Our churches are beautiful and historic buildings and their ministry with the local community is vital...
however, these things cost money, so it is important to manage expenses and make sure that you are finding the best deals possible.
The Church of England and Church in Wales work together with companies in order to find better deals on a range of products, such as digital giving solutions, heating and lighting, church supplies, and audio-visual equipment. They also provide buying guides to help you find the item you want. These can be found at Parish Buying.
As all churches are registered or excepted charities, so are eligible for VAT reductions and relief for certain items. Further information can be found here.
Buying Ethically
Throughout the Bible we see God calling his people to treat others fairly in their business dealings. As churches, we are also called to make sure that our financial transactions are ethical, but this can be difficult in an ever more complicated world.
ECCR has several resources for churches to help them consider using their money ethically and their website is full of hits and tips. In particular, they suggest:
- Look for ethical accreditation schemes like the Fairtrade Mark, Living Wage employers and the Fair Tax Mark.
- Choose to buy from ethical businesses like social enterprises, co-operatives and B Corps.
- Switch to a green energy supplier. It’s easy to do via the Big Clean Switch.
- Use research and ratings from Ethical Consumer or the Good Shopping Guide to make decisions around your purchases.
- Do you really need to buy it? To avoid waste and reduce your carbon emissions, think carefully before you buy something new. Reduce, reuse, recycle or buy second-hand instead. Explore Green Christian’s Joy in Enough project.
You might also want to look at the Diocesan Climate Crisis Group (where you can sign up to receive their newsletter Called to Action).
