How much of my money is the church entitled to?
Absolutely none! The church is not entitled to the money God has entrusted to you. We don’t believe in pressuring or coercing people to give. We are grateful for whatever donations you choose to make.
How does the church spend the money we give?
We welcome all into relationship within our community, we proclaim the good news of the gospel, we teach children and adults how to follow Jesus as disciples, and we fund new church plants both locally and across North America. That’s what we do in a nutshell.
Are we required to give to be part of this church?
Nope! We certainly hope you will give. We definitely need your financial partnership to continue to exist as a church, and we think The Table is worthy of your giving. So we invite you to partner with us in charitable giving. But the church is not entitled to the money God has entrusted to you. We’re truly grateful for any gift you make.
Those nominated to be Vestry members must show a history of regular financial support of our church, but that is just one measurement of commitment for leaders. Church members and attendees have no such requirement.
Are there other ways to give besides money?
Yep! We sometimes speak about how God may be calling you to give your “time, talent, or treasure.” Besides financial contributions, we also need volunteers to help with Music, Children’s Ministry, Altar Ministry, and more. We also need people with gifts of administration, finance, technology, etc. We are grateful for any expression of giving you have to offer with a joyful heart.
Click the button below to make a pledge of volunteering (or giving):
What if we can’t give financially?
Again, we do not believe people are obligated to give to the church. Over the years, a lot of our families have experienced periods of financial hardship. If you are in that place, we can empathize. We have been there.
In the story of The Widow’s Mite (Luke 21:1-4), Jesus teaches that everyone can give something. Even better, the liberating message of that story is that, in the eyes of God, the smallest gifts of the poor count for more than the largest gifts of the wealthy! That means everyone can participate equally in the dignity of contributing to God’s work, even if what they are able to give is small in the eyes of the world.
Should my family be “tithing?”
Sometimes people are surprised to learn that as pastors, we do not teach “tithing” (the practice of giving away 10 percent of one’s income) as a carte blanche rule. We believe the New Testament shows that some may be called to give less, while others are called to give even more, each according to the means and grace God has given to us. A good passage of Scripture for guidance in this matter is 2 Corinthians 8:1-9:15. We encourage you to read and reflect on it prayerfully.
How much should we give?
That is entirely up to you and God. We find it helpful to ask God in prayer to give us (and our spouses) a sense of what percentage of our time and money God is calling us to give this year. Then, we do the math and check to see if that amount is sustainable. If not, we keep praying. If we disagree, we keep praying.
Some can easily give more than 10 percent. Others would be hard-pressed to give 1 percent. Any amount is acceptable to God as long as you are being obedient to what God calls you to give. A good test is that you should be able to give joyfully. As Paul writes “Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).
Why are you asking for pledges and what if we can’t fulfill it?
We are asking for pledges so we can estimate a more accurate budget for this coming year. Circumstances change, and sometimes people are not able to give what they intended. That’s okay. God is faithful, so we trust him as a church, no matter what happens. We will never nag you about your giving or try to “collect” on what you pledged.
Again: the church is not entitled to the money God has entrusted to you. We are grateful for whatever you choose to give. However, because we are building a budget, please make every effort to pledge an amount that you can realistically and sustainably give.
Can I give online or setup automatic giving?
Absolutely! Our families both give online and give automatically so we never forget. We actually prefer you give in this way, as it helps us build a reliable flow of donations.
You can do that by clicking the button below:
If you have other questions, feel free to contact us.
Sincerely,
Ben Sternke and Matt Tebbe, co-pastors
