WHY WE GIVE
Since there is a direct link between your heart and your bank account. We believe that when you give, you are tangibly telling yourself that God is your top priority and that your money is not the most important. This is commonly referred to as tithing (woh! church word!)
Tithing literally means giving the first 10% of your income to your local church. It is the biblical cornerstone of giving and it's established in the Old Testament (Gen. 14:20; Gen. 28:20-22; Deut. 26:1-2; 2 Chron. 31:4-5), and it is reaffirmed by Jesus (Luke 11:42). The examples we have in the Bible show us that tithe money helps you make God your top priority while supporting the work of the local church in equipping others to accomplish the mission that God has invited each of us on: making disciples who make disciples who are changing the world one person at a time.
Not only does the Bible talk about giving financially to God, but we also see that other reasons for why we give, mainly because God is a giver.
God is a Giver
We give, not only because the Bible instructs us too, but because God is a giver and we are called to be like him (Lev. 11:44-45; 1 Peter 1:16).
"I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name." - Isaiah 45:3
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only son..." -John 3:16a
"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." -Mark 10:45
God is a giver, who gives us good things that grow us and make us more like His Son, Jesus, whom he gave in order to be our sacrifice which allows us to enter into a relationship with God, our Heavenly Father, who created us and sustains us.
Because God is a giver, we follow his example by giving in three distinct ways at CCC:
- Sacrificially
- Generously
- Cheerfully
We Give Sacrificially
We give sacrificially because God gives sacrificially. From the beginning, God's love has motivated him to give of himself in order to be in a relationship with you. God gave his one and only Son because of the love he has for you (John 3:16). Since God gives sacrificially, we to give sacrificially.
"Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?" - Romans 8:32
"They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need." - Acts 2:45
"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." - 2 Corinthians 8:9
We Give Generously
We give generously because God gives generously. Everything that you have: your job, your apartment, the slice you ate last night all comes from God who gives generously. Sure, you work the job, but God gave you a brain that you are (hopefully) using at your job. You ate the pizza, but God gave you the tastebuds to enjoy that slice. God generously gives, so we generously give back to him and others.
"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse,that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it." Malachi 3:10
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." - James 1:17
"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously." - 2 Corinthians 9:6
We Give Cheerfully
We give cheerfully because God gives cheerfully. God actually likes you and wants good things for you. Therefore, everything that he gives you is for your benefit, growth, and development. Ultimately, we give cheerfully because God gives cheerfully.
"When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things." Psalm 104:28
"Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." - 2 Corinthians 9:7
It you want to learn more about how we give around here or the different ways we give around here. Click the on the cards below.
READY TO GIVE?
ONLINE
Giving online is a fast, simple, and secure way to give anytime using your bank account (ACH Giving) or debit/credit card. When you give, a small fee will be deducted from your donation, $0.25 when using a bank account or ~2.40% when using a debit/credit card, to cover the processing fee. You can choose to cover the processing fee so that 100% of your donation is given to the church. To give, simply use the give online button below.
TEXT TO GIVE
Texting to give is a quick, effortless, and secure way to give anytime using your bank account or debit/credit card. When you give, a small fee will be deducted from your donation, $0.25 when using a bank account or ~2.40% when using a debit/credit card, to cover the processing fees.
To give, simply text any dollar amount to 84321 (i.e. "$25") or use the text to give button below. By default, your gift will go to the General Tithe and/or Offering fund. To give to a specific fund, append a fund keyword from the list below after the dollar amount (i.e. "$25 Missions"). To give to multiple funds, list the dollar amount and fund keyword for each fund (i.e. "$50 Tithe $25 Missions").
Giving Fund Keywords
- Tithe and/or Offering: Tithe
- Summer Intern: Intern
- French Ministry: French
- Daring Faith Next Chapter Fund: Daring Faith
- Benevolence: Benevolence
- Building Fund: Building
- Harvest for Christ Foundation: Harvest
- Mailing: Mailing
- Mission: Mission
- Holiday Market: Market
GOT QUESTIONS?
Have a question about giving to Community Christian Church? Get in touch with a person on our staff directly by using the contact us button below.