Many parishes in our diocese are collectively set to become beacons of the latest digital technology as 60 of our churches took delivery of new contactless devices this week; making giving a matter of just tapping a payment card.

A scheme organised and negotiated by the Church of England nationally and managed locally by our Diocesan Stewardship Resourcing Officers Stephanie Rankin and Christy Sawyer has made digital giving devices available to parish churches at a substantial discount to the usual price, with a strong uptake of the offer right across Lancashire.

“The contactless scheme was advertised to incumbents, treasurers, churchwardens, church council Secretaries, Lay Ministers and many others in our parishes during October and November last year; resulting in a rush of applications," said Stephanie.

“An assortment of devices were available and, based on the allocation made by the National Church, 38 of our churches have received the more portable 'CollecTin More' devices; 19 got the larger 'Payaz Giving Stations' and three which met different criteria received GWD contactless donation stations.”

This rollout in Blackburn Diocese is part of the National Church’s investment into giving over the last few years which has enabled all dioceses to provide a number of devices heavily subsidised by the Church Commissioners.

Stephanie and Christy worked with parishes to encourage them to apply and prepare them to receive their devices. Earlier this week dozens of parish representatives came to the Diocesan Offices on the edge of Blackburn to pick up their new devices and to be shown how to set up and use them.

The thinking behind this major push on giving in a modern way is simple.

Though regular giving is crucial for supporting the ministry in our parishes, we also need to enable those who are not part of planned giving schemes to give to support the local ministry and mission.

As fewer people now carry cash, contactless giving provides a convenient method for people to make donations and more churches will now have access to this technology.

Although there are no more of these specially subsidised devices available, if your church didn’t apply during the autumn, you can still contact stephanie.rankin@blackburn.anglican.org (Lancaster Archdeaconry) or christy.sawyer@blackburn.anglican.org who can help you decide what device might work for your parish and help you order one for your parish through the Church of England’s Parish Buying Scheme.

Captions for above pictures, top to bottom:

• Dave Stout, regional giving adviser, trains Caroline O’Brien, treasurer; Michael O’Brien, churchwarden and Adrian Long, churchwarden (all from St Michael’s, Kirkham) on how to use the new machine
• A close up of one of the new machines
• Amanda Tattersall of St Anne, Fence in Pendle, with the new machine for their church
• From Out Rawcliffe St John’s, Elaine Raby, treasurer and Peter Jones, churchwarden, picked up their machine
• Linda Bracewell, treasurer and Paul Daunton, churchwarden from St Leonard’s the Less in Samlesbury picking up their new giving machine