We know that different people are involved in churches in all sorts of ways – what about me? We know that churches don’t just survive financially because of some miracle – what about me? Do I have anything I can give to the Lord’s work? How much should I give?

 In the Bible, God teaches "stewardship." From the very beginning (Genesis 2:15), it is clear that all of creation – including ourselves – are created by God, and our job as people is "to tend and care for it."

We usually think that our bodies are our own. Our possessions are our own. Our property is our own. And the earth exists for our enjoyment and purposes. And we can do with them what we will. But the Bible suggests that everything is God’s. It is God who gives our bodies life. It is God who gives our bodies health to earn money to buy things. The earth and everything in it is the Lord’s. He gives us the responsibility to take good care of our bodies, our possessions, and creation. But ultimately everything is still His. We are His stewards, or caretakers. (Read Psalm 24:1-2, Matthew 25:31-46, and 1 Timothy 6:17-19).

 Stewardship of time …

One of the precious gifts God gives us is time. Most of us think He has given us too little time! But the real issue is not that 24 hours per day and 7 days per week is not enough time to accomplish everything, but that we may not be making the best use of our time, or that our priorities may not be the best. Either we may be wasting time (e.g. watching too much TV), or we may be doing too many good things (e.g. at work) to have time to do the really important things (e.g. our families)!

Every day it is essential that we find time for prayer and personal Bible study. If our days are too busy, we need to find time by making better use of our time or rearranging our priorities. This is non-negotiable because the rest of our lives will be out of balance if we don’t make God a priority.

Every week we must find time for worship and, if the opportunity exists, for small group Bible study and prayer. The rest of our lives will be much more satisfying when we make time for God.

On a regular basis we must make time for service (see stewardship of talents, below), in which we make time to serve others.
 
 

Stewardship of talents …

Each of us has God-given talents, abilities, and spiritual gifts (see Discovering your spiritual gifts on the website homepage, or talk to the pastor). Our responsibility is to use these in service (see James 2:14-26)!

In the life of the church, you will notice many people doing this. Some people lead worship or play instruments. Others set-up and clean up for special events. Others visit people who cannot attend. Others maintain the facilities. Still others serve on boards or committees. Others look after the church finances. Yet others serve in children’s ministries, teaching Sunday School. Others are active in the community, working in a variety of service opportunities.

In the church, we depend upon one another in order for the church to function properly (see 1 Corinthians 12 for a discussion of this).

You need to find a place where you can serve Jesus Christ using your talents, abilities, and gifts. Speak to the pastor for more details.

 Stewardship of finances …

God gives us the ability and health to earn money. So He asks us, as part of our worship and adoration of Him, to give a portion of our income back to His work, to build up His Kingdom (after all, He is the one who makes it possible for us to earn it). For us, in our culture, this is often very difficult to do. We are encouraged to keep as much as possible of our money for ourselves. Things were much the same in Biblical times, especially since no social security or pension plans existed!

The Bible repeatedly warns, however, that putting one’s trust in wealth does not assure us of true security (Proverbs 11:4, Matthew 6:19-21, Luke 12:16-34, Luke 16:19-31). Indeed in Malachi 3:6-12, God gives a stern warning to the Israelites about giving.

In contrast, generosity is encouraged! And God blesses those who are generous (Proverbs 11:24-25, 19:17, Luke 10:25-37, 21:1-4). In a wonderful passage (2 Corinthians 9:6-14), Paul gives us the well-known phrase, "God loves a cheerful giver"!

The Old Testament "norm" for giving was to give God the first 10% of one’s gross (before deduction) income. This is called a "tithe." The New Testament does not give us a set percentage, but most Christians use 10% as a starting point. So, you may wish to give 10% of your income to your church as a tithe. Above and beyond that, many Christians enjoy giving "offerings" to other ministries and missions. It is important to give in a planned, systematic, and proportionate way.

To help you in your giving, the church makes numbered envelopes available. These allow you to give regularly and anonymously. We take confidentially very seriously. Only one person in the church, the envelope secretary, knows how much each person gives. And, although the tax benefit is not the chief motive behind giving, envelopes also help us to easily issue you with an income tax receipt at the end of the year.

Giving of our time, talents, and finances may sound intimidating at first. But most Christians find that these are actually some of the most satisfying and meaningful activities in which they are engaged! Giving is fun! And your giving is one of the ways in which the Kingdom of God grows!