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We are the Diocese of Gloucester. From
the Cotswolds in the east, through Cheltenham

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and Gloucester to the beautiful Forest
of Dean in the West. This is the big

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picture of us together; being and sharing
the good news of Jesus Christ.

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Last Sunday around 15,000 people
worshipped in nearly 400 churches, and

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30,000 children were taught in our 116
schools for free, and that's not to

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mention the food banks, chaplaincies,
community centers, and youth groups that

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would otherwise not exist. We can be
really proud to belong to this.

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Your parish is an important part of this
wider picture, enabling us to be present

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in every community; and not just in
bricks and mortar. but most importantly

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in people. Some of these key people
include over 200 clergy of which 140 are

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paid for centrally, whilst there are
others who are not paid. There are also

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many lay leaders, including around 160
Readers. As well as leading the churches

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they're there for people at different
points in their lives; marrying people,

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baptising them, and comforting families
through funerals. But how do we pay for such

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a huge operation? Well, we believe we are
all equal before God; all part of God's

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Kingdom, and as such we can support each other as equals. This is fundamental to

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the Church of England and a biblical
principle; to resource the sharing of the

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Gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone, and
not just those who can pay to hear it.

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Because we all support each other in
love we are fundamentally

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stronger together.
This was one of the things that helped

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the early Church to grow despite
incredible opposition, and today enables

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clergy to serve in communities that
really need them.

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Our financial support for each other is
not only biblical, it works in a very

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practical way too - let's look at a few of
the facts. Parishes raise over sixteen million pounds

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to maintain ministry in the
Diocese. Six million of this is donated to

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the Diocesan Board of Finance as
Parish Share. When a church contributes

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to Parish Share it is giving into a
common purse to be shared out by Synod

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as fairly as possible.
Parish Share is vital to our mission;

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supporting lay leaders, clergy and
various groups. It covers your vicars'

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pay, their pension, their housing,
specialist support, training, and even the

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training for your next vicar who you
haven't met yet but I'm sure they're

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probably very nice. The Diocesan Board
of Finance also pays for other important

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parts of the Church like our schools,
chaplaincies, workshops, street pastors,

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housing developments, and some goes
towards the national Church, and on the

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running of the central services that
enable us to function as a diocese.

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Fortunately the Board of Finance raises
money separately for this from things

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like investments, property, and donations,
which means that everything raised by

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parishes, can go to parish ministry.
Parish Share is one of the things that

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binds us together as a diocesan
community. Together our giving allows us

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to be present in every community, from
areas of urban deprivation to suburban

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towns, idyllic villages and forest hamlets;

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providing ministry and resourcing our
mission throughout. So that's how diocesan finances

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work. It's a way that we express being one body by doing more together

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than we could ever do alone. We
are each a little broken and a little

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brilliant, and when we work together
fantastic things can happen.

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It's your continued generosity that
makes all this possible, so thank you for all

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you give towards God's work in our
diocese.

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Together, we are the Diocese of Gloucester.