GIVe
Why Give?
Our attitude to money is an important part of our discipleship. Jesus often spoke about money, and the importance of sacrificial generosity. It’s as if He wanted us to know that the way we handle our money has an important effect on our relationship with God.
If we treat money God’s way, then we will enjoy a closer relationship with Him. There are a number of encouragements the Bible offers in our giving. It is part of our worship, and a response to the generosity of God. It is an act of faith and an integral part of discipleship, a privilege and responsibility for all God’s people, demonstrating our choice to depend on God. And of course, we’re only giving back to God what is God’s in the first place.
Ways to Give
BANK TRANSFER
CASH AND CHEQUE
How should I give to the local church?
Making a regular financial contribution to the life of the local church is not only biblical but also a very practical way of standing with the whole church in demonstrating your commitment and support. We would encourage everyone who belongs here to consider the principles of giving:
Regularly – at set times, whether weekly, monthly, or yearly.
Individually – everyone gets to participate, including children and young people. Whilst some may give more and some less, God looks at the heart of the giver and not the amount.
Intentionally – it’s good to think about our giving and to give in a planned way, reviewing this regularly.
Locally – here are many other agencies we might support, but our primary commitment is to the local church.
Joyfully – we are not to give reluctantly or with compulsion, but freely and gladly, for “God loves a cheerful giver”.
Sacrificially – we are to excel in the grace of giving.
HOW MUCH?
“Many Christians say that 10% – a “tithe” of our income – is a good starting point in our giving. The principle behind tithing is a recognition of where our heart is (Matthew 6:21) and whose “our” money is. For me, giving the first 10% to God’s work is a recognition that all I have is God’s, and a declaration that I’m trusting God as my provider and security for all my needs. It’s a way of me showing God I love Him more than money.
I used to think about giving in terms of generosity, but I now view it in terms of sacrifice. I realised that generosity is often seen in relation to the amount given – but the reality is that someone very wealthy can make a very large and apparently generous donation without it having any real impact on them, while someone less wealthy can make a much smaller contribution that’s incredibly costly.
Jesus summarised this in the story of the widow’s offering (Mark 12:41-44), where she gave just a few coins yet it was all she had to live on. She gave sacrificially, recognising it as an act of worship and of total dependence on God. That’s the kind of sacrificial giver I want to be. For me, that means 10% is now a starting point, beyond which I am learning to live sacrificially for the sake of the kingdom. In your circumstances sacrificial giving may look very different.
I invite you to talk to God about it, asking God what trusting obedience would look like for you in your finances?”
Rev Matt Hird
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