Celebrate Jesus  - Experience Family

How much should we give?

 

Everything we have comes from God. Yes, we have worked for it, and it is a reward for our labours, but first, it came from God.  So we give out of the thankfulness of our heart. We are thankful to God and we want others to discover the blessing of God too.  We give to the church, because this is God's chosen vehicle to make Himself known.   The church uses the money to pay staff, care for buildings and to fund ministries. All these are necessary and we try to be careful stewards, understanding that we are administering gifts which God's people have given for His glory. 

 

When the Bible speaks giving we see three forms - Tithes, Offerings and The Collection.

Tithe means "tenth" and it refers to one tenth of your income. In Biblical times, the tithe was used to pay the priests and for the upkeep of the Temple and its services. It is still pretty much like that today. The money given is still used for the payment of wages, upkeep of property and for ministry to the people. Although not commanded by God, there was a strong Biblical expection that God's people would bring a tenth of their produce to the Temple.  

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The Offering is a voluntary gift over and the Tithe. It is a gift of thankfulness.

The Collection is a specific response to a request to help in a needy siuation. We find reference to The Collection only in the New Testament, when the churches in Asia were "collecting" money to give to the people in Judah who were suffering in a drought.

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