Does anyone honest to goodness tithe?

[Lisa loves Pooh]

For Catholics---it is 10% total...and not all of it has to go to the church. So if you donate elsewhere--it counts...at least that is what we are told.

We don't give 10%...hopefully one day we will. All donations combined--I think we are in the "hood" of 5-7%, but I am not sure.

Crown ministries educates that this is 10% of your take--hence the tithe. Giving of time and talent are also good, but above and beyond.

My opinion--if you use that your time/talent donation is part of your tithe---your volunteer hours--then you are essentially "paying yourself" to do that and it is now a job. Obviously you don't really do that--but when you say I give 20 hours of volunteer time...that's worth $7 an hour and equate that to donating $140---then you just made yourself not a volunteer.

Just how I look at it anyway.


We haven't made tithing a priority---but as I said it is our goal.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Well I really have to admire those of you who do it.

I really think that if I add up all our donations to all of our charities, it would be 10% -- do you think that counts though? Is it really 10% into your church's collection plate that makes it a tithe? And is that what the Bible meant?

I'd have to dig up my crown books--but it is all donations that you do to honor God. Feeding the poor, helping the lame--whatever. It all counts.

The church numbers add up to 10% though---5, 4, 1--church, buidling, bishop's appeal.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

Yep, 10%! I'm not concerned about how the church spends it since we don't have paid clergy and such. So I know it's not going into someones pocket or paying for their vacation.

I am a paid full time pastor so I do receive my slary from our church's budget. I even spend some to go to WDW once in a while. Don't know where I'd be without it. I won't say I'm offended, but I'm sorry you feel the way you do.

 

[cybrkitn]

Wow! That was definately powerful and filled with His words! And I believe there was a message for me in there as well. You had said,

"If you have a talent that can be used by God in the church, then offer it up the same way you would money as a tithe."

I was the Sunday School secretary up until my third trimester with our son (who is now 4 1/2). But now, I'm not doing anything. I felt "called" at one point to help our Youth Group out and start a drama team. But for some reason, the feeling went away. Now, DH and a few others are asking me to consider being a Youth Group leader b/c there are no women leaders. DH was telling me that the one time I did go, the girls really related to me. Your words seaped into me that now I'm asking God if this is what He needs me to do.

Thanks "Messenger"

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

DW and I give 10% of our gross income to the church. There are other times we give additionally to the church (love offerings for local needs such a family whose house burned, specials for crises such as Katrina relief, local mission efforts, overseas missions such as a university in Africa our church supports). I honestly could not tell you what % it all adds up to, but it starts with our 10% commitment each year. Other things are in addition to this. DW and call this our GOD giving.

We also have our GOOD giving which includes things like donations to scout troops, United Way, Red Cross, school, etc. These things we do not necessarily to honor God, but just to be positive members of the community. The percentage we give to things like this is no where close to what we give to and through the church.

I know many families struggle with how much to give (we United Methodists give only 2.6% of our income on average) and how to give it, but for us it is the very first thing we figure into our spending each year. We have a much greater need to give than God does to receive.

 

[mickeyfan2]

I am a paid full time pastor so I do receive my slary from our church's budget. I even spend some to go to WDW once in a while. Don't know where I'd be without it. I won't say I'm offended, but I'm sorry you feel the way you do.

It is your salary and you can spend it anyway you want to.

 

[KikiFan]

Well I really have to admire those of you who do it.

I really think that if I add up all our donations to all of our charities, it would be 10% -- do you think that counts though? Is it really 10% into your church's collection plate that makes it a tithe? And is that what the Bible meant?

I'm sure someone will come along and disagree with me, - that's how these religious debates always go!

But I'd say ..... maybe. Our church teaches us that you should tithe where you get your spiritual food. Ideally that would be at your church but not necessarily. I remember our minister telling us a story about sitting in a diner one night wrestling with a major problem. The waitress started talking to her and gave her some very important advice - she described it as a "light bulb moment" The minister paid the check, gave a tip on the service, and left her weekly tithe for the waitress.

So I'd say that if you feel like you are spiritually fed by the organizations that you tithe too then, yes it does count. I have a friend who is passionate about music - it feeds her soul. So a portion of her tithe always goes to music related organizations. The real question is do these organizations you give to spiritually feed you? There is a passion that comes with giving to an organization that feeds you spiritually that you don't get giving to just any ordinary charity. And it's that passion that makes tithing create magical results in your life. I'm not saying that giving to charity is bad- it's a very good thing to do! - just that it's different then tithing. Personally I think that when you're in the right church for you, tithing comes easy. I am thrilled week to give my tithe and support something or someone I really believe in. I've always thought that if tithing is difficult - then maybe it's because you're not getting fed spiritually.

Ultimately I don't think God is nearly as uptight as some people like to make out. I don't think he's got an accountant up there keeping notes. It think it's less about a specific percentage and more about making a commitment with yourself and God, it's about supporting something you really believe in, and making a visible demonstration that you trust God to take care of you. I give faithfully because I genuinely love my church and the things I learn each week. I walk out feeling better about myself and my life each and every week. When you can give to your church, or any organization with that feeling of "ah ha!" instead of "again - they want money again??" Then you're doing it right.

jmo

 

[Cool-Beans]

The following "sermon" is from a Biblical perspective only (which should cover all Jews - tithing began with Abram back in Genesis! - and Bible-believing Christian denominations including Catholicism, etc). If you do not share the same faith, then do not jump up and yell at me - just take this as an opportunity to learn about something different from you. If you do share the Christian faith, then do not get upset with me because nothing I am about to say is based on anything other than scripture, so if you have a problem with it then you have a problem with God, not with me. Don't shoot the messenger, as the saying goes... (I can come across sounding a bit harsh at times, I know, but that is not my intent here. I'm merely laying it out on the line in very plain black & white. )

As commanded by God, we tithe 10% of our gross pay every paycheck (Btw, "Tithe" means 10%, it isn't just a word). Beyond that, we contribute a small amount extra to our church building fund to help pay for the new building we recently constructed. Why? Because God said to and because He is faithful in proving - when we tithe, God will provide all of our needs - not all of our wants, but everything we truly need.

And that is where so many people run into problems. I see many of you saying "I wish we could tithe, but we can't afford it..." That's not true. You likely can't afford it only because you are being a poor steward of the money God has given you. There are extreme circumstances, of course, and God would never punish us in those extreme circumstances as long as our hearts are still in the right place, but most people could easily tithe if they wanted to. DW just recently graduated from college and currently still only has a part-time job, and my job pays less than most starting school teachers make in the U.S. these days, even though it is a good job. And yet somehow we are still able to tithe and live comfortably in a modest appartment with modest cars, etc. So many people I see comlaining about money are the same ones who live in large houses in expensive neighborhoods, who drive multiple cars that have payments in the $500-$1000 per month range, who eat out at nice restaurants regularly if not most nights, who spend a lot of money on entertainment and home electronics, etc. The fact that they "can't afford to tithe" has nothing at all to do with how much money they make and everything to do with the fact that their own selfish desires for "stuff" and hedonistic pleasure outweigh their willingness to give anything back to God. "The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil." So most people are so greedy and selfish that they aren't even willing to give back such a small part of what God allows them to have, they get more and more wrapped up in living beyond their means, and in general nothing good ever comes out of it. I can say this because it is only reasonable to assume that if you "can't afford to tithe" that you likewise can't afford to donate to charities or help those in need. So what good is your wealth doing anyone beside yourself? Is that not the definition of selfishness?

The only way anyone will ever "afford" to tithe is to make it a priority. You can afford to pay for your house and your car and your electric bill. Why? You make them priorities. It is the same with tithing. I know automatically that our tithe is X amount of dollars each paycheck, and that amount is accounted for immediately. You cannot be a faithful tither by spending all of your money on other things and hoping you have enough left over in the end. Let's face it - we all would just spend the entire amount and have nothing left! No, you take it out up front and adjust your living accordingly. Maybe you eat at home more often, go to movies less often, trade in your BMW for a Toyota, stop lusting after that 3,000 sq. ft mansion in the ritzy neighborhood when you know full well that you don't truly need to live in that location in order to survive or be happy. We don't drive fancy cars or live in a fancy new house or a nice neighborhoo, we don't have cable or a big screen HDTV, but we are happy and don't NEED those things to stay happy. It is amazing how little you miss that 10% when you know where it is going automatically and up front and completely ignore it as part of your income.

Someone earlier said that to tithe would cost them around $600 a month and they can't afford it. Let's use that example. (Sorry if it sounds like I am picking on a specific person - I'm not... it's just an example for illustration purposes.) If $600 = 10% of someones gross pay, then they are making around $72,000 a year. Cry me a river! That would triple our current annual income! If we can afford to tithe on 1/3 of a $72,000 salary, then honestly there is likely no excuse for a $72,000/yr salary person to not be able to afford it. The only excuse is that people spend all of their money on other things that mean more to them, and if they then claim to be devoted to God they are lying because their actions very much outweigh their words and their words are empty and meaningless. If you are truly devoted to God then your life and your actions will show it, and that includes making decisions about your priorities such as tithing. We must first abandon our love of money and come to see it for what it truly is - a tool for commerce, not the be all and end all of our existence. A good financial planner will tell you that if you are going to save for retirement then you must save up front before you pay your bills or else you will spend everything and have nothing left to save. It is the same with tithing. If you are going to store up treasures on Earth, at least store up treasures in Heaven where moth and rust will not destroy!

I also beleive that tithing goes beyond simple money. If God has given us a special talent we should likewise give back in portion from that talent. My DW and I both play instruments so we play in our church orchestra. My MIL is the pianist. My family sing in the choir. Some people teach sunday school classes or lead prayer groups. If you have a talent that can be used by God in the church, then offer it up the same way you would money as a tithe.

If any of the above offends a fellow Christian because you think it is stepping on your toes and makes you feel bad, then tough - sometimes we are supposed to have our toes stepped upon and to feel bad in order to bring to light to our hearts those areas where our lives are falling short of the full purpose of the glory of God that He has prescribed for us to reach. If anything I have written is false, prove it with scripture, don't just attack because you don't "like" it. Not liking something does not change its veracity. I don't like having to drive the speed limit, but that doesn't change the law so I do it anyway. We can dislike many truths, but they will still be truths.

It is written in Malachi 3:10, "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 you will not have room enough for it." To God, "blessing" does not necessarily equal more money, though many of us would like to think so! Blessings come in many forms. So don't tithe because you think God will make you rich (or richer) because that would be false and would stem from greed, not from a love for God and a desire to do His will and follow His commandments. Tithe out of joy for giving something back as an offering in recognition of all of God's blessings!

Food for thought here.


OP, I think Catholics are supposed to tithe 9%...unless something has changed, that's the amount.

I doubt that we give the church that much. My personal feeling is that although the church does some very good work (and I'm proud to be associated with it), they don't need that much of our money.

I've found the church to be unbelievably and unconscionably stingy and selfish on more than one occasion. I didn't write letters or try to go over their heads...not my style. But I'm also not handing a bunch of my money over to them, either.

These are my own personal issues and my own personal decisions. Don't expect or encourage others to do as I've done. We all have our own experience and have to do what we think is best.

 

[TheGoofster]

Yep. Give 10% in tithes, plus give more as an offering.

 

[FSUMARCHIEF]

.

I doubt that we give the church that much. My personal feeling is that although the church does some very good work (and I'm proud to be associated with it), they don't need that much of our money.

I've found the church to be unbelievably and unconscionably stingy and selfish on more than one occasion. I didn't write letters or try to go over their heads...not my style. But I'm also not handing a bunch of my money over to them, either. .

As a pastor I have a couple of responses:

I am not Catholic, I'm a United Methodist, so I know nothing of how the Catholic church spends its money. Here, however, there is always a constant need for money. Our church has grown significantly in the last few years, but we needed a new sanctuary several years ago, and are $350,000 still in debt. We also are in a super area of growth, and are out of space again. We need a new building. But don't have the money.

Beyond our own walls, we are very close to a major interstate and get transient people here all the time asking for help. We do not give cash as a church policy. We will go to the Kroger down the street and buy food, or gas, and will occasionally put someone up in one of the hotels. But we also turn lots of folks away - or do not help at the level that we might be able to because:

1) If you come in here asking for money and reeking of cigarettes, you will likely not get much help. If you can afford the cigarrettes, you can afford food.

2) I've often caught people lying. One of my tests with them is to offer them the food and or gas without cash. If they turn me down and only want the cash, I do not help them.

I don't know if that kind of thing is why you think your church is stingy. People may look at us in that light as well at times. But in an effort to help as many people as possible and to be good stewards with the money that is given, we do what we can to check out stories and not help those who are not being truthful.

Please understand - this post is not an attack on what you said - it's just a possible explanation as to why some church's may be looked at as stingy.


Blessings!
MarkyMark

 

[FSUMARCHIEF]

And one other thing that I have found funny...

A man goes to his pastor and tells him that his family is struggling and and that he's been laid off from his job and asks for prayer for a new job. They pray together,and as a part of the prayer, the man promises to tithe everything he receives. Sure enough within a week the man gets a great new job. He begins to tithe his income.

A couple years down the road, the same man goe so this pastor and says that he is up for a big promotion with a big increase in his salary. He again asks for prayer and promises to tithe everything he receives. He gets the promotion and tithes it all.

A few years down the road, the man, drives up in a brand new expensive car, and shares with the pastor that he has just been voted as the COO of his company. In the conversation he admits to the pastor that he will be receiving a HUGE pay increase. But, he just doesn't feel right about tithing it all because it would be a tremendous amount and he feels weird about giving that much to the church. He asks for the pastor to pray with him.

The pastor says, "Dear Lord, please cut this man's salary to a level where he is comfortable tithing!"

LOL

I think that's hilarious!

Blessings!
MarkyMark

 

[YachtClubWoman]

Yes - 10 % for our tithe (off our gross salaries) and additional to the building project that is ongoing.

 

[noodleknitter]

We tithe, give to the missions, and the building fund. Our church is very service oriented. They are one of the first places called when someone needs help, so I might feel differently if I felt them to be stingy, etc. Of course, I probably wouldn't be a member there either!

We don't even have a building yet. Hope to build one ourselves this spring.

 

[auntpolly]

Please understand - this post is not an attack on what you said - it's just a possible explanation as to why some church's may be looked at as stingy.


Blessings!
MarkyMark

Just to speak for myself, I don't think my church is stingy -- and I don't have any problem with specific calls for specific needs (I'll give if they need a new roof or need to pay teachers' salaries - stuff like that).

But I don't know, just giving a huge amount of money with no accountablity. Not sure how I feel about that. I'm sure there is accountability in some churches, of course, but I know not in all.

 

[cardaway]

We give that much to charities and I do my best to make sure to a general fund that's helps anybody and everybody rather than to a specific group or increase the leaders vacation fund.

 

[cybrkitn]

And one other thing that I have found funny...

A man goes to his pastor and tells him that his family is struggling and and that he's been laid off from his job and asks for prayer for a new job. They pray together,and as a part of the prayer, the man promises to tithe everything he receives. Sure enough within a week the man gets a great new job. He begins to tithe his income.

A couple years down the road, the same man goe so this pastor and says that he is up for a big promotion with a big increase in his salary. He again asks for prayer and promises to tithe everything he receives. He gets the promotion and tithes it all.

A few years down the road, the man, drives up in a brand new expensive car, and shares with the pastor that he has just been voted as the COO of his company. In the conversation he admits to the pastor that he will be receiving a HUGE pay increase. But, he just doesn't feel right about tithing it all because it would be a tremendous amount and he feels weird about giving that much to the church. He asks for the pastor to pray with him.

The pastor says, "Dear Lord, please cut this man's salary to a level where he is comfortable tithing!"

LOL

I think that's hilarious!

Blessings!
MarkyMark

I like that story

 

[FSUMARCHIEF]

Just to speak for myself, I don't think my church is stingy -- and I don't have any problem with specific calls for specific needs (I'll give if they need a new roof or need to pay teachers' salaries - stuff like that).

But I don't know, just giving a huge amount of money with no accountablity. Not sure how I feel about that. I'm sure there is accountability in some churches, of course, but I know not in all.

I don't know this to be true, but I would be curious what would happen if you were to ask for a financial statement from the church. We publish ours and they are readily available for anyone who desires it. Our budget is in the area of 270,000 and increasing to close to $300,000 for next year. But it is an open book. And frankly, in my opinion they all should be. And you're right not all churches are open book. I don't support that at all.

Blessings!
MarkyMark

 

[cybrkitn]

We tithe, give to the missions, and the building fund. Our church is very service oriented. They are one of the first places called when someone needs help, so I might feel differently if I felt them to be stingy, etc. Of course, I probably wouldn't be a member there either!

We don't even have a building yet. Hope to build one ourselves this spring.

Ah, but remember, the church is not a building. The church is a people .

Back in the 1980's my church had burned down and we also had a building fund set up to build the new one. The building has been there for a little over 20 years already (doesn't seem like it to me). The United Methodist church by us let our church use theirs until ours was built. Of course, back then I was in Sunday School. My confirmation years were all done in the new building.

 

[noodleknitter]

Well, we have one leader, and his Christmas gift from us is a donation to his vacation fund!

He made far too little for a vacation last year (his first with us) and we are tickled to hopefully raise his salary this year and help his family go to WDW!

I love this little congregation. We managed to collect the stuff/money for 200 Aids caregiver kits just in Dec. Everyone contributed to a table at the Farmer's Market, as well as families making their own. Considering we have about 20 families total as members, we were thrilled.

 

[winkers]

I am a paid full time pastor so I do receive my slary from our church's budget. I even spend some to go to WDW once in a while. Don't know where I'd be without it. I won't say I'm offended, but I'm sorry you feel the way you do.

I'm glad you aren't offended, because that wasn't my intention. I guess I could have phrased my response better. Why I was referring to was the op's question about worrying how the church spends the money. I didn't mean that paid ministers shouldn't take vacations. I'm just not worried about how much of my tithe goes to clergy and how much to building and other funds. I'm truly sorry if my original post came across as offensive!