The Widow’s Mite Fund

 

 

The Widow’s Mite, James Tissot c1886-1894

The Parable of the Widow’s Mite according to the Gospel of Mark

“Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two coins, worth about a couple of pounds. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, ‘Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury, for they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.”

The Parable of the Widow’s Mite speaks to us about the nature of giving: although the Widow’s donation was small, her offering still made a difference.

Please Help to Save our History and our Traditions at St Mary & St Eanswythe for Future Generations

For the past 1500 years, at times of rejoicing and of sorrow, the Church on this site has been central to the lives of the people of this Parish; the present church for the last 800 years. Even though patterns of worship have changed over the years, people still come to church to celebrate Christmas and Easter and special events important to them – their weddings, baptisms and other family events. Our history is even more important since the scientific verification that we hold the bones of St Eanswythe, a Kentish princess who lived here around 630AD and established the first site of worship on the Bayle, in a sacred place in the church. 

St Mary & St Eanswythe is entirely maintained by donations and the goodwill of volunteers who hope to preserve the history and traditions of the Church, not just for today, but also for future generations to come. Unfortunately, over many years, the regular congregation has reduced in number while costs have continued to rise.

With the Covid-19 Pandemic, the past two years have been even more difficult than usual with most of our fund raising events cancelled.

If our PCC is unable to meet its financial obligations (and we try really hard), we will no longer be able to retain our Parish Priest

The loss of the Priest will completely change the relationship of the church with the local community and schools; services like Carols by Candlelight, Christingle and Crib Service, Christmas, Easter, Harvest, Remembrance, and special events including concerts and our special importance as a church of pilgrimage will all be under threat.

The financial problem ‘we’ have, is very much ‘our problem’; there is no one to help us (apart from prayer and we have already prayed a great deal); we must find a solution from within our own community from within our own spirit of generosity. Any discussion about money is always difficult; no one wants to talk about money; but if it would be helpful, I would be more than happy to meet with anybody who would like any further clarification on the current financial situation so please call Jenny Coleman on 07947 324350.

To help save St Mary & St Eanswythe’s Church we need to take action NOW

The survival plan is for a new fund, called the Widow’s Mite Fund, which is specifically designed to protect our Church for the future

So this is an appeal to the wider community of Folkestone, or to those with a connection to our Church and to those who are not currently regular contributors.

For this plan to succeed, we need as many people as possible to make a small regular monthly donation to the Widow’s Mite Fund

Would you please consider making a small regular monthly donation to our Church? Our annual costs are £68,000, with current donations, fund raising and gift aid, we presently raise £48,000; we are about £20,000 adrift.

If you are a tax payer, the value of your gift may be increased under the Government Gift Aid Scheme. All you need to do is to complete the Gift Aid Form and return the form to Jenny Coleman.

For this plan to succeed, we need as many people as possible to make a small regular monthly donation to the church. We need:

833 people to donate £2 per month

or         333 people to donate £5 per month

or         166 people to donate £10 per month or…….          you see where we are going with this

So how can I help?

What do I need to do?

  • Complete the GiftAid and Donation Form which includes a Standing Order instruction to your bank
  • Please return the form to the donations box at the door, or to Jenny Coleman
  • If you want to use online banking please complete your personal details on the Gift Aid and Donation form and return it as above, the details you’ll need are on the form and are below:

Bank Name:  NatWest

Sort Code:     52-41-42

Bank a/c no: 08627290

Account: The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Mary & St Eanswythe      

For more information, please contact:

Jenny Coleman, on 07947 324350, at

sainteanswythe@gmail.com, or

c/o The Vicarage, Priory Gardens, Folkestone CT20 1SW