Pre-Authorised Payments for your Offerings at St Stephen’s
From Fr. Mark:
On behalf of the Parish Council, I would like to thank you for your regular financial support to St Stephen’s and to invite you to consider how you might continue with your support. After consultation with a number of parishes, we are considering Pre-Authorised Monthly Payments. It is working well in these parishes and approximately 15-30% of parishioners employ Pre-Authorised Payments.
What is Pre-Authorised Payments?
Pre-Authorised Payments are automatic withdrawals that you authorise St Stephen’s Parish to withdraw from your bank account. Instead of using cheque or cash for your tithes, a payment is made automatically from your bank account to St Stephen’s bank account on a monthly basis.
Why use Pre-Authorised Payments?
This greatly simplifies the process of tithing for you as you give your offering and for the Parish Office as we administer the offerings.
- Your contributions will be made regularly, even if you are away on vacation or sick or too busy or – for some of us – if we happen to forget. Thus, the tithing income is more predictable for the parish.
- It avoids the use and cost of cheques.
- It eliminates the frustration of getting halfway to church and realizing that you forgot your offering envelope and/or cheques.
- It saves time and work for those who count and administer the offerings each week.
How do you sign on?
- Decide on the amount of the monthly pledge for : a) normal Sunday Offering, b) Special Collections (mostly from the Diocese).
- Complete and sign a form, which will always be available the church main entrance.
- Attach a void cheque with the form and place in the Sunday collection basket.
When is the money withdrawn?
Your pre-authorised payment will be withdrawn automatically on the first of each month.
What are common concerns?
- Q1: There is no indication that I am putting anything in the collection basket.
- During the Sunday collection, mark on Pre-Authorised Giving on your envelope.
- Q2: Am I losing the privacy or security of my bank account?
- The Parish Secretary (Vienna Sequeira) is the only person who has access to the bank information which is in our database that is under password protection.
What if I want to make a change to my monthly amount?
Complete and sign another form and place it in the Sunday collection basket. The Pre-Authorised Pyament forms will always be available at the church main entrance.
What if my payment fails to go through? Or if I change bank accounts?
For any concerns, please contact the Parish Office.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Mark