Thank you for looking at this page of the website !
The Anglican Church of St. Luke’s Fontainebleau is 100% self-funded and our ministry depends on God’s faithfulness and the faithful giving of time, talents, and money from our congregation as we seek to serve Jesus Christ through welcome, worship, and witness.
We are called to be God’s stewards of all that He has created and given us; to care for His world, His people, His church. As Christians, financial giving is our way of responding with thankfulness to the love that God has already shown us in giving Jesus to be our Saviour ‘ We love because He first loved us ‘ (1 John 4:19). Financial giving facilitates our mission and ministry.
GIVING TO ST LUKE’S CAN BE MADE IN A VARIETY OF WAYS:
( please see below “ What do I do Next” for more information )
1. Regular monthly giving by bank transfer. This is by far the easiest and most efficient way to provide regular financial support to St Luke’s.
2. Regular “Online” Monthly Giving via our online giving page
3. Occasional or one-off donations via Bank Transfer or Online Giving Page
4. Regular or occasional giving by cheque: either by sending a cheque to the Treasurer or simply placing a cheque in the collection basket during the service.
5. Cash offerings in the collection basket in the service ( Euros preferably ! ). Please consider replacing any giving that you would have made in cash with a cheque or an online donation during the period of suspension of physical services.
* All information concerning giving and donations is private and treated as confidential *
* Standing orders for regular giving by bank transfer or online giving can be amended or cancelled at any time *
TAX CERTIFICATES
* If you are a French taxpayer, you will receive an annual ‘tax certificate’ for your giving online, by bank transfer or cheque which will allow you to claim a reduction on your tax *
For French tax-payers this would typically result in a tax credit equivalent to 66% * ( two-thirds ) of the amount of your giving in a tax year. As an example, a donation of 100€ would typically result in a ‘ tax credit’ of 66€ meaning a net cost to you of 34€. This might be something to consider when deciding the amount of your regular giving. The above does depend however on your personal tax situation.
*up to a limit for all your charitable giving of 20% of your taxable income
HOW WILL MY GIVING BE SPENT ?
Our key expenditure items are providing rented accommodation for our ministers ( including locums ), the costs of our ministers ( stipend, ‘honorariums’ for locums, Mutuelle costs, French social charges and pension contributions when applicable), annual contributions to the Church of England and Archdeaconry funds, and to Saint-Aspais for the use of the chapel and facilities, annual insurance premiums, Sunday school and youth group, purchase of items of equipment and church supplies. In addition, we have the sort of administrative costs that you would expect – Synod and membership fees, bank charges, printing and stationery costs, etc.). An annual budget is presented each year at the Annual Chaplaincy Meeting ( ACM ) and the church council monitors income and expenditure regularly at the council meetings. Finally, the treasurer accounts for what has been spent at the ACM and how that compares to the budget that was approved. In short, the church council is responsible for financial stewardship and this is a responsibility that is taken seriously.
WHAT DO I DO NEXT ?
Giving by Bank Transfer
If you wish to set up a regular bank transfer or simply make a one-off or occasional transfer, you will find attached below the necessary bank account information for St Luke’s. If you give by bank transfer you will find a small yellow card at the back of the Church “This Represents my regular giving to God by Standing Order” which you can put in the collection basket at Church if you wish.
Online Giving
This option has been introduced at the beginning of 2021.
Simply go to the “ Online Donations “ page on the website or to the following link and you will be able to make a secure donation by card. This service is provided to St Luke’s free of charge – there are no commissions, charges, or admin fees for us to pay, and 100% of your giving will be received by St Luke's. You will however be asked to consider making a small contribution to support the running costs of the service provider, Hello Asso. The amount will be prompted, but can easily be modified, subject to a minimum contribution of 1 EUR.
There is an option to opt out of making a contribution, however, please keep in mind that all contributions will help HelloAsso to continue to provide their service free of charge.
You also have the option on this page to set up monthly online giving by card.
Online card donations will be included in the annual tax certificates.
Giving by Cheque
If you prefer to give by cheque, cheques should be made payable to “L’Eglise Anglicane Fontainebleau” and placed in the collection basket which is passed around during the offertory hymn in the service. The cheque can be placed in an envelope for confidentiality if you prefer. During any period of suspension of physical church services due to Covid, cheques may be sent in the post to the Treasurer ( please contact the Treasurer via the e-mail address at the bottom of this page for more information).
Giving in Cash
For cash giving, simply place your offering in the collection basket. Please note however that as cash giving cannot normally be identified to an individual the amounts given in cash cannot be included on the annual tax certificate. Once again, please do consider making an online donation or sending a cheque to the Treasurer to maintain your giving during any period of suspension of physical services due to Covid.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Should you require any additional information or have any questions or require assistance, please contact Christopher Burton-Page. [email protected]
THANK YOU – your generous giving, whatever the amount, large or small, is so important to us and is greatly appreciated.
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver 2 Corinthians 9:7