Giving: "Who" Knows "What" about Your Giving to "Whom"?

[Dr. Bob]

Giving? We "give" under constraint (local tax) to support local police, fire, government, schools. Not always joyfully. City/county officials know.

We "give" under more constraint (federal/state tax) to support every wish and whim of the political sewer in which our states/nation swims. State/feds know.

We "give" freely to charities, hospitals, rescue mission, symphony, public radio, and hope the money is used wisely and not to buy another plane for the leaders. They have to keep penny by penny records. Each one knows.

We "give" faithfully (and joyfully) to support their local church, the front line for teaching the body and proclaiming the Gospel. But when it comes to giving to a church, who knows what you give?

(1) Most churches keep financial record of givers so that the IRS has documentation. Some members do not like that. Is that a good/bad/ugly thing, since this could lead to favoritism and perceived "influence" in decision making?

(2) Some churches have pastoral staff, who are seeking as Shepherds to lead and disciple the people, to oversee areas of life - standards against alcohol as an example. Probably the most common sin Money-related - NOT giving or making spiritual decisions about money. Someone said Jesus talked more about money than about hell. How can a pastor know if a person has this sin if they do not know even the basics about their giving to the church? I'd dare say MOST members would NOT want the pastor to know!

(3) Some opt to give by cash unrecorded, but then they are taxed on what they give to the church (added tax burden those who give recorded do not pay tax on). Some think this is worth it to keep giving totally in secret.

(4) Some give only a token to local church, feeling larger ministries/programs are a wiser investment of giving.

Okay. Tip of the iceberg. Balcony is open for every/any view. Let's focus on CHURCH/CHARITY (not local, state, fed taxes) GIVING.

 

[Rye]

Some give only a token to local church, feeling larger ministries/programs are a wiser investment of giving.

A lot of folks think that the “church” is a building but it’s really the body of believers. Of course, believers should meet locally and in the early church they gathered in homes. Unfortunately, state laws prohibit residential addresses to be used for religious purposes if there’s an excessive amount of people. Public parks are also a valid option.

We are commanded to give to the less fortunate and I think it is perfectly acceptable to come up with amount you decide in your heart, divide that up and give to missionaries and charities of your choosing and give a portion to your local church building to help out with expenses. I don’t see a good reason to give the whole lump sum to the church and let them figure out where they think it should go. If a church wanted to raise thousands of dollars for cosmetic upgrades, that is wasteful spending in my opinion. From my experience, most churches are not transparent about how funds are spent.