Giving Made Easy

GETTING STARTED - Regular giving

1. Pray about it.
2. Decide on a weekly or monthly amount.
3. Stretch to an amount that "hurts."
4. Then raise it a little farther until it feels good!
5. Set up regular transfers through your online banking …OR … request offering envelopes from Elise Rogers
6. Pray that God would use your faith and contribution in significant ways
7. Be amazed at what happens!

NEXT STEP - Proportional giving

1. Write down your annual gross earnings and the amount you would give in a year
2. Math time! Divide the giving amount by the gross earnings amount -- this is the percentage of your earnings that you give
3. Pray about it -- are you willing to increase that amount? To trust God with more of your finances?
4. Change your auto-draft or online payment amount
5. Be amazed at what happens!

SPECIAL PURPOSE GIVING - The icing on the cake

• What is God stirring in your heart?
• What area of need disturbs you?
• Does one of your neighbors, friends or church members have a need?
• Is there some specific project that moves your heart?

A Primer on Giving and Financial Stewardship

Why should we give?

1. Everything belongs to God. What you have is God's gift to you, for you to use as God's manager or steward. It is, in a sense, on loan to you, as an opportunity for you to honor God. (Deuteronomy 8:1-15, Matthew 25:14-30)
2. God invites us to live on 90% of our earnings and enjoy them richly and thankfully. Tithing is the Biblical baseline for giving. Tithing means giving ten percent of all income as a regular spiritual discipline. Offerings involve voluntary gifts above 10%. All giving should be joyful and free, not forced. (Malachi 3:6-16, I Timothy 6:17-19).
3. God promises to provide for those who give. You don't give to get, but you give to get to give. You can't out-give God. (2 Corinthians 9:6-11)
4. Giving is a greater joy than getting or keeping. (Acts 20:35)
5. The poor and needy and those who lead should be well cared for by the community. (1 Timothy 5:3-18, 1 Corinthians 16:1-3, 2 Corinthians 9:6)
6. Giving is a reflection of spiritual health, commitment, and gratitude - an expression of a heart overflowing with love for God and neighbor. Giving, as a spiritual discipline, strengthens us in Christ likeness, because Christ gave all in love. Similarly, selfishness is bad for the soul. (Matthew 6:19-24, 2 Corinthians 8:7-9)
7. God is generous. As we give generously, we imitate God. (2 Corinthians 8:1-9)

How should we give? (1 Corinthians 16:1-3; 2 Corinthians 9:7)

1. Regularly: not just on impulse or in response to pressure
2. Proportionally to income: according to your income
3. Discreetly: handled responsibly to avoid any misuse of funds
4. Voluntarily: not begrudgingly or under compulsion
5. Joyfully/Cheerfully: because God loves a cheerful giver
6. Generously: of those to whom much has been given much is expected
7. Humbly: not to show off, be proud about what you give, or to compare your giving with someone else