ‘It also highlights numerous pitfalls that many new church leaders are unaware of. We provide free one-to-one consultations with them and their teams.’
Visitors to Stand S38 at CRE 2018 will be given a pack of cards to help identify practical things that may be relevant to them, whether they are involved with a church plant or not.
‘We help more than 2,000 churches and Christian charities each year but still 80 per cent of the people we meet do not realise the full extent of what we do,’ says John. ‘We are committed to growing healthy and sustainable churches, so the world can encounter Jesus through the generosity of his church.’
Stewardship, which has been around since 1906, supports every part of church life. In particular, the organisation makes financial giving easier and enables churches to make the best possible use of Gift Aid legislation. It also offers help to that unsung local hero – the church treasurer! Areas covered include church payroll, accounts, annual audits and property management.
Gordon Watson was sent by Cornerstone City Church to launch Hope Church in Sittingbourne (pictured).
‘Stewardship have been wonderfully helpful as we have gone about establishing a pioneering work,’ he recounts. ‘We’ve opened a Stewardship account which has enabled us to receive Gift Aided donations from a wide pool of friends and family via social media who weren’t already supporting us financially.
‘We’re confident that as the work grows Stewardship will provide us with the tools to ensure we are financially sound and managing growth well. It’s a genuine blessing to be in partnership with them!’
• Stewardship are on stand S38 at CRE 2018
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