There are many ways for members to give: there is the open plate on which you place your offering as you enter the church.
But planned giving—giving a fixed amount every week by using free-will-offering envelopes or giving every month by banker’s order direct from your bank account to the Cathedral’s—is better both for you and the Cathedral.
And it is even better to sign a gift-aid declaration. To do so you must pay British income tax. St Machar’s can then claim the tax you have already paid on your church collection back from the government, This increases the value of the offering by 25%: £20 becomes £25, and £20 a week for 52 weeks adds up to £1,300 once St Machar’s has claimed the tax you have already paid back from the government.
You can download the Gift Aid Declaration form here. Please return the completed form to the Cathedral office at office@stmachar.com. The secretary can also send you a copy of the form if that is helpful. Copies can also can be found on the table below the Scougall monument in the Cathedral.
You can also use the card reader by the collection box; you can make a gift aid declaration on the card reader the first time you use it. It remembers your declaration for the next time so long as you are using the same bank card.
In this country most churches and the church buildings are kept going by the giving of their members. Historic churches such as St Machar’s also benefit much from the generosity of visitors. When you visit St Machar’s please give something, out of gratitude for what you have seen. In the Cathedral there is a large donation chest and there are three card readers. You can also donate on this site.
