Giving
This week, Pastor Shane takes a look at Paul's raising of funds for the Jerusalem church, current trends in giving to the local church, and how that impacts Cornerstone.
Click here for the recording of this 10/20 Service, and you can fast-forward to 25:35 to get to the start of the sermon.
Our text comes from First Corinthians Chapter 16.1-4
1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you are to do as well. 2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put aside and save as he may prosper, so that no collections need to be made when I come. 3 When I arrive, whomever you approve, I will send them with letters to take your gift to Jerusalem; 4 and if it is appropriate for me to go also, they will go with me.
Church giving stats in 2024
Only 5-10% of church attendees follow traditional tithing behavior.
This small crew is committed to their giving.
More than three-quarters of them give beyond the 10% mark.
Fully, 77% of committed tithers tithe above and beyond a 10% tithing amount.
Everyone in church matters. Financially speaking, though, this makes tithing donors a critical core of any church’s budgetary needs.
Not many people tithe, but it’s clear that tithers understand generosity.
What about everyone else?
When asked, 69% of adults said they had donated to a church within the last year.
The average per capita personal income was $65,423 in 2022, which means the average yearly donation is just 4.35% of household income.
In other words, very few individuals are genuinely tithing. The larger donations from actual tithers and over-and-above givers skew the data…
If the small number of tithers just doubled, we would have more money than we knew what to do with.
The way people give
We are moving toward a cashless society.
Money alone represents less than 10% of all wealth.
Many churches are providing ways for those with cryptocurrency to donate.
Stocks are another substantial form of philanthropy; 33% of stock donors give over $1,000 at a time.
More churches give members a chance to automate their giving as well; From the donor’s point of view, it streamlines the giving process, making it hyper-convenient. It also automates their generosity, making it less likely they’ll forget and making it possible to give when they’re not in the building.
39% of online donors are weekly givers
That stability is a powerful way for modern churches to keep their books balanced and understand what they’re financially capable of doing over the long term
(source- https://careynieuwhof.com/church-giving-statistics/#:~:text=Many%20are%20still%20giving%20in,leaders%20to%20pay%20attention%20to.)
What is happening in the text?
V1- Paul is the author, who is writing to the church in Corinth; There has been a famine back in Jerusalem, and Paul is collecting funds (logia- a collection of tax, or money) for relief for the Jerusalem church ; He has already directed funds from the churches in Galatia (modern Turkey)
V2- ”the first day of the week” would be a Sunday, what would by now be recognized as “the Lord’s Day” in remembrance of the resurrection- hence the shift from Saturday to Sunday.
It is clear that Paul is wanting them to establish a pattern of regular giving, in this case “every week”
V2- Paul expects everyone to participate- “each of you”
this is to be a deliberate act- ”put aside”
This will vary by individual- “as he may prosper”
Why? So that the funds will be there when Paul arrives, and “so that no collections need to be made when I come”
He wants the funds to be on hand; one can imagine that he does not want to have to keep asking for money
V3- When Paul arrives in Corinth, he wants the church to have approved (dokimazo- tested, examined) a representative(s); Paul will send a letter (epistle) with the gift and
V4- might possibly go with them
How this applies to us
The money we raised for our parking lot, and the donations received for the hurricane relief, show us to be a generous people
We must model fiscal transparency, and accountability
Leaders need to model, teach and preach biblical giving- the tithe, giving to missions, giving to the needy
The biblical pattern is clear that everyone participates, at the level they can- that’s the beauty of 10%
Giving is a spiritual discipline much like prayer, scripture, etc.
There is no such thing as biblical prosperity without the tithe, giving to missions, and giving to the needy
