Thanks to the generous giving of parishioners in Peasedown St John, St John's Church has given away almost £9,000 this year to local, national and international causes.

The congregation follows the biblical principle of giving away the first 10% of its income each year in a bid to practice what it preaches. This year £9,000 was set aside for the church's Mission Giving Committee to make decisions about where the money should go.

Over the last 12 years, St John's Church has given away a staggering £118,000 in charitable giving.

In the past 12 months the committee has received applications for funding and financial assistance from a range of organisations.

Church Leader, Revd Matthew Street, said; "This year we have been able to support international projects such as Christian broadcasters SAT7 and Flame International – an organisation that works with grassroots projects around the world to alleviate poverty. St John's is part of the child sponsorship scheme where we support families in Africa – enabling children to go to school and have opportunities they wouldn't have otherwise. The overseas projects we support often have a personal link for our church so we can receive regular feedback on how our donations are being spent.

"We are also extremely pleased to be supporting local initiatives such as the Timsbury-based charity Bibles for Children and Somer Valley Foodbank– an essential project that supports local people in food crisis."

St John's Church has also supported, for the second year-in-a-row, a Bristol-based charity called One-25 – which supports women who have experienced abuse and trauma.

Revd Street added; "The team here at St John's feels extremely blessed to be in a position to donate this money each year.

As we continue to move further into a culture of collaborative working, with grassroots organisations running services, the church can play an increasingly key role in supporting projects which in the past would have received their support from elsewhere."

For more information about Mission and Giving in the St J's Group contact the benefice administrator Rob Bubyer on 01761 300410 or email [email protected]

Alternatively, visit the website for the St J's Group, www.stjsgroup.church, which includes details of future events, the church's work in the community, activities going on during the week and live recordings of Sunday sermons.