"How Much Money Should I Give to All Souls Church?"
Appropriate giving begins with a “Yes” to these two questions:
1. Does the amount I give to the church show that I am genuinely committed
to
Christ and to the work of Christ’s church in the modern world?
And
2. When I consider what I give, am I confident that I am doing the right thing?
If I give away all my possessions . . . but do not have love, I gain nothing. [I Cor. 13: 3] We give out of love for God and loyalty to Christ, from a sense of discipleship and our sacred calling as members of the body of Christ. We give from our possessions as a gesture of gratitude to God who first loved us.
Giving Should Be Appropriate
This follows the principle established by Jesus. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? [Mt 7:9-10] The giver must discern what is appropriate and give appropriately.
Giving Should Be Proportional
Christians believe a portion of their time and treasure must be set aside and dedicated to God. Possessions extend far beyond money. Our time, our powers of mind and body, the goods we accumulate, the sum of all we possess by God’s grace – all this we use to God’s glory. From this bounty we set aside a portion, specifically dedicated to God as an acknowledgement of our devotion to God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. The tithe is a Biblical benchmark for giving.
One of the most pressing issues we face is whether God or money is our master. Jesus put it plainly: "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” [Mt 6:24] When money takes central place, it gets disproportionate power. When God is at your center, money is radically redefined. It ceases as your master and becomes a servant with which you serve your true Master.
Money is a distillation of your time, talent and treasure into spendable form. It is a means not an end. We Christians use it for God and others as a sign of our discipleship.
Giving Should be Regular and Disciplined
Your giving should be regularized and disciplined. Paul urged the members of the church in Corinth with these words: “On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his
income . . . . 1Corinthians 16:2
Giving is Connected to Time, Place, and Your Own Faith
Your giving is tied to the specifics of your life. How much money is available for your use? Start there to determine the appropriate portion that you will give. You give according to your own gifts, according to the ways in which God has prospered you.
Your giving follows your belief. Do you believe in God? Do you seek to follow Jesus in the church he founded? Do you believe in what the church teaches and the ministries in which it engages? Do you believe you are responsible, as God has given you means, to see that the work of the church continues and prospers? Answers to these questions in your own time and circumstances will determine your response.
Don’t Worry About What Can’t Happen, Look at What Can Happen
Don’t be discouraged by worrying about what you can’t give. Rather, imagine what you can give: give your time in service for others; work with our Family of Friends in visiting and contacting others; invite people to join you at church; invest yourself in intercessory prayer in which you pray for the church and its ministries and for your fellow members in this household of faith. There are many ways to serve. Be encouraged and give from the very best you have.
Jesus teaches that the way we use our possessions shows what we really believe about God and about life. The way we use our possessions shows who we really are.
Examine Your Own Life
Prayerfully consider your own ability and responsibility before God. You will be moved to give boldly, even sacrificially. Since we all value what God is doing in our church we will find ways to continue to serve God here. Think of the present needs and opportunities. Think of the future and what you might do to offer your own helping hand to generations yet to come.
Confirm Your Commitment by Acting from Faith
Finally, no level of giving will make any sense if you are not connected and committed to the life and labor of the church. Worship, teaching, intercessory prayer, work with hands-on missions—building, soup kitchens, shelters, serving others, contact with missions the church supports, youth choirs, choir and ministries of music, youth groups, Church school, the church Bazaar– in all these ways (and more) your own life can be enriched, your own faith can find both voice and hands. You will understand why God wants your life and you will be glad to give it.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.” [Hebrews. 12: 1-3]