Tithes/offerings

[LittleBlueCat]

I am considering restarting my tithing and I'm just curious about how others who are unchurched go about tithing/offering money. Do you still give financially in some form? If you do, how so?

More specifically do you ensure you give only to organisations who are explicitely christian, or will you give to organisations who will, for example, feed the poor but are secular? Or do you skip organisations entirely and just look out for those in your local community who could use a hand?

 

[New_Wineskin]

I am considering restarting my tithing and I'm just curious about how others who are unchurched go about tithing/offering money. Do you still give financially in some form? If you do, how so?

More specifically do you ensure you give only to organisations who are explicitely christian, or will you give to organisations who will, for example, feed the poor but are secular? Or do you skip organisations entirely and just look out for those in your local community who could use a hand?

Well , the idea of tithes and offerings as most christians think of them is ludicrous .

With respect to giving , there is also no need to give to christian organizations . Overall , I ask the Lord where He wants funds to go . Food banks are one of my favorites and things for the homeless or battered women and children .

 

[Count]

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[BenAdam]

Well , the idea of tithes and offerings as most christians think of them is ludicrous .

With respect to giving , there is also no need to give to christian organizations . Overall , I ask the Lord where He wants funds to go . Food banks are one of my favorites and things for the homeless or battered women and children .

Amen to that!

 

[StormyOne]

Well , the idea of tithes and offerings as most christians think of them is ludicrous .

With respect to giving , there is also no need to give to christian organizations . Overall , I ask the Lord where He wants funds to go . Food banks are one of my favorites and things for the homeless or battered women and children .

I agree but please explain why you feel as you do....

 

[New_Wineskin]

I agree but please explain why you feel as you do....

I simply agree with Paul's suggestion to walk by the Spirit and not the written code .

 

[Rick Otto]

The bible instructs us to give our tithes to Levites, so maybe you should look for a Levitical priest. But he won't be expecting money because that is not what the Bible defines as a tithe.
Tithing is OT law. the OT law was meant to teach condemnation by showing us there is NO WAY we could EVER fulfill all the requirements of the law. Only a divine human could, and all humans born of a man's seed are spiritualy stillborn & in need of being born again.

I believe the best giving is interpersonal, but I applaud Food Banks & shelters for battered women & children.
I personaly know a battered husband. His wife eventually discovered meth & went so nuts that he's now a single father of 3 young girls.
I think it SO cool you want to both give AND be sure you're doin' it His way.
You rock on, bro!

 

[StormyOne]

The bible instructs us to give our tithes to Levites, so maybe you should look for a Levitical priest. But he won't be expecting money because that is not what the Bible defines as a tithe.
Tithing is OT law. the OT law was meant to teach condemnation by showing us there is NO WAY we could EVER fulfill all the requirements of the law. Only a divine human could, and all humans born of a man's seed are spiritualy stillborn & in need of being born again.

I believe the best giving is interpersonal, but I applaud Food Banks & shelters for battered women & children.
I personaly know a battered husband. His wife eventually discovered meth & went so nuts that he's now a single father of 3 young girls.
I think it SO cool you want to both give AND be sure you're doin' it His way.
You rock on, bro!

very true... in the OT the COI were to tithe on what they grew or produced... it was never money... but churches today don't mention that...

 

[YouthPastor]

very true... in the OT the COI were to tithe on what they grew or produced... it was never money... but churches today don't mention that...

But paul does talk about setting aside a certain amount "in keeping with your income" -

 

[Rick Otto]

"Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come." - 1 Cor 16:1-2

Is that what you were refering to?
I see here a day being indicated on grounds of convenience, & amount to be determined by the giver.

 

[StormyOne]

But paul does talk about setting aside a certain amount "in keeping with your income" -

a certain amount is not the same as "bring ye the tithes into the storehouse....." I am not suggesting not giving, I am suggesting that what most churches guilt trip people into giving is not what the scripture is recommending...

 

[Count]

"Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come." - 1 Cor 16:1-2

There is a particular problem with the saints in Jerusalem and Paul is asking the churches to help the saints there. This means that they didn't collected money before the problem and wouldn't collected money for ever. It was a particular problem and they would help till Paul visits the church there and take the money they had collected.

It was rather a practical way Paul showed them how to collect the money, not a law they had to obey for ever.

Please notice that they are collecting money for the saints. Not for buildings, not for organizations, but for saints.

 

[streetevangelist]

I am considering restarting my tithing and I'm just curious about how others who are unchurched go about tithing/offering money. Do you still give financially in some form? If you do, how so?

More specifically do you ensure you give only to organisations who are explicitely christian, or will you give to organisations who will, for example, feed the poor but are secular? Or do you skip organisations entirely and just look out for those in your local community who could use a hand?

You do not owe tithes because it is food. it is not money Deuteronomy 14 : 9 So you can not be cursed. Malachi 3 the word meat refers to FOOD not money as we are told.

 

[GK]

Of course, none of this means it isn't a wonderful, glorious act to give freely of our money out of love and compassion.

 

[New_Wineskin]

Of course, none of this means it isn't a wonderful, glorious act to give freely of our money out of love and compassion.

Oh , absolutely . Giving is a wonderful thing . Though , people placing a tithing command on others is an ugly thing which tarnishes everything it touches . It really shouldn't be discussed except as an historical concept .

 

[GK]

On the other hand, if we were all giving generously, it would be a moot conversation. The sad fact is that very few people give and fewer give generously. Even when you add in time, services, and gifts of kind, average giving of Christians falls well below 10%, including giving to churches and to other services (or direct to the needy). Yes, there are individuals who give, but they are in the minority.

Our best answer to the legalists is not to justify not giving, but to give anyway.

 

[Just Me Garry]

There are many other ways to give besides monetary.

 

[New_Wineskin]

On the other hand, if we were all giving generously, it would be a moot conversation. The sad fact is that very few people give and fewer give generously. Even when you add in time, services, and gifts of kind, average giving of Christians falls well below 10%, including giving to churches and to other services (or direct to the needy). Yes, there are individuals who give, but they are in the minority.

Our best answer to the legalists is not to justify not giving, but to give anyway.

It should be a moot conversation , anyway . There is no overall requirement to give at all . It seems that the tithers are the worst givers as their groups are the ones keeping records . The law kills and this is a fine example of it . When giving is not a requirement , the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing . Giving to a church does no one any good as they are the worst stewards - spending most ( if not all ) on the overhead of the organizations . Giving to pay for overhead isn't really giving as it is simply paying for the upkeep and employees of the group . And , I don't have to mention how much money is wasted on interest when people build without having the funds in hand .

But , that is their choice . I have no problem with that .They don't need to give . But , telling others that they must give while most are only paying for services provided for themselves ... it is very irritating .

 

[New_Wineskin]

There are many other ways to give besides monetary.

Absolutely . Yet , when one tells a tither that you ( actually told *me* , that is ) donate your time for certain causes , they consider that should be done *in addition* to giving 10% of one's income . Only a leaders time is worth money ( it seems ) . They consider that time is volunteered while money is required . Again , this is from what many have told me . There are different people out there .

 

[GK]

The "tithing is a requirement" groups aren't the only ones who track giving.

As a pastor in a mid-sized protestant church that taught giving should be an act of worship and not a requirement of the law, we conducted an anonymous survey of regular attenders, which we compared against checks we received. We had good turnout and found all but a handful of families were giving in the 1-2% range. Less than 2% of members (not just attenders, but members) were giving anywhere near 10%.

This was compared against similar churches in our city and region and found a little low, but not exceptionally so.

I agree anyone who is legalistic and forces their legalism on others is frustrating. The problem is that some of them do have a good point, even if for the wrong reason. Most of us could (and should, though not for the reasons they give) give more.