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Barnabas Foundation's goal is to help Christians become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. We want our members to continuously, prayerfully, and thoughtfully make God-directed financial decisions. This is not only on what we tithe but as importantly on what we keep.
Fixed Dollar Funding
- Description: This system takes the number of giving units in a congregation and divides the budget by the number of giving units to come up with a cost per unit. An example would be: if a congregation had 100 members and the budget was $250,000/year, that would equate to each member paying $48/week.
- History: This system probably began when most members of the congregation had about the same income. Therefore, all would share and share alike. This system often stretched people beyond the 10% tithe.
- Biblical Perspective:
Philippians 4:19 - God will meet your needs. . .
- Implementation: The envelope system was a way of keeping track of members? contributions and a way of holding members accountable.
Percentage Giving
- Description: This system was developed so that members would give a percentage of their income.
- History: As income began to vary significantly, congregations felt that it was not only proper but Biblical to ask those who were blessed with higher income to give the same percentage as those who were on fixed or limited incomes.
- Biblical Perspective: The Biblical reasons are many:
Deuteronomy 16:17 - Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord has blessed you.
II Corinthians 9:6-7 - Each man should give what he has decided in his heart and not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Psalm 116:12 - How can I repay the Lord for all His goodness to me?
II Corinthians 9:6 -. . .sow sparingly. . .reap sparingly, sow generously. . . reap generously.
- Implementation: When making the change from a fixed funding to a percentage-of-income basis, this should be done by sharing with the congregation that the council has approved this, and in some churches the congregation needs to vote on this process. But, some of the ideas suggested above could be put into short newsletter or bulletin announcements to prepare the congregation for the thinking of the council.
The congregation should understand that this percentage-giving process is a way for Christians to think of the spiritual issues of giving back to God more so than the funding of the church's ministries. When implementing this system, some churches will also give the per member figure. However, it is our suggestion you just ask for a percentage. This can be done by getting the demographic dollar income figure for your area, and calculating what your total congregational income would be, and affixing a percentage to that number.
Pledging with Percentage Giving
- Description: Members of the congregation would be asked yearly to make a non-binding pledge as to what they would anticipate giving to the church in the coming year. This would be based on a percentage of their income which would have been established in previous years.
- History: Members have found that by pledging, they haven?t been encouraged to look at firstfruits giving, and that contributions to the church would be made on the basis of income rather than on the basis of what money was left over. This helps many congregational members in budgeting their family expenses. Another reason for using pledging is that it has been determined over the years, that persons who pledge will be more consistent in their giving and, generally, will give more of their income back to God.
- Biblical Perspective:
Proverbs 3:9-10 - Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of your crops, then you barns will be filled to overflowing, your vats will brim over with new wine.
Hebrews 13:16 - Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
- Implementation: It would be well to wait for implementation for pledging until the church has had a year or two of experience in percentage giving. There are those in the church who will oppose the idea of pledging on the basis of this being between God and themselves as to what they give. We know that as we join the church, we commit to being accountable and responsible. That includes giving as well as our other moral conduct. Accountability in the pledging is a way of encouraging people to make the commitments, if at possible, they have made before God.
Budget-Planning Pledging
- Description: Several churches are using a process of church budgeting based on pledges received and giving patterns of the church.
- History: As members of our congregation, begin practicing firstfruits giving or bringing the full 10% tithe into the storehouse - local church, there will be significant income for the church. If the church knows this is going to happen in the year prior to the expense, additional ministries could be funded with the added income. Having a good understanding of what our members will contribute to the ministries of the church, based on their pledges, will indeed help in the budget preparation process.
- Biblical Perspective:
I Corinthians 16:2- On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income. . .
Corinthians 9:1-5 . . .Paul thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit the Corinthian church in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gifts which had been promised. Then it will be as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given.
Malachi 3:10 - Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse (church). . .test me in this says the Lord 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.
- Implementation: As God's people experience the blessing of "open floodgates of heaven", our churches ministries and more will be funded beyond belief.
The reason for bringing the full tithe, 10%, into the local church or storehouse is that this is the place where our members are finding a place of encouragement and growth. It is a place where we can use the gifts God has given us -- our talents, our time, and our treasures. But most important, it is a place to collectively praise and worship as scripture directs.
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