Good Advice
Giving
It is obvious from even a quick reading of the Scriptures that God has a lot to say about money. Money itself is not evil. It is the love of money that is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10). Jesus said that the way a man handled his money was an indication of whether he could be trusted with true spiritual riches (Luke 16:10,11).
It is evident that in the Kingdom of God, money is important. God’s servants need to be released from spending all their time in secular employment so that they can devote themselves fully to the work of ministry. Needs amongst the people of God are to be met. Those on low income are to be cared for. Church buildings need to be heated, maintained, etc. God’s way of meeting these needs is through the giving of His people – it has been so in both Old and New Testaments.
Let us look at some general New Testament principles:
2 Corinthians 8:3 “They gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own” (i.e. ‘of their own free will’)
2 Corinthians 9:7 “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver”
1 Corinthians 16:2 “On the first day of every week, each of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income…”
Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you”
Clearly God intends our giving to be:
- In proportion to our means
- With willingness and cheerfulness
- Systematic rather than haphazard
- With faith, believing God will supply our needs as we give
In the Old Testament, the Israelites gave a ‘tithe’ (a tenth) of their income for the support of the religious leaders - the Levites, so that they could be free to concentrate on their spiritual ministries in the tabernacle and in teaching the people of God.
Whilst tithing is not specifically commended in the New Testament, it does serve as a guide to the general level of giving that we should be considering. In days of financial difficulty, one may be tempted not to give, but God has established a principle of faith: “Give and it shall be given to you.”
GIVING TO THE LORD AND HIS WORK
If you have any questions about giving, or the use of money, please feel free to ask.
Tax Refunds (Gift Aid Scheme)
We have a Gift Aid scheme whereby the church is able to recover the tax paid by the donors on their gifts (every £1 given is worth £1.28 to the church).
Details of this may be obtained from the church office. If you are a tax payer, we would strongly encourage you to take advantage of this scheme. You can simply and privately make more cash available to the church with the tax man’s blessing.
At RCF, the giving of the Lord’s people is used to:
Pay the salaries of the pastors and staff
Finance evangelistic and apostolic outreach at home and abroad
Minister to those who have financial needs
Maintain the church buildings and pay our bills
Cover the cost of items such as stationery, postage, heating, lighting, etc
From time to time we take up special offerings for specific purposes.
At present, we are developing a budgeting system so that each department and ministry is assisted to fulfil its mission from the Central Account. Different departments do raise some of their own financial support.
