The Stewardship Magazine Spring / Summer 2020
THE CHANGE ISSUE The end of Amsterdam’s Red Light District? How we see each other What suffering taught me about generosity
transforming generosity
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Editorial In the heart of the Palace of Westminster, next door to the beautiful Chapel of St Mary Undercroft, there is a cupboard. Inside it is a tribute to Emily Wilding Davison, reminding any who happen to open the door of the time she hid there. It was during the night of the 1911 census, and for the young suffragette it was the only way to register her address at that moment in time as ‘House of Commons’, thus making a claim to the same voting rights of men. Most people know of Emily for another reason. She was the woman who lost her life after being trampled by a horse at the Epsom Derby in 1913. It would be another five years of campaigning by that determined band of suffragettes before women were granted the vote. Emily and others like her changed the course of political history in this country and beyond. Faith was central to Emily’s motivation, and the inscription on her coffin read: Fight on. God will give the victory. We’ve called this edition of Share ‘The Change Issue’, and I have been inspired to read here how change has come about either through the actions of ordinary but courageous people, or due to circumstances that have impacted lives and hearts. Ros from Transform Work UK wants to do just that, by supporting Christians in the workplace, and enabling them to be genuine and gentle in their witness (page 6).
The Westerhofs relate their story of persistence in prayer and the resulting impact on Amsterdam’s Red Light District (page 10). I have been moved to read of Emily Owen’s struggles with physical illness and despair and how, despite it all, she has discovered the presence of God, helping change her perspective and attitude (page 22). And don’t miss reading about an inspiring initiative called Pledge United, which aims to reduce gender-based violence through engaging with boys and young men on the football field in Indonesia (page 16). Change is in the air at Stewardship HQ, where we have been busy updating our online giving accounts (read all about it on the page opposite as well as the back page). I am excited about the improvements already in place, but also for the other developments we are working on. Whatever you are going through so far in 2020, I pray for God’s peace and calm at the centre! Bless you Frances Miles Chief Relationship Officer, Stewardship
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FEATURES
NEWS IN BRIEF
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News in brief
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Changing… Workplaces
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Changing… Cities
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Changing… Relationships
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Changing… Perspective
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Legal and financial
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Consultancy helpline
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Why I give: Redina Kolaneci
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY We can’t quite believe that 40acts, our award-winning Lent campaign celebrates its tenth birthday this Easter. What started off as an idea from our Head of Creative Services has grown and evolved to become a worldwide generosity event, with over 100,000 subscribers this year. The diversity of the reflections, the traffic lights system and the sheer breadth of ideas to help everyone be more generous have contributed to 40acts’ continued success. The campaign started with a question. “What if Lent could be more than just giving stuff up?” In 2011, the first year, 1,500 people signed up. The next year it was 5,000. Comments from our 40acts participants encourage us to keep going on this journey of generosity. “It was the best Lent ever! I was focused on my faith and preparation for Easter in a way I never have been before.” “For me, the greatest part of this initiative was feeling that each of the wonderful, generous deeds that 40acts encouraged were like ripples on a pond; each benefited and impacted on many people.” 40acts.org.uk
WE DID IT! Last year, we ran our first ever Mission Christmas Appeal for our full-time Christian workers. 99% of them are living under the recommended amount of support and we thought it was time to do something about it. Your generosity stunned us. We raised £440,800 and were able to give all our mission workers additional support of £200 each just before Christmas. We received hundreds of messages of thanks from New Zealand to Southern Ireland, Sweden to South Africa. Here is just one: “I am so grateful and overwhelmed by the generous gift which came at such a perfect time. I had just received some bad news, so when I received this email I cried with joy. It confirmed to me how much God loves me.” You can find out more at stewardship.org.uk/blog
£440,800 RAISED
£200
EXTRA SUPPORT FOR
2,000+
MISSION WORKERS
RAISING FUNDS CONFERENCE 2020 Methodist Central Hall Autumn 2020 Join over 600 church leaders, charity leaders and fundraisers for this annual one-day conference. Featuring keynote speaker Dr Krish Kandiah, founding director of Home for Good, we’ll explore the biblical principles and practical tools that will make the biggest impact to your fundraising. We’re proud to present our biggest and most diverse programme yet, packed full of advice, insight and inspiration from Christian fundraising experts. Guests will also have the opportunity to meet informally with representatives from key funding organisations in our Funders‘ Lounge. Visit stewardship.org.uk/raisingfunds2020 for more information and to book your place.
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CHANGING… WORKPLACES
Ros Turner
STEWARDSHIP IN ACTION:
Transform Work STEWARDSHIP
UK
Spend an hour or so in the company of Ros Turner, Director of Transform Work UK (TWUK) and you’re likely to leave buzzing with enthusiasm for the work she – and they – do. Passionate about her work, she’s clearly a force to be reckoned with. Her aim? ‘To transform the nation!’
Supporting faith in the workplace
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WUK exists to help Christians in the workplace feel supported “not persecuted and downtrodden, scared of falling foul of political correctness”. At the heart of its mission is the commitment to help workplace Christian groups use the provision in the Equality Act 2010 that allows people to bring ‘their whole selves to work’ and have their group recognised as a Staff Network Group. This gives Christian groups equal status with other staff network groups like LGBTQ+. (The process is detailed in TWUK’s booklet Starting a Christian Workplace Group – available to download at transformworkuk.org) Although this formal recognition may seem a small thing, it has a big impact on workplace Christians. “When a group is courageous enough to engage with management and seek formal recognition, they become free to bring all of their selves to work, including sharing their faith in Jesus – and change happens.“
Equality Act 2010
When a group is courageous enough to engage with management and seek formal recognition, they become free to bring all of their selves to work.
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We want to see the nation flourish and be transformed by Jesus; we need to be lights for Jesus every day and everywhere.
“We want to see the nation flourish and be transformed by Jesus; we need to be lights for Jesus every day and everywhere – if our Christian activity only happens on Sundays, we’re limiting ourselves and missing out on God’s mission to love those who don’t yet know Jesus.” Ros urges groups to be strategic, working out what God is asking them to do in their workplace – and doing it! “It’s not about Bible-bashing and proselytising… it’s more about taking opportunities to serve colleagues. So, for example, at Christmas time, many groups offer to put on the carol service. That’s lovely… but one group, realising that Christmas-related debt was a real problem, worked with Christians Against Poverty and produced ten top tips for keeping out of debt. The organisation loved it and it was emailed to every employee, which eventually led to the employer making available a shortened version of the CAP Money Course to all staff. 8
“Another group realised that many colleagues were struggling with family life and might benefit from help with parenting. They took their idea to management, who saw the benefit and approved the idea – the group contacted a local vicar, who agreed to run a parenting course during the lunch hour. A win-win. Staff received something of value; the vicar got to know staff and the organisation benefitted from the positive effects of the course on their staff without having to pay for it!”
Parenting courses
If you’re like Ros and you want to start a charity, get in touch to see how we can help. Visit stewardship.org.uk/fundraise
Between 2003 and 2009 Ros was instrumental in founding TWUK’s predecessor (TWUK was launched in 2007) working on a voluntary basis while supporting herself with secular employment. She returned as a trustee in 2012, and began working for TWUK in a part-time paid capacity in 2013. Ros is the only full-time staff member, supported by a part-time administrator – although funding for that ends soon. Much of TWUK’s work relies on volunteers – and a strong partnership with Stewardship. That relationship started in 2013, after Ros briefly worked as ‘evangelist’ for give.net. “Working for Stewardship opened my eyes to all they do, and when I left, I tapped into their support, applying for an individual recipient account. It’s this that enables me to be a full-time Christian worker. It’s been great to be able to fundraise online via give.net and to have access to central London conference and boardroom facilities. But, for me, the real value is the
expertise I can access on everything from communications to tax and employment issues, with the bonus that the staff are Christians so ‘get’ us and our ministry. That’s really refreshing.” And the future? TWUK has more than 500 groups and word about its work is spreading. Ros has been invited to speak on ‘The benefits of faith and belief in the workplace’ at a secular diversity day. TWUK is also making links overseas – in Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and India. “I don’t know where the Lord is taking us … but we’re open to it! There’s so much more we could do.” transformworkuk.org
Transform Work UK 20097039
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Something is changing in Amsterdam’s Red Light District. The days of gawping tourists are over. Politicians are speaking out. Brothels are closing down. Why? That’s a good question… 11
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eing a scientist and civil engineer by trade, when Arleen and Dick Westerhof felt the call to start a church in the middle of Amsterdam, they did their research. They soon discovered that the task ahead was daunting. Starting a new congregation anywhere is tough, but Amsterdam’s Red Light District had the reputation as being one of the toughest places of all. Nevertheless, they persisted. They read church planting books and were confident that they knew what to do. They invited people to join a small group, found an organisation to partner with and soon began midweek meetings. But when only their small group turned up to the first two meetings, Arleen and Dick reached a swift conclusion: “It was clear that this was not going to work.” Instead of giving in, they went back to doing what they knew best. “We decided to pray. We were not going to move forward until we had more clarity about what God wanted us to do.” Dick and Arleen assumed that they’d be praying for a couple of months and then start the meetings again. “God said no, so we kept on praying. He said the same after four months, then six months. We kept on praying all the way through the first year, even when the ministry partner left us. We reached a point where we began to wonder whether maybe we were preparing the way for someone else to plant the actual church, as if our job was to simply use prayer to clear the ground.” During these months of prayer, the challenge ahead of them became clearer. “God showed us the reasons why so many ministries in Amsterdam’s Red Light District had failed.
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Financial pressures, leadership issues and unexpected health problems had all combined to suffocate almost every new Christian initiative in previous years. It was a graveyard,” says Arleen. Finally, after fourteen months of prayer, God spoke. “He said, ‘Now you can start.’” But starting didn’t mean returning to the old plan. During the fourteen months of prayer a new plan had been emerging. “My husband started to get a picture of men standing with large red flags representing the blood of Jesus at the twelve roads that lead into the Red Light District, praying and asking for forgiveness for what men were doing to women in that place. Dick really isn’t the kind of person who gets pictures from God, but when he received the picture twice more he knew he had to act.” Inspired by the flag picture and a deep belief that God had promised that He would transform the Red Light District, Arleen and Dick recruited fifty men to volunteer. On the first night Arleen and the other women prayed while Dick and his team of men were out on the streets with the flags. “Christians are so often known for what they’re against, but God had told us, ‘Do not say that you are against anything’. Instead, when people asked why we were there, we talked about how we were praying the blood of Jesus for forgiveness, but also that we were for less crime in the area, for a better future for those working there, and for the Red Light District becoming a family-friendly neighbourhood. On that first night we had more than two hundred conversations with people about Jesus and more than twenty people gave their lives to Christ.” After such a strong start, Arleen and Dick assumed that the end of the Red Light District would not be far off. “We thought
It was humbling. Any reputation I thought I had died.
that we would use the Jericho strategy: show up for six sessions, then shout on the seventh and see the walls come down. But as we packed up on the seventh week, feeling like our time with the flags was over, Dick and I both heard the Lord say, ‘I didn’t tell you to stop!’ We asked how long He wanted us to carry on, and the answer was clear: ‘Until I say stop!’” Months passed. Every other week they would take to the streets on a Friday night. More and more people noticed them, including the police. “We told them why we were there, and sometimes the tourists would ask the police about us, and the officers themselves would say, ‘They’re Christians who are praying the blood of Jesus Christ over the city for the forgiveness of sin.’ The police told us that they really appreciated it when we were there, praying. On the nights we stood with the flags they noticed that crime, violence and aggression all fell.” As the months turned to years, Arleen and Dick faced their fair share of opposition. “A number of people took offence at what we were doing. Ironically, it was the Christians who ridiculed us the most. They would say, ‘You can’t really believe that anything is going to change?’ We said, ‘We don’t know, but we know God has spoken and we are here in obedience to Him.’ It was humbling.
Any reputation I thought I had died. And then I realised I didn’t have a reputation in the first place!” But in time they noticed opinions towards the Red Light District start to shift. A study revealed that between fifty and eighty per cent of prostitutes were there against their will. “It was a shockwave, exposing the lie that legalised prostitution was something to be proud of because it prevented human trafficking. And when the deputy mayor of Amsterdam declared: ‘Those who visit the prostitutes are as guilty as the human traffickers themselves’ it was unheard of.” Another key change came when the city passed a law tightening its control on money laundering. “Suddenly, the biggest brothel owner in the Red Light District, a man known as ‘Fat Charles’, sold all his brothels – one third of the total in the city.” There were no trumpets, no crashing walls, but the cracks were clearly emerging. Having existed since medieval times, the Red Light District was beginning to fold, just as God had promised years before. And then, one night as they were packing up the flags – eight years after they first began – Arleen and Dick both sensed the Lord was speaking. “He said, ‘Your role here is done. I have prepared somebody else to come and take over.’” 13
During the time that we prayed with the flags, prostitution dropped by
38%
After they wound their work down, the legacy of those eight years became clear. “We began to see that the atmosphere had changed, that God had worked not just through our ministry but through the collective efforts of other organisations in the area. During the time that we prayed with the flags, prostitution dropped by thirty-eight per cent. We discovered that in the previous ten years before we began three women were led to Christ. In the eight years that we were there, one hundred and twenty people came to Christ on the streets of the Red Light District, including eighty prostitutes.” The lessons for Arleen were simple yet profound. She learned that saying yes to God often means that so many other people benefit. She learned to question the premium she had once placed on personal dignity. “I have no history of doing this sort of thing. I have a PhD in Chemistry and used to work 14
for a major oil company. At times I felt stupid standing on the street with those flags, but from them came some of the most precious times of prayer. It has taught me that if God asks you to do something that seems really ridiculous, it could very well be God. Sometimes you need to be willing to lose your dignity.” And the most powerful lesson of all? It was only revealed in recent years. Arleen was preaching in a friend’s church on the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba. She hadn’t mentioned anything to do with the Red Light District while she preached, so she was surprised when a woman approached her at the end and said she looked familiar. “She asked if I used to stand on the streets of the Red Light District on Friday nights with large red flags. I said yes and asked her how she knew, and she explained that
six years earlier she lived in the Red Light District with her boyfriend. Life wasn’t great, she was an atheist and had been having suicidal thoughts. Then, one night when she returned home from work, she saw me in the distance, holding the flag. She said that at that moment the voices she had been hearing in her head, telling her to take her own life, fell silent.” For the next three years the woman would look for Arleen every Friday night when she came home from work and saw the team standing on the streets with the flags, knowing that when she saw her she would feel the deep sense of peace that she knew was somehow from God. Eventually the woman and her boyfriend moved to Aruba, but the guy soon left her. The next Sunday she went to church and became a Christian. “I wept when she said this. There were a lot of moments when we were out on the street wondering why we were there, so many times when I’d wonder whether we’d ever get to see anything. All we could ever hold onto was the fact that the Lord had spoken. And if the only result of all our time waving flags and praying had been this one woman’s journey to God, it would all have been worth it.”
Arleen and Dick’s successor continues to fly the flags and invest time in prayer in the Red Light District today. Conversations are still being had with people who visit, live and work in the city. Lives are still being changed, though many of those stories are yet to be told. And today, finally, the city is actually talking about breaking up the Red Light District. A couple of years after they packed up their flags, God spoke again. This time it was Arleen who got the message, ‘I want to heal the nations by healing their economies.’ Arleen’s response? She started waking up two or three times a week for two years with an urgent desire to pray about poverty and business and that God would raise up a new generation of Josephs and Daniels. From that a new initiative has been born, a project that aims to reimagine the ways that faith and business can combine for good – called The Centre For Economics and Mutuality economicsummit.eu “After all those years trusting God on the streets with the flags, I knew if we weren’t willing to obey God in the ridiculous I’m pretty sure that this opportunity would not have opened up.”
While Arleen’s project is no longer running, there are a number of Stewardship recipients doing great work to support women exploited through prostitution. Charis Tiwala 20166524
Saffires 20108598
Beyond the Streets 20111039
Offers support for anyone affected by the sex industry or human trafficking in Hertfordshire.
Working under the umbrella of The Rock Foundation reaches out to help women in the sex industry in Leicester.
Works across the UK in partnership with local projects to help address the needs of those in prostitution.
charistiwala.com
saffires.org.uk
beyondthestreets.org.uk 15
CHANGING… RELATIONSHIPS
THE BEAUTIFUL GAME AND THE POSSIBILIT OF CHANG 16
How do you even begin to tackle the problem of sexual assault when you’re living in a country where one in four men have raped a woman? For one couple, inspiration was found on the football field.
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TIES GE 17
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t was break time at a busy high school in Bandung, Indonesia. An 11-year-old female student approached one of her teachers. “I need to buy a gun,” she said. “I don’t feel safe. Every day, I’m sure I’m going to be attacked by a man on the street.” The teacher, Sophia Hamilton, knew that the young girl was not alone. A 2013 United Nations survey (‘Rape in Asia’) revealed that 26% of men had raped a woman and 33% either physically or sexually abused one. Half of all males who had perpetrated rape did so for the first time when they were teenagers. That evening Sophia shared the story of her breaktime conversation with her husband, Jon. They’d been living and working in Indonesia since 2007, and as they talked, the challenge became clear. Could Inspire, the charity they had set up together, possibly begin to change the way men treated women in the country? The journey to that point had been a long one. It began in the 1990s when as a teenager, Jon flew out to Kenya on a Tearfund trip. “We were meant to be helping start a
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building project, which I hated, but one day I started playing football with the kids and I felt God say, ‘Jon, do this for the rest of your life.’ I assumed (wrongly) that I’d be heading back to East Africa at some point, but instead we felt God call us to live and work in Indonesia.” In 2004, just after the Boxing Day tsunami hit, Jon spent two weeks in the refugee camps. He found that playing football with the children appeared to make a real impact on them. They seemed more full of life and fun when they played. This was confirmed by a UN rep who told Jon, “We can feed and clothe them, but you can give them hope.” Three years later, Jon and Sophia moved out to Indonesia and started Inspire. For years they worked hard and saw lives renewed, using football as a means of building relationships with young people and encouraging them to become agents for change. The couple started the Inspire Academy, training football coaches and running the eight-week programme which began to transform young people’s
The programme has brought about some significant changes in attitude. “A few weeks ago,” Sophia explains, “I was asking one of our boys what he’d learned. He burst into tears and told me, ‘You need to understand that for the last five years, I’ve seen my dad beat my mum every week. I thought I’d be doing that too when I’m older. Now, I want to protect my mum, and my wife when I get one.’
Sophia Hamilton attitudes to women. Several of the boys won scholarships to university while many thousands took the pledge to respect girls and women. But after Sophia’s conversation with her fearful student they decided to launch something new. “Pledge United is an experiential eight-week programme with a two-part curriculum,” says Sophia. “Firstly, the teenage boys learn about the issue of gender-based violence within Indonesia, the rights of women and how to respect them. They find out about good ways to deal with their anger. Often, they’re violent to women because they’ve been hurt and therefore, they want to hurt others.
“Another boy who’d done the programme goes out every Sunday and approaches women, saying, ‘I apologise to you on behalf of the men in this country for what they’ve done. It’s wrong, and I want to stand up for you.’”
I’ve seen my dad beat my mum every week. I thought I’d be doing that too when I’m older. Now, I want to protect my mum, and my wife when I get one.
“Secondly, they’re inspired to become agents for change in their communities, and to stand up and speak out for the rights of women to be safe and respected. Since football is a huge part of Indonesian culture, all this takes place within a framework of playing football. On the ninth week, everyone comes together to play the Pledge United Cup and stand together to pledge respect, known as #PLEDGE2RESPECT.” 19
Take Pledge United’s Gender Based Violence Quiz. It takes less than a minute and the stats tell a story that needs to be changed. pledge-united.org/movement
One of the devices Pledge United use is a red referee-style card saying, ‘Let’s Give Sexism the Red Card’. When one of the Pledge participants saw a boy about to hit his girlfriend, he ran up to the boy and gave him the red card. “He was so flummoxed that he stopped,” says Jon. “The boy told him, ‘You can’t hit your girlfriend. That’s not right.’” The programme is also having a significant impact in high schools. One Head Teacher told Sophia that he’d seen a huge change in the atmosphere at school. Many boys had become agents for change and were treating their female classmates and women teachers completely differently.
Of all the positive feedback they receive, the responses from female students are the most encouraging. “In my opinion,” said one girl, “after some of my friends joined the Pledge United programme, they are more respectful toward girls, no longer treating girls as they please. In fact, now they want to protect us from people who are trying to harass us. They no longer underestimate nor look down on us. The boys now help and support us instead, and that makes us feel safe and comfortable with them.” Over 12,500 boys have taken part in the Pledge United programme in 15 cities across Indonesia. The project has been nominated in the Social Justice category two years in a row for the Beyond Sport Awards, a nod to the remarkable impact their work is having. However, the future looks uncertain. “We’ve been able to keep growing our movement because we had a funding partner, but that arrangement ended this month,” Jon explains. “We need financial support to be able to keep training and equipping coaches. We’ve got a successful model and the vision – we just need the resources. Last month we travelled to India to investigate the possibility of expanding the programme and we may go to Pakistan and Bangladesh later this year. We believe that there’s a huge need and a great opportunity to change attitudes to women and girls and to grow respect for them.” pledge-united.org inspireindonesia.org
Pledge United / Inspire Football Foundation 20255703 20
We’ve got a successful model and the vision – we just need the resources. Jon Hamilton
15 12.5k cities
participants 21
CHANGING… PERSPECTIVE
WHAT SUFFERING TAUGHT ME ABOUT GENEROSITY By Emily Owen
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I
was diagnosed, at 16, with neurofibromatosis type 2, a condition which causes tumours to grow on nerves anywhere in my body. My 17th birthday was spent on a life-support machine in Intensive Care, following brain surgery. Subsequent prolific surgeries over the years have left me, among other things, deaf; unable to walk without limping, crutches and fatigue; with one side of my face paralysed; vision impaired.
Part of my life-race has been about learning to pass the baton on to myself.
In the early days – and not so early – I’d look at my life and wonder, who is this person, masquerading as me? And why aren’t they letting the me inside out, the me who can run and make music and smile and hear? And so ‘former me’ and ‘masquerading me’ co-existed, one longing to escape the trappings of the other; constant tension between what should have been and what was. And then, one day, as I was lying on a bed being wheeled to theatre, asking God to let me die, He told me to let go. Let go of the future I planned but would never be – my old hopes and dreams for my life – and, in doing so, reach for the future He knows.
“ Be generous. To yourself.” Pass the baton on. ‘…let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…’ Hebrews 12:1
In a relay race, if one person runs the entire distance, the team will not win. Part of the race is about passing the baton on. Part of my life-race has been about learning to pass the baton on to myself. As surgeries erode my abilities, hopes and aspirations, I have learned – and am learning – to let each ‘me’ be part of my race. To be generous enough to myself to pass the baton on to where I am. I have learned to say, ‘well done’ where I am. You, who used to run cross-country, managed to take two steps? Well done. I have found a God who is with me where I am. When where I am is the last place I’d choose to be, He says, but because it’s where you are, it’s where I choose to be. Such generosity overwhelms me. That He would look at the mess that is often my life, that is me, roll up His sleeves and wade through the pain and tears and struggles with me. I have discovered that there is generosity in receiving. 23
When I woke up after the surgery which took all my hearing, I was terrified by silence. Silence which, like a transparent wall, cut me off from the world, preventing the sounds I could see were there from reaching me. Everyone but me on the opposite side of the wall. My side was not nice, and so I decided that no one else need be affected by it. God and I were on my side, everyone else could just get on with their happy, hearing, healthy lives. And there we stayed, God and I; me determined not to make things difficult for other people, God – I now realise – patiently waiting for me to see the verse He wanted to show me. ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ (Acts 20:35) And finally, it dawned on me. By refusing to receive, I was denying others the ‘moreblessing’ of giving.
So, I began, more and more, to see that it’s true: people are blessed when they give. When I thank them for giving to me, very often they reply, “It’s my pleasure” and, as I look in their eyes, I see sincerity and I see joy. By choosing to receive, we open a door of opportunity for others to give. Because we open that door, others are blessed through their giving. And so, we, the receivers, become givers. We, too, are ‘more-blessed’. And the wheel of generosity continues to turn. “Be generous. To yourself.”
The realisation stopped me in my tracks.
I have learned that being generous to myself means trusting myself to God.
I knew the blessing in giving; it was a lynchpin of my childhood. Modelled by my parents, a joyful home with an open door to all.
‘Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.’
Did I want to be someone who stopped others from being blessed? No. Could I believe that other people would be blessed by giving to me? No. But do I believe that Scripture is true? Yes. 24
What if I tried it out? What if, next time someone offered me a lift, or offered to carry my bag, or whatever it may be, I squashed the, “It’s ok thank you, I’m fine (for ‘fine’, read ‘struggling’)” already on my lips before they got their words out, and swapped it for, “That would be lovely, thank you.”
I wholeheartedly sang these lyrics frequently as I grew up. I trusted God with my happy, harmonious days. And then the Conductor changed key. Chords began to jar and clash. I didn’t like them. I wanted to go back to how things were. Why couldn’t we keep making nice music in my life? Trust and obey… He is God, I’m not. The Conductor carried on. I played to His tune, the tune I didn’t understand or like or enjoy, but, if I didn’t follow it, what else would I do?
It was – and is – hard, playing my life in a different key. I don’t know the rules. I don’t know the tempo. I don’t know when tumours, and hospitals, and disability will strike. I don’t know the plan. The music is sight-reading now, I don’t get it in advance. I don’t know very much, really, but, as I fix my eyes on God in my unknowing, I’m reminded that I know the One who knows. Ironically, my catchphrase in life, from very small, has been “What’s the plan?” I like to know what’s happening. But I am learning to recognise the generosity of a God who says, “You don’t need to know the plan yet, but I promise I’ll meet you there when you do.” ‘He said to me,
Emily Owen Emily is an author and public speaker. She began writing following a medical diagnosis which turned her life plans upside-down. After publishing her first devotional books, in the 30 Days series, Emily published her memoir, Still Emily. Her recent writings combine her personal experiences with biblical teaching and reflections. Emily is still surprised to describe herself as a writer and speaker, but she has no hesitation in calling herself a fan of flowers, candles, purple, stars, and making her nieces and nephews giggle. emily-owen.co.uk
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.’ (2 Corinthians 12:9)
By choosing to receive, we open a door of opportunity for others to give.
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HELP!
What do I need to do at the end of the tax year? Sunday 5 April 2020 marks the end of another tax year. Many people in the UK pay all their tax at source (for example PAYE on employment earnings) and will not need to complete a tax return. However, you may need to complete a self-assessment tax return if: c You are self-employed or a partner in a
business c You have income not taxed at source, for
example property rental income 26
c You are a minister of religion c You wish to reclaim higher or additional rate
gift aid (HMRC may accept form P810) c HMRC ask you to complete a return for any
other reason. If you are required to submit a return, you must file it by:
31 October 2020 on paper or 31 January 2021 online.
How do I get the giving information I need for my tax return? As part of completing your tax return, you will be asked whether you have made any charitable gifts. If you organise all your giving through Stewardship, you can easily check the total amount you’ve given over the tax year, rather than having to keep track of different donations.
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If you’ve migrated to the new-look giving account:
From the main menu, select View transactions. In the first drop-down filter, select All top-ups (with Gift Aid). In the second drop-down filter, set the date range from 6 April 2019 to 5 April 2020.
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If you’re still using the classic giving account:
Click on Reports in the menu bar. On the reports homepage, click on Summary statement. Your account will automatically show the latest annual giving statement. Customise your report by manually selecting from the on-screen options.
You can make a donation on or after Monday 6 April 2020 and ask HMRC to treat this donation as made in 2019-2020. What if I’d like to do more giving in 2019-2020? Gifts for 2019-2020 need to be received by Stewardship by Friday 3 April 2020. If you miss this deadline, don’t panic! You can make a donation on or after Monday 6 April 2020 and ask HMRC to treat this donation as made in 2019-2020. A ‘carry back’ can be requested through your tax return or (if you don’t file a tax return) on form P810. There’s just one catch – if you need to complete a tax return, you can only carry back a donation if you do so before filing your tax return. Once you’ve filed your tax return then it’s too late to carry back donations, even if you’ve filed long in advance of the deadline.
Rachel Steeden Rachel is our in-house legal advisor, working with the Philanthropy Services team to serve Christians making large charitable gifts.
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Ask Jackie
Professional advice for churches and charities In this issue, we hear from Jackie Fletcher who heads up the Treasurer Services team.
I have been approached by someone in the church wanting to leave a legacy. What advice should I give them? A legacy can be a wonderful way for a Christian to use their earthly treasures in a way that will bless future generations, and the importance of legacies to churches is growing. To leave a legacy, the person will have to draw up or amend their will to include the church as a beneficiary. The will may provide the church with a certain sum of money or perhaps a percentage of the estate and unless there is one aspect of church life that is particularly important to the donor, leaving the legacy for general use should mean that funds are not unnecessarily tied up. The formalities of making a will are strict, and with more wills being challenged in court, it would be wise to encourage the donor to think about using a solicitor or a will writing service to best ensure that their lifetime wish is honoured after their death. Making a will can be a sensitive topic and it is important to avoid any risk or perception of undue influence or pressure. The Fundraising Regulator provides practical guidance in section 15 of the Code of Fundraising Practice (see bit.ly/2TS98dy). Alternatively, a legacy could be left to Stewardship with an expression of wishes that explains how the funds should be used. This expression can be amended easily and cheaply without the need to change the will. Our blog Legacy Income: Could your charity benefit? (bit.ly/37fdcYg) and briefing paper Where there’s a will there’s a way explain more about legacies, including the tax implications.
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We are about to employ our first church minister. What level of employer pension contribution might be appropriate? There is no straightforward answer or formula to address this question. Generally, we are living longer and almost every report on pensions concludes that we are not saving enough to fund a comfortable retirement. More generous churches can make a difference in providing for their current staff in retirement. There is little data available to provide a helpful benchmark. The contribution rate on auto-enrolment pensions (the Government’s response to pension savings) now stands at 8%, with employer contributions required to be at least 3% of that total. It is debatable whether an 8% contribution rate will produce the desired outcome in retirement and there is nothing stopping church employers contributing more.
We have just completed our Annual Return and are concerned that by introducing more of the policies that are listed we will stifle God’s work. Can we have policies and still operate freely? There is little doubt that we are experiencing a change in climate when it comes to charity governance. Partly in response to issues in prominent charities (and sadly there is likely to be more to come) the Charity Commission is expecting greater professionalism from trustees and expects to see a good compliance and governance framework in place at all charities. Good, well thought through and well communicated policies have a part to play in this framework and can actually serve to free up church leaders whilst also protecting the church. Amongst other things, policies: c Provide a timeframe for “sober judgement” c Protect staff and volunteers
Factors to take into account include:
c Provide transparency and accountability
c The importance of contributions as an
c Allow for consistent and efficient decision
integral part of the remuneration package c The need to comply with the autoenrolment pension regulations and offer a scheme with a minimum 3% employer contribution c The demographic evidence of lengthier retirements and your response as an employer c Whether contribution rates will be based on total salary or qualifying earnings (which is less) Look out for our blog Pensions and church employees for additional background and an example of what the numbers might look like. Subscribe to Stewardship’s consultancy helpline service, visit stewardship.org.uk/ consultancy Subscriptions for churches and charities start from as little as £50 per year. If you have a question you would like addressed in a future edition of Share, please write to us at editor@stewardship.org.uk
making
c Provide a framework for fairness c Make clear what is expected c Ensure compliance with the law c Limit risk
Without suitable and sensible policies in place, it is all too easy to be forced onto the back foot making decisions on the ‘spur of the moment’ without sufficient prayer and assessment of the consequences. Rushed decisions may inadvertently cause situations of unfairness or other problems which may in turn lead to resentment and possibly other sanctions. A good compliance framework should enable a church to flourish, not force it into a straitjacket.
Jackie Fletcher Jackie is our Treasurer Services Lead, co-ordinating the Payroll Bureau, Charity Formation and Consultancy Helpline teams.
Visit stewardship.org.uk/briefing for links to all the briefing papers mentioned 29
Redina serves as a fundraising consultant to ministries across the UK, Northern Ireland and Europe through Christian Fundraising Consultancy. She loves working with fundraisers to encourage and inspire them.
WHY I
GIVE Redina Kolaneci
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What were you taught about generosity when you were a child? Back home in Albania, my grandmother taught me two principles. The happiest people are not those who have more but those who give more. Secondly, offer the best of what you have to friends and strangers.
What’s the best resource that helps you give generously? The Scriptures and the person of Jesus. One of my favourite Bible stories is that of King David and his generosity towards building God’s Temple; the Bible is filled with so many wonderful examples of God’s generosity towards us and for me these examples and stories are powerful motivators for my own journey of giving.
The happiest people are not those who have more but those who give more. Who has had the biggest influence on your giving? A Christian couple from Frinton-on-Sea. Their example of practising generosity really influenced my thinking and my giving. They lived simply so that they could support missionaries, outreach projects and give to those in need.
What do you know now about giving that you didn’t know ten years ago? That God uses our giving and our generosity journey to build our character and to strengthen our faith. Over time, I’ve realised that through my giving, God is developing my character as described in the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22–23.
What’s the hardest thing? Accepting the generosity of others. I need to resist the temptation of saying things like, “This is too much”, or “You shouldn’t have” and just say “Thank you.”
And the easiest? Giving money to charities or projects helping people, wherever that might be. I evaluate the charities I want to support carefully and I listen to God about how I should get involved. Once I feel peace about what I want to give and how I want to go about it, it’s easy for me to commit in supporting something for the long run.
What Biblical passages inspire generosity in you the most? Deuteronomy 26, reminding me to bring God the best of everything and Matthew 25:31– 46, on loving and caring for the poor and invisible people through generous giving.
What’s the best example you’ve seen of generosity in action? Over the last 20 years of working as a stewardship and fundraising consultant for Christian charities, I’ve witnessed many acts of generosity. I love stories of spontaneous acts of kindness – the woman in Chicago who raised thousands of dollars to accommodate homeless people in a hotel during a freezing winter; a student who started a crowdfunding campaign to help a worker who was walking to work for several hours a day, to buy a car; or a 65-year-old man who’s been donating blood four times a year for the last thirty years.
You can find out more about Christian Fundraising Consultancy at: christianfundraisingconsultancy.com 31 31
T COUN C A T N CIPIE P’S RE I H S D R A STEWA LS HAS A U D I DIV FOR IN OK EW LO N D N BRA It’s been completely redesigned to provide recipients with a much smarter way to view and manage their financial support online.
WHAT’S NEW? CHECK YOUR SUPPORT
EASIER LOGIN
REPORTING TOOLS
Quickly and easily check your monthly support from your homepage. Access information about your transactions and payments in just a few steps.
We’ve really improved the login process. There are fewer details to remember and you also have the option to use social media login.
The new-look account features new and improved reporting tools and, for the first time, offers compatibility across mobile devices.
Find out more at stewardship.org.uk/new-look-individual-account Already a Stewardship Recipient Account holder? Find out how to update your account today at stewardship.org.uk/update
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