CHURCH GIVING Cartoons - Tithes and offerings

MONEY... get back... I'm all right, Jack. Keep your hands off of my stack. - The Pink Floyd Worship Band

Church giving— aka tithing, offerings, or stewardship and its importance ties directly into faith, community, and practical needs, and its role in supporting ministries with their spiritual significance.

Church giving is about contributing financially or materially to the church’s mission. It’s rooted in biblical principles and serves both practical and spiritual purposes. Here’s why it matters:

• Spiritual Importance: Giving is seen as an act of worship and trust in God. The Bible, especially in Malachi 3:10, encourages tithing—traditionally 10% of income—as a way to honor God and receive blessings. It’s less about the amount and more about the heart behind it (2 Corinthians 9:7 says God loves a cheerful giver). For many, it’s a tangible way to put faith into action, showing reliance on God rather than money.

• Supporting the Mission: Churches rely on giving to keep the lights on and the doors open. This includes salaries for pastors and staff, maintaining buildings, and powering programs like kids’ ministries—think craft supplies, VBS snacks, or heating the nursery. Without it, those outreaches to kids, the poor, or global missions often couldn’t happen.

• Building Community: Giving knits people together. When everyone chips in, it’s a collective effort to sustain something bigger than any one person. It fosters a sense of ownership and unity—everyone’s invested in the same goal, whether it’s a new playground for the kids or a mission trip.

• Practical Impact: Historically, churches have been hubs for charity—feeding the hungry, clothing the needy, supporting widows (like in Acts 4:34-35). Today, giving still fuels that. For example, a church might use offerings to run a food pantry or sponsor a child’s education overseas.

• Personal Growth: It’s often taught that giving breaks the grip of materialism, teaching generosity and gratitude. In kids’ ministries, this might be simplified as “sharing what we have with God’s family,” maybe through a piggy bank drive for a special project.

How it’s practiced varies:

• Tithing: Some stick to the 10% benchmark, seeing it as a biblical standard.

• Freewill Offerings: Others give what they can, when they can, beyond or instead of a set percentage.

• Pledges: Larger churches might ask for annual commitments to plan budgets.

• Special Collections: Think passing the plate for a missionary or a new sound system.

In a kids’ ministry context, giving might be taught through small, fun lessons—like collecting pennies for a cause or making a “giving tree” craft—to show even little contributions matter. It ties back to baptism’s theme of belonging: if you’re part of the church, you help it thrive.

Critics sometimes point out misuse of funds (lavish pastor lifestyles or scandals), but most churches aim for transparency—budgets shared with members, say—to keep trust intact. Data-wise, giving trends shift; a 2023 study showed U.S. church giving averaged about 2-3% of income, not the full 10%, reflecting modern economic pressures.

Giving is the Money Resource for everything from Sunday School crayons to global outreach, wrapped in a belief that giving reflects love for God and neighbor. Want me to zoom in on a specific angle—like how it’s taught or its impact on kids’ programs?