HALFWAY through Lent, the Church Times Train-A-Priest
Fund total stands at just under £25,000. This week, a generous
donation came from a priest who wrote movingly: "As a recipient of
a vital grant 52 years ago, I was able to support my wife and
little daughter when I began training for the ministry".
In those early days of the Fund, the Church Times
asked: "Is a Priest worth a shilling?", subsequently raising the
stakes to a pound. A donation arrived with a note which read "Yes -
and many more. So I'm sending 19 other pounds for those who don't
bother to do anything about it."
Whether as a mark of your own appreciation, or on behalf of all
those who won't bother, or who can't; or simply as a vote of
confidence in the future of God's Church, will you dig deep this
Lent to support the next generation of ordinands? They benefit, not
only from your financial generosity, but from the knowledge that
their vocation and commitment are recognised and supported by the
Church they are called to server.
HOW TO GIVE
WE STILL take cheques, postal orders, cash, and charity
cheques. But many of our readers find that the simplest way to give
is by means of the online giving page: www.hymnsam.co.uk/train-a-priest.aspx
. This is a secure page, and so your donation can be given safely,
in just a few moments.
Please send other donations to our Norwich office: TAP Fund,
Church Times, 13a Hellesdon Park Road, Norwich NR6 5DR. (If you
would like an acknowledgement, please enclose an S.A.E.)
Gift Aid enables UK taxpayers to increase their donations to TAP
by an extra 25p in the £1, at no additional cost to themselves, by
making a simple declaration of eligibility. You can do this on our
online donations page, or, if sending a cheque, by using the
accompanying form.
SPREAD THE WORD
PLEASE encourage other people to give to TAP, too. A
colour leaflet can be downloaded here (PDF, will open in new window). If you or
your church is planning a special collection or fundraising effort,
we'd be glad to know so we can mention it in the paper.