Parish Ministry in the Diocese of York — ordained and lay ministers, self-supporting and stipendiary, housed or living in their own housing — is mostly funded by the Diocesan Common Fund, which is where the Free Will Offerings made by each parish are collected. The Common Fund supports the selection and training of ministers as well as supporting them in their on-going work in areas such as safeguarding, church buildings, finance and education.
Usually parishes are asked to start thinking about their Free Will Offer for the coming year in the summer of the current year. Every PCC, led where possible by its incumbent, is asked to pray together and discuss what Free Will Offer it is called and able to make for the coming year, and to enter that number in the online system (see below) by a set date. Archbishop Stephen has described these as crucial decisions whose outcome really will be felt all across the Diocese of York and asked that we hold each other in prayer as those decisions are made.
Once a parish has made its decision about Free Will Offer for the coming year, they are asked to communicate that by making an entry on Survey Monkey (new link provided each year) – where they can enter their pledge and add any comment you may wish to make about your financial situation. It really is as simple as that!
Thank you so much for all you contribute to the Common Fund. You can download the material that was provided during the 2024 offer process below and new material to support the 2025 pledge process will be published during summer 2024.
Free Will Offer leaflet
PDF / 254 KB
