Should members give money to their church?

[David Lamb]

.... the reason I don't give all my offering to my church is because they are more interested in building the building bigger and less about helping the poor. I hold some of my offering and distribute it to people in need that aren't getting it from the church.

...and form a later post:

If they were more interested in the poor than building bigger and bigger buildings, they would get more.

I am slightly confused by the words I have highlighted. They make it seem (to me) as though you consider your church as something distinct from yourself, rather than something of which you are a member. Maybe I'm wrong, but I would find it strange to use the word "they" to refer to a local church of which I am a member.

 

[Plain Old Bill]

Amen Brother John. You could'nt have said it better. God bless you and your work.:wavey:

 

[John of Japan]

Amen Brother John. You could'nt have said it better. God bless you and your work.:wavey:

Thanks, Brother Bill.

Alms for the poor missionary, alms for the poor missionary.... :saint:

 

[lbaker]

Sometimes I think that if church members actually did the kind of things the Body of Christ is supposed to be doing, we wouldn't need "pastors" anyway. Maybe we are just too lazy to learn and teach ourselves and visit sick folks ourselves so we think we should hire someone to do all that for us.

 

[standingfirminChrist]

Nonsense!

Sheep without a shepherd will stray. God gave pastor's for a reason... to lead and feed the flock.

 

[Crabtownboy]

In our society it takes money if you want:

1. a good Sunday School program

2. to be cool in the summer

3. to be warm in the winter

4. a good Vaction Bible School

5. have a pastor

6. have associate pastors if you are large enough to require them

The list could go on and on.

And then there is the question, how much do I love my fellow church members/attendees?

How much do I care to support missions and charities?

You can add more I am sure.

 

[lbaker]

Nonsense!

Sheep without a shepherd will stray. God gave pastor's for a reason... to lead and feed the flock.

That would be the job of a plurality of elders, or "pastors and teachers", men God lifts up to lead a local church.

 

[mark brandwein]

Botton line, The pastor needs to get paid! How can a Church grow without money to back up the Church.? I belong to a small Church and I feel that whatever money that I can give, after Tithe, is to help the Church Grow!!! Give to God first, then to the Church.

 

[nunatak]

Give to God first, then to the Church.

Hunh?

 

[mark brandwein]

Let me rephrase this, I meant all that we give is God's money.

 

[John of Japan]

That would be the job of a plurality of elders, or "pastors and teachers", men God lifts up to lead a local church.

In a Gospel resistant country, with fewer than twenty coming to church and only a handful of members, without even a deacon, how is this supposed to work? Your view of the plurality of elders is not Biblical, it is idealistic. God's plan for the church is designed to work in all ages and all cultures.

That's all I'll say about this, not meaning to hijack the thread. Hoping to make you think....

 

[standingfirminChrist]

Botton line, The pastor needs to get paid! How can a Church grow without money to back up the Church.? I belong to a small Church and I feel that whatever money that I can give, after Tithe, is to help the Church Grow!!! Give to God first, then to the Church.

After tithe? Are you a farmer? or a herder?

 

[standingfirminChrist]

1Co 9:14 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.

How do you interpret this? Is it an expectation of members to give regularly to support the local assembly, and by extension their pastor, etc.? I want to pay particular notice to the word "should." If those who proclaim the gospel SHOULD live by the gospel, then SHOULD members give? How should members give? Is there a guide, or rule, a member should use to determine how much money to give to his local church?

edited in: I interpret this as members have a biblical command to support those who labor over them. Am I correct in this interpretation? If I am correct, then what is the guide to teach members how to give, and how much?

Give 100% of what you purpose to give in your heart.

If you purpose in your heart to give 30 dollars a month, give 30 dollars a month... 100%.

If you purpose in your heart to give 60 dollars, give 60 dollars.

No Less than 100% of what you purpose in your heart.

 

[standingfirminChrist]

I did not say that I preach it to others. It is my own personal feeling, a thanks to Him who sustains me. Also, in my life, I found tithing helped discipline me to be careful with the resources that God brought into my life. I can only testify of my own life. I cannot tell you or others what you should or should not do. That is your decision and it is between you and God.

Oh, so you are a farmer or a herdsman as well! How many cattle or sheep do you drive to the Tabernacle each year for your tithe?

 

[standingfirminChrist]

OK - So what I'm seeing is a man who feels that tithing is wrong and because his church teaches it, he feels that he should withhold some of his offering and give it someplace else. And because of that, if the church doesn't have enough money to pay the pastor, he should get a job. So because he teaches tithing (which I do not see in the NT as being tossed out - although it isn't fully continued to be taught), he should get a job.

How about what the early church did and give ALL to the church? I think there is a heart issue here and not a financial or theological issue. I'm happy to give up a bit to further the kingdom. We actually have given up 1/2 of my husband's former 6 figure salary and any chance to remodel the fixer-upper we bought so he could go into the ministry full time. We have kept our sailboat but that was paid off and my FIL has paid for the yearly bills for it so we can continue to have a wonderful way to vacation and relax but that will go in a heartbeat if needed (and it may have to so we can send our children to college). My husband can easily go back into the field he came from and make almost 3X as much as he makes now. But that is not where God wants him.

We are to pay our ministers a living wage and allow them to do the work that God has for them. To shortchange them because we don't agree with a teaching is wrong. If we don't agree with them, find another pastor or find another church. Rebellion is not exactly a good characteristic.

I myself do not withhold the tithe as I am not a farmer or herdsman and therefore not required to tithe according to the Word of God.

As a matter of fact, there is no more Levitical priesthood and since it was solely the Levite's who could receive tithes, there is no more a tithe to be taken.

 

[standingfirminChrist]

The tithe was pre-law. Might want to study some more. (hint Hebrews 7)

You may want to study some more too. Melchizadek was a pagan king according to historical records.

Also, Abraham tithed the spoils of war... not his own property.

Does this mean we are to go out and win a war and then give 10% of the spoils to a pagan king and the rest to an even more wicked king as Abraham did with the king of Sodom?

 

[standingfirminChrist]

Nope - I don't teach the church members - I'm a woman, remember?

Our church teaches that a tithe was before the law, that men gave their firstfruits to God and that there is blessing in being generous and realizing Who is the source of all we have. It's not our money, house, car, etc. but God's and what we do with it should bless Him.

Our church sends our missionaries with full support. Most of our missionaries are home grown and sent from our own congregation. We don't want them to be having to spend so much time drumming up support - if God called them, it's our responsibility as their church to send them out.

It may surprise you to know that the firstfruits were not tithes.

Nehemiah 12:44 And at that time were some appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the offerings, for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the law for the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites that waited.

It is clear from Nehemiah that tithes were not firstfruits.

 

[nunatak]

umm, SFIC, this thread is not about TITHES. It is about should and how should members support their local church, and by extension the pastor, missionaries, etc. I would like to read your posts on these subjects please.

 

[standingfirminChrist]

Nunatak,

Others went on and on about how they tithed. I even saw a post of yours addressing the tithe, if I am not mistaken.

But I digress.

Should we support our Pastor's?

Absolutely! The laborer is worthy of his hire.

How should we support them?

With love offerings and a regular salary, an occasional dinner, prayer; you get the picture. There are many ways one can support the pastor.

Also, missionaries are to be supported by the offerings of the saints. Paul said for each member to lay up by him in store on the first day of the week so that there be no offerings when he got there.

They were to individually set aside at home, not in a church corporate account, a certain amount on a weekly basis, and then to bring the whole to the missionary when he arrived in town.

Church support? again offerings from the saints. The offerings take care of maintenance; electric, water, sanitation, custodial services, etc.

 

[nunatak]

SFIC,
You post true, but your view of tithe isn't what this thread was about. I like what you said about supporting your local church,etc. You make a good point that support is not only financial, but can come in other ways. How do you think a member should decide how much money to budget to help support their church?