Statistics from the Church of England show that Christians are giving more than ever.

The latest parish finance report show total giving is up £71 million to £481 million.

The figures covering the year 2014 show that total planned giving is up £6 million to £329 million.

Dr John Preston, the Church of England's national stewardship adviser, said: "As a result of the commitment and generosity of hundreds of thousands of churchgoers, we have seen record levels of giving - with the average weekly gift from all planned givers exceeding £11 for the first time, and the average gift from those able to give through Gift Aid exceeding £15, including the tax recovered.

"Parishes were able to claim record levels of Gift Aid, with a significant part of this increase arising from use of the Gift Aid Small Donations scheme. 

"It is also pleasing to note that legacy giving was the highest yet."
 
The figures also show that Church of England parishes donated £46 million to supporting other charities working around the world, from foodbanks and local children's charities to international aid appeals.
 
The funds have been raised through regular and on-off donations, as well as investments and legacies.

Total parish income from giving, investments and other income sources was £989 million – an increase of £36 million on the previous year.

Expenditure levels also rose by £28 million to £948 million in 2014, leaving the 12,000 parishes a surplus of £41 million over expenditure.
 
You can have a look at the figures in greater details on the Church of England website.