For those who call REH home, generosity is a key aspect of how we worship God together and love our community well. When praying about how and what to give, consider these G.I.V.E. principles:

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Generous + sacrificial: Being generous and sacrificial always requires some kind of lifestyle change, otherwise it is not generous or sacrificial (Luke 21:1-4, 2 Corinthians 8:2). For some, 10% is literally a financial impossibility (e.g. temporary times of joblessness, severe underemployment, unexpected healthcare bills, etc.); those who cannot commit to 10% in the present can still commit to growing into an offering of (at least) 10%, as the Lord enables. For others, 10% is exactly the right percentage for them to be generous and sacrificial. For others, 10% is not nearly enough as it doesn’t fulfill the New Testament imperative of “sacrificial giving” as 10% for them would be “just a drop in the bucket of what they could give.” 

 

Intentional + prayerful: Believers should not be haphazard with giving but instead should intentionally sit down with their budget and prayerfully consider how they spend the resources with which God has entrusted them. Then, they will be prepared to determine the amount/percentage they will give.  

 

Voluntary First Fruits: When a believer has committed to sacrificial generosity, they also commit to giving their gift first, not last. That means, not making the gift the last thing given as though it is a “leftover,” but instead making it a first priority: automatic. This is the OT concept of the First Fruits, which meant giving God one’s “best of the best” gift. One way to do that in modern day is to commit to automatic, first-fruit offerings. Practically, this could mean setting up a recurring gift that gets automatically sent at the beginning of each month.

 

Expectation from God: When we’ve committed to honor God in our finances, we can expect God will lead us in that commitment. While we do not believe Scripture binds one’s conscience to give 100% of one’s entire tithe/offering to the local church, Scripture does present a precedent and priority for financially supporting one’s own local church. While God is certainly at work outside of the local church, the New Testament teaches the primary way Jesus’ Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20) is accomplished is through the establishment and support of the local church (1 Corinthians 9:9-14). A believer is part of God’s Kingdom work and one’s church is where one worships, receives spiritual feeding, and participates in God's Kingdom work by ministering to others. As a result, believers should invest financially in their local church’s work. After ensuring one’s church has been supported, a believer should then give elsewhere, as God leads. A popular rule of thumb––though not an obligation––is to give at least 10% to one’s own church and then give above and beyond to other ministries as God leads. 

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For more about our perspective on giving, check out "REH G.I.V.E. Initiative"