HolidayFoodDrive2011-edited – CLICK ON LINK FOR A PDF WITH LIST AND DIRECTIONS.

In this post, I’d like to address three questions about giving to the church, specifically as they relate to Venture people giving to IBC. The questions are: Why should I give to the church? How do I give to the church? Why the urgency now? The answers to these questions will be personal, honest, and challenging to all of us in Venture.

Why should I give to the church?

Quick answer: To worship and express thanks to God, to become more like Christ, to participate in ministry.

Explanation: We give to the church because it allows us to worship and thank God for all that he has given to us. Psalm 24:1-2 says,

The LORD owns the earth and all it contains, the world and all who live in it.

For he set its foundation upon the seas, and established it upon the ocean currents.

Because God made and maintains the world, he owns everything in it, and that includes everything that we have. So when we give to the church, we are acknowledging that our money and our things are not our own. We are worshipping the one who made us and gave us everything that we have. We are thanking him for his provision for us.

Giving also causes us to grow in dependence upon Christ. When we give, especially in times like this, we are acknowledging Jesus’ sovereignty, that he is indeed God and that he can provide for all of our needs.

Also, giving to the church allows us to participate in the ministry that God is doing through our church. Personally, I give to IBC because I want to be a part of all of the incredible ministry that goes on at our church. Specifically, I believe deeply in the ministry of Venture, that God is using this ministry to change lives, chief of all my own. I believe in the work that the children’s ministry is doing. I see the fruit of it in the lives of my children. I believe in the missions ministries. I see lives being changed in Rwanda and Nicaragua and around the world. My gifts provide support for this excellent work that is impacting lives.

How do I give to the church?

Quick Answer: sacrificially, joyfully

Explanation: Giving is never easy. It means that we are denying ourselves more money in savings or some thing that we might want to buy, etc. It is a sacrifice. But again, it is this very sacrifice that causes us to depend on Jesus and trust his sovereignty more and more. And in fact, our whole lives, not just our bank accounts, are to be sacrificed to him. After talking about all of the great things Christ has accomplished for us, Paul in Romans 12:1 says:

Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice– alive, holy, and pleasing to God– which is your reasonable service.

Giving to the church is another part of our service, our sacrifice, to our great savior, Jesus, who sacrificed himself for us. This means that we give significantly. Churches often talk about tithing, a concept from the Old Testament which indicates a 10% gift of our income. This is a pretty good starting point. In addition, if there is a rule of giving in the New Testament, it might be something like this: give as much as Christ means to you. This means we give sacrificially. This might mean 10%. It might mean less depending on your circumstances. It might also mean much more. The point is that we give sacrificially in thanks for what Christ has done for us.

Also, we give joyfully. It is a privilege to be a part of the church, a member of a universal and local body of Jesus’ followers. When we give, we are expressing our joy and thankfulness for being a part of that body, and for being in Christ. Like I discussed above, it is a chance to be involved in worship, spiritual growth, and ministry, which is cause for joy.

On a very practical note, start somewhere. If you have never given and your budget is very tight, give $20. Give as much as you can. Find something in your lifestyle to cut out. Maybe coffee or cable TV or going out to eat less. It is for the work and the glory of Christ; and it gets you started in the discipline of giving. If you are blessed financially, however, think big. Give joyfully and sacrificially and see what God will do in your life and in our church.

(For this entire question, I would encourage you to read 2 Corinthians 8 about the manner and heart in which Macedonian believers gave to the church in the first century.)

Why the urgency now?

Quick answer: We’re going to need it.

Explanation: Money is tight everywhere now. The IBC budget is no exception. The good news: Praise God we are not in terrible shape. In fact, the church received over a million dollars in donations in the month of December, which is just amazing in this economy. So praise God.

At the same time, here’s the deal: our IBC general fund is lagging about 300K behind (in a 7 million dollar budget, fiscal year July-June). Usually by this point in the year, we have evened out and we are able to make the budget by June, with reduced ministry expenses, etc. The problem is that we are consistently missing our weekly budget goals by several thousand dollars each week.

Therefore, we as an IBC staff are praying for new people and new families to give to the church on a consistent basis. In fact, over the next 50 days, we are praying for 50 new giving people/families to support the ministry of IBC. You can watch a video message from our senior pastor, Ron Jones, about it here.

I think Venture can play a big part in this. We are essentially connected to IBC. Every bit of our money and every bit of our resources come from Immanuel as a whole. We depend on the church for supporting ministries as well, such as children’s ministry, missions, parking ministry, etc. In turn, as an integral part of this church, we should share in the load of supporting these ministries, not the least of which is our own.

In addition, if you have never given regularly to the church, you are missing out on the worship, joy, and growth that believers can experience through participating in this discipline.

Conclusion

Therefore, I encourage you this week to consider giving regularly to IBC. If you are already regularly giving, thank you for your generous support of Immanuel and Venture. If not, pray about this opportunity to support your local church, IBC. Look again at your finances and see them as the resources God has given you to serve him. Trust that Jesus can provide for you, and experience the joy of sacrificially participating in the work that he is doing.

So the next time the offering basket comes by, instead of frustration, apathy, doubt, guilt, you can respond by worshiping, rejoicing, and trusting.