Free Will Offer 2019

"The Lord is the one who goes ahead of us; he is with us, he will not fail us or forsake us in our journey as we become Generous Churches, Making and Nurturing Disciples...

"He goes before us and follows us; we keep our eyes on him now as we take our next steps towards that sustainable financial grounding by prayerfully considering our Free Will Offer to the Common Fund in our Diocese for 2019."

Below you can download his letter, together with the resources he refers to. You are welcome to duplicate, circulate and make use of any of these downloads.

• Download the Archbishop's letter to every Incumbent
  and Priest-in-Charge in the Diocese of York

The Archbishop encourages every worshipping community to use either the 'Harvest Praise' or 'Harvest Eucharist' service offered below.

• Download leader's notes for 'Harvest Praise'
  and 'Harvest Eucharist' liturgies

Harvest Praise is a service of The Word offered in three formats:

• Download Harvest Praise as a PDF file paginated and ready to print back-to-back on landscape A4 and fold into an 8-page A5 booklet (cannot be edited)
• Download Harvest Praise as a Word file paginated and ready to print back-to-back on landscape A4 and fold into an 8-page A5 booklet (may be edited with care)
• Download Harvest Praise as a Word file suitable for more extensive editing and formatting

Harvest Eucharist is a service of Holy Communion offered in three formats:

• Download Harvest Eucharist as a PDF file paginated and ready to print back-to-back on landscape A4 and fold into a 12-page A5 booklet (cannot be edited)
• Download Harvest Eucharist as a Word file paginated and ready to print back-to-back on landscape A4 and fold into a 12-page A5 booklet (may be edited with care)
• Download Harvest Eucharist as a Word file suitable for more extensive editing and formatting

• Download 'Making Good Decisions in the PCC' (PDF) - a guide to one way of leading your DCC or PCC in reaching its decision about 2019's Free Will Offer.
• Download Sustainable Finance - PowerPoint Presentation for use with PCCs, Deanery Leadership Teams and other Groups. Prepared by Archdeacon for Generous Giving Sam Rushton; alternatively download as PDF.
• Download Understanding The Diocese of York's 2018 Budget (PDF).
  A pictorial outline of the 2018 Budget to help understand the context of your parish's 2019 Free Will Offer to our Diocesan Common Fund.
• Download Our Plans for Achieving our Diocesan Goals (PDF). A summary of the transformation of our Diocese that began with a consultation process in 2016.

Please complete a Parish Response Form with your parish's Free Will Offer to our Diocesan Common Fund for 2019, with a note about how your made your decision, and ask two members of your PCC or DCC to sign and date it before making a copy for your records and sending the form to:

The Archbishop of York, Free Will Offer, Diocese of York, Amy Johnson Way, Clifton Moor, York YO30 4XT.

• Download your Parish Response Form (PDF).

Alternatively you can scan the completed form and email it to freewilloffer@yorkdiocese.org.

Your PCC Treasurer has received a Standing Order form to return with this response, and advice of your parish's Common Fund reference number (if in doubt you can download a list (PDF) of Common Fund reference numbers sorted by Deanery here).

• Downloaded and read the Archbishop's letter,and considered duplicating it for others (you can direct them to the web page you're on right now, at www.dioceseofyork.org.uk/freewilloffer too)?
• Chosen which of the Harvest services you can use, downloaded it in the appropriate format, made any changes you need and fixed a date to use it?
• Downloaded and read the Leader's Notes with additional resources for your Harvest service?
• Downloaded and read the guide to 'Making Good Decisions in the PCC'?
• Led your PCC or DCC in prayer and discussion in order to decide the amount of your 2019 Free Will Offer to our Diocesan Common Fund?
• Downloaded, completed and signed the Response Form on this page, and sent it to the Archbishop at the Diocesan Office?
• Liaised with your Treasurer to obtain your parish's Common Fund Reference Number (or download a PDF list sorted by Deanery here) for the response form and Standing Order Form, and ensured that the Standing Order Form is appropriately processed?

Thank you very much for playing your part in planning and resourcing our shared mission in 2019.

• For advice on generosity, stewardship and giving:
  Archdeacon for Generous Giving, the Ven Sam Rushton
  adcle@yorkdiocese.org
  01642 706095
• For support with this web page, downloads etc:
  Diocesan Communications Manager, Martin Sheppard
  martin.sheppard@yorkdiocese.org
  01904 699530