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“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish…” (Ephesians 5:15–17, NIV84)

These are recurring themes that are seen throughout the Scriptures. Carefulness and wisdom come to us from multiple areas:

  • Reading the Word
  • Being taught by others
  • Watching others
  • Learning on your own
  • Learning the hard way 

Now, we cannot say for certain, but we are almost sure that you have not been taught about giving.  This teaching is not about tithing and offerings, but about HOW you give. We live in a time that has many paths to one location.  That is the same in one’s giving to their local church.  In this episode we will specifically talk about HOW one can give, using the PROPER tools, vehicles and reasoning so you do not hurt it or lessen the gift given.

 

How Your Giving Hurts the Church

Giving using methods that cost the church money (A Wisdom Issue)

Many churches provide online giving options for convenience and automation purposes. These are undoubtedly good goals to have! If you are giving to your church through these methods to ensure consistency of your gift, that’s a good thing! When you have larger gifts or you give irregularly, by giving cash (i.e. check) that is totally free to the church.  It is important to note that when you choose to use your church’s online giving portal, there is a cost to the church, usually a percentage of your gift. There are options that many churches provide to give through ACH withdrawal. These options are either free for the church, or cheaper!

We encourage using these giving methods for regular giving:

  • ACH Transfer…which stands for (Automated Clearing House) – This vehicle pulls money DIRECTLY from your checking account using a routing number. It is just like using a debit card, but cheaper… or most of the time it is free for the church!
  • Cash – Another free way to give to the church that won’t cost them anything. However, there is a security and a convenience issue for the church. These funds can be mishandled, and it needs to be transported to the bank. There is just an added layer of complexity that we hope your church has solid and protective guidelines provided.
  • Check – The cleanest, easiest, best way to give to the church. It is most convenient for the church, but could be inconvenient for the giver. WHY?  How many checks have you written lately?

We discourage using these giving methods for regular giving (Giving methods that hurt the church):

  • Credit Cards – Churches are usually charged a percentage of your gift if you use a credit card. By giving in this way, you are costing them money. However, many online portals are putting options for you to click a box and in doing so, you are choosing to cover that added expense.  If you use this method, please consider covering that expense. Remember, you could easily do ACH instead of a credit card.
  • Giving certain physical goods – If you give non-cash donations, they probably can’t handle these donations in an effective manner. We have heard horror stories of people giving used tires, majorly outdated computers and other unwanted and even unusable items to churches, etc…)
  • Giving large donations via online – There may be caps on how much one can give online, and on top of that, the church may be responsible to pay processing fees.

How to give large, irregular donations:

  • Donating Highly Appreciated Assets – 
    • You can give appreciated stock to a church without realizing tax gains (explain this Tim), and your church can receive the full amount of your donation. If you are wanting to give in this manner to your local Church, they will need a brokerage account to make this happen. 
  • Donor Advised Fund – Giving in this way is a gift of an asset to a third party non-profit with the explicit intent that those funds should eventually go to another non-profit organization, such as your local church. 
    • This is ideal when you have a very large taxable year and you need to make a large charitable contribution, but you are not ready to give all of that money in one particular year (because you don’t know where you will be (potentially moving) or because you want to spread it out over a period of time). This gives you the tax deduction immediately while having the flexibility to direct the eventual recipients as and when you see fit.

 

Manipulative Giving (Heart Issue)

These giving tendencies are hurtful for the church as well.

  • Holding the budget hostage – Jamie Dunlop in his book titled “Budgeting for a healthy Church” (and check out our interview with him!) talked about a wealthy businessman who talked to the Pastor.  This business man said to him “you take care of the preaching and I’ll take care of the budget.” This comment implied that as long as the Pastor was faithful, the budget would balance out. 
    • It sounds faithful to have someone to give in order to meet the needs of the church. But sadly, almost always there will be strings attached.  What you may say? How about: “Don’t talk about things that convict me.”
    • With one choosing to “take care of the budget” if it is lagging, it very well could cause others in the church to curtail their faithful giving! Sadly, it is important for Church leaders to acknowledge and be aware that ‘big givers’ have the ability to hold a church budget hostage. Doing so is incredibly manipulative.  The goal is for everyone to give faithfully and regularly, not manipulatively. 
  • Redirecting (or stopping) your tithe to a specific fund in the budget.
    • Someone could give all of their ‘tithe’ to another fund because they have specific preferences or grievances. To say this has not, and is not happening would be SO wrong.  I (Drew) have seen this MANY times in my years of serving in the local church.
  • Making your giving like a rating system for a sermon. Good sermon, big tithe! Sermon that stepped on my toes, little tithe.
    • I (Drew) will be honest, I have not seen this. But sadly, I know all too well the condition of the human heart and this “form” of giving surely could be on the radar for some.

 

When Giving Hurts YOU

  • Giving on a credit card and not paying it off in full. 
    • If you carry a balance from month to month (you’re making payments but it’s not paid off), and you give on that specific credit card, you lose the float. As soon as you make that gift to your church on that credit card, you will lose that grace period and immediately start accumulating interest against you.
  • Giving out of a sense of pride or legalism. 
    • As believers, we have an obligation to give, but we give because we want to give and because we love the one to whom we are giving!  When you are not giving with a cheerful heart. It hurts you because you miss the joy of giving. It is our duty, but it is also our delight to be generous to our local church. Choosing to give out of pride to make others think better of us very well could impact your blessing from the Lord today, tomorrow, and in eternity! Give with a grateful and humble heart! 
  • Giving only for a tax deduction. 
    • You are missing the point if you are giving only to receive a tax deduction! Praise God that there are tax advantages here in America, but that is not WHY you give. 
  • Giving for financial gain.
    • 1 Timothy 6 states that Godliness is a means of great gain. It’s easy for us to think about giving as a means of gain, but we would be SO wrong! There is certainly a gain relationship to giving, but we do not give to get. God is not a cosmic vending machine! When we give in this way, we really are not giving to God, we are giving to ourselves. Remember, God knows your heart and the reason why you are giving!

Our giving should be a demonstration of our trust in the church leadership.  How so?  Our generous giving is trusting that your Church leaders will do what is good and right with that gift. 

 

Stewardship Application

Our giving very well could hurt our church.  And we realize that our giving can hurt us also!

  • In our giving…we should make it our goal to:
    • Give…because God gave to us (Jn. 3:16)
    • Give…because God loves us (1 Jn. 4:19)
    • Give…out of a cheerful heart (2 Cor. 9:7)
    • Give…with wise choices (Eph. 5:15-17)

We give so that we can: bless the Lord…bless our Church…and build up the Kingdom of God.

 

Next Steps

 

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