Financial support
Running a parish, supporting our priests and regular services, heating and maintaining our church building (to nobody’s surprise!) costs money. Our parishioners give generously, but it is important to our work and our witness to ensure the income continues.
- We have a card reader for cashless donations – all you have to do is enter the amount you want to donate and tap your card. If you have signed up for Gift Aid, please add your name in the book on the candle desk and tick to confirm whether you are making a donation or a purchase – we can claim back tax on Gift Aid donations if we know you are a Gift Aid donor.
- Sign up for Gift Aid – if you are a taxpayer, this enables the parish to claim back tax you have paid on your donation from the Government, increasing the value of your donation by 25% or more. Forms are available in church and should be given to our Treasurer when completed.
- You can donate free and for nothing while shopping online using the EasyFundraising website.
- Use www.easyfundraising.org.uk for your online shopping – not just Amazon, but John Lewis and hundreds of other online retailers. When shopping online, first log into EasyFundraising, then access your retailer’s site via EasyFundraising, selecting our church as your chosen charity (Orthodox Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God – Bristol). A percentage of your purchase price is then automatically donated to the church. It’s easy once you have done it once, and you can download a reminder to activate the donation every time you shop.
There are a number of opportunities to get involved in parish life and to serve at the moment. See below and let us know if there are other ways you would like to serve.
Other ways to support us:
- Become a VOTING MEMBER Anyone may attend our services and become a member of our worshipping community, but if you are an Orthodox Christian we encourage you to become a voting member. This allows you to vote at the General Meetings of the Parish. All we ask is that you complete a membership form, available in church, and submit it to the Parish Secretary
- Maintenance team – If you like a bit of DIY and would like to help maintain the building, speak to Reader Botolph or Cuthbert
- Social and Hospitality Team – If you like organising social gatherings and events, speak to Kate Hearn or another of our Parish Councillors. Or just ask someone!
- Ushers – If you like greeting people and can make it early to Sunday services (on a rota), speak to our President (Kate Hearn) or any Council member. This is a really important ministry.
- Singing in the Choir – If you like to sing and would like to learn to be part of the choir, speak to our choirmaster (Reader) Tony Hearn either in church or via info@bristol-orthodox-church.co.uk . Obviously being able to hold pitch and tune are necessary. If you have sung in a choir that is very useful, but not essential. An ability to or willingness to learn to read music will help! But fundamentally, what matters is the desire to serve in an important ministry.