Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7 (ESV)
In this capital campaign, we are asking our members to give over and above your regular contributions for up-to a three-year period. You may have already been saving for this and know where your extra giving will come from and how you want to give. You may know that you want to participate and give sacrificially but are not sure how much to give or where there is any extra. Below are the suggested steps to walk through followed by a list of creative ways to consider for giving.
Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.
Proverbs 3:9-10 (ESV)
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PRAY
The first step is to pray. Pray for a generous heart and a gentle spirit to listen to what God is placing on your heart. Pray that your eyes will be open to see how God is calling you to participate. Pray that you experience true joy in giving. Pray that you will have the courage to follow the Lord wherever he is leading you.
2
CONSIDER YOUR STEWARDSHIP
How do we treat our money and assets in a Godly way to honor Him? What are we spending our money on each week? Can we give anything up in a sacrificial way to honor God? It is not about the amount you give, but the fact that you are giving. Giving is an act of faith. Remember, it all belongs to God. We are just the stewards.
3
DECIDE
Review the list of creative ways to give below, and decide:
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How will you give?
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What can you give?
Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
Malachai 3:10 (ESV)
CREATIVE WAYS TO GIVE
CONSIDER THE TIMEFRAME
Donations for the Building Community Growing Disciples Campaign are for up-to a 3-year time period. Can’t give now? Will you be in a space to give next year or two years from now?
GIVE SOMETHING UP
What could I give up? Streaming subscriptions, eating out, season tickets, manicures, and daily trips to the coffee shop.
GIVE FROM YOUR ASSETS
Donate stock directly to the church and not only does the church receive a potentially large gift, but you pay no taxes on the stock. Please contact your tax advisor regarding your specific situation. You can even donate real estate.
DELAY EXPENSES
Another option is delaying the purchase of new items and gifting the amount that would have been spent.
SELL SOMETHING
A piano, car, extra furniture, treadmill—our possessions do pile up after a while, don’t they? You can sell items you don’t use or need and donate the proceeds.
INVOLVE YOUR CHILDREN
There are many ways to involve little ones. One way could be to save all your change and make a big deal of it when you roll it up and take it to church.
GIVE OF YOUR TIME
Use your gifts! Swap childcare with another family instead of paying for a sitter, handle your own lawn care, or sell crafts and donate the proceeds
GIVE WHAT YOU'VE ALWAYS WANTED
This is an opportunity to increase the percentage being given. For instance, if you are currently giving 5%, increasing to 8-10% would add up quickly over time.
GIVE FROM UNEXPECTED BLESSINGS
Tax refunds, bonuses, raises- you could pledge to donate these unexpected blessings