"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor,
so that you through his poverty might become rich."
2 Corinthians 8:9
Giving to the church isn't just about money, we can give with our time or our talents too and we are grateful to all those who give so much to support our work in these ways. However like any household the church also needs money to function. Bills need to be paid, work needs to be done, Services, Pastoral Care and Mission all have costs which need to be met.
St. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians tells us that we should give because God first gave to us. He created this world for us to live in and when we sinned He did not give up on us but sent Jesus to die for us. He also gave us his Holy Spirit to strengthen us and make us part of His church. He has given us so much to give thanks for. It is natural to desire to offer something back. As we say every time we share in Holy Communion:
" Yours Lord is the greatness, the power, the glory, the splendour and the majesty.
All things come from you O Lord and of your own do we give you."
We can give financially to the church by putting a few coins in the church collection each week, but working out a household budget is difficult when you don't know what your income is. This is why the church asks you to give a regular amount, so that we can budget and plan how to use the money wisely.
When we look at our Christian giving we should plan it, pray about it and give according to our conscience and generosity.
The following links from the Church Of England will hopefully answer some of the questions you may have about Giving but please feel free to Contact Us if you would like to know more or if you have any questions about how you might give.
Why is the church no longer free?
Why don't the Commissioners pay more?
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