Question for Christians Who Tithe.....

[angela in ohio]

I believe that tithing is to a church. Offerings to any other organizations or individuals (also necessary, imho) are above and beyond that. I just feel grateful to get to keep the portion that we do for ourselves.

 

We wouldn't be members of a church that was caught up in fancy buildings and the like, so we don't need to worry about that. :001_smile: I do believe that the money should be used to help those within the church, but only when family is not able to help first.

[MamaSheep]

We pay our full 10% tithe to the church. It's the Lord's money and we believe His authorized representatives are assigned to manage how it is spent. The tithing money goes to a central fund in the church where it can be used to support the Lord's work all over the world. In our church tithe money is used to build and maintain chapels, temples, and other church buildings; to create, print, and distribute scriptures, church lesson manuals used in Sunday School, etc. (provided to each local unit of the church at no additional charge); to provide seminary (high school level) and institute (college level) religious instruction to church members around the world; to support missionary efforts; and for other appropriate purposes. Each local church unit also receives an operating budget based on the number of members meeting there, and this is used to cover other needed materials, youth activities, and so forth. The church has regular independent audits to ensure that the money is being used in accordance with stated policies and a report is read to the church membership during general conference. I have never seen any indication that the money is used for anyone's personal enrichment or self-aggrandizement or for any other purpose of which I would disapprove.

 

I love that our church also has several funds to which we can contribute offerings in addition to the tithe. Some of my favorites are the fast offering fund (once a month church members go without food or drink for 2 meals and contribute the cost of the meals--or any generous amount they choose--to the fund, which is used to assist those in need locally), the humanitarian fund (100% of money contributed to this fund is used to help with humanitarian service around the world such as disaster relief, immunization programs, neonatal resuscitation training, wheelchair distribution, clean water initiatives, etc.--administrative costs are taken from other church funding sources), and the perpetual education fund (church members in developing areas are given low-interest loans in order to get a good education and improve the circumstances of their families and their communities; when they are working they pay back the loan and the money goes back into the fund to help the next person). There are other funds to help with missionary work, printing and distribution of free copies of scripture, and so forth. I like that these offering funds are separated out so that members can choose how their offering money is spent.

 

We do periodically contribute money to various other causes or families in the community, but we (my husband and I, I'm not speaking for other church members here, as I don't really know how others feel about this) don't really consider these as "offerings", just as contributions to help other people who need it.

 

We also contribute our time and talents at church as needed. Our local churches are run entirely by unpaid lay clergy, and members are all expected to pitch in in some capacity or other and help things run smoothly. And periodically we are asked to contribute some volunteer labor to the church welfare program, which produces and distributes food for those in need. In the town where we currently live this is generally in the form of a few members of the ward spending couple of hours a few times a year working at a meat packing facility. Other places I've lived this has involved helping on a farm and in a grape vineyard. My sister's ward is assigned to a tomato farm and cannery. That sort of thing.

Edited June 30, 2011 by MamaSheep