If your church does NOT teach tithing...

[Kathryn]

What denomination are you?

[Wheres Toto]

I grew up United Methodist and we didn't tithe in the sense I see on here. There was a weekly offering and regular members of the church could sign up and get envelopes to use each week but you could also just use the envelopes provided in the pews or put loose money in the offering plate. I never heard anything about contributing a certain amount.

[*********]

We homechurch; no denomination. We do not teach or practice tithing. In fact, I've never once ever heard it supported in any home fellowship setting I've ever been in.

[Juniper]

EO. I have seen a little booklet in the entryway about what tithing is. It (the booklet) is a historical background on it from the Old Testament. It does end with the idea that we need to be generous and giving, but it doesn't attempt to place the OT understanding, into a NT church.

[lea_lpz]

I was raised Catholic though no longer attend Catholic church. They do not teach tithing. A reasonable weekly donation is up to the discretion of the family, but an idea donation would be around $20 a week. At least that is what it says on the Catholic school in our town's website on what would be considered a parishioner for the Catholic families tutotion rate, along with regular weekly attendance.

[Chris in VA]

We sort of teach it. But not quite a command, exactly.

 

We take into account time, treasure and talent.

 

The Vestry (like elders, I guess) is encouraged to try to reach the tithe.

 

We're Episcopalian.

[Soror]

Catholic here, tithing is not an official teaching. I do see however that there are certainly different segments of the church that push that you NEED/SHOULD give 10%. I feel a lot of guilt about it all when we don't. Dh gives a ton of time to the church. It seems to me an OT teaching and I've never quite understood the application to us as Christians. I do however see in the NT that it was expected that Christian brothers give to those in need. I don't believe that is only to the church and we've started setting aside some money each month for that purpose.

[Shannanlee]

Independent Fundamental Baptist we don't center our sermons around it. We focus more on learning God's word.

[BearWallowSchool]

I think any smaller church would emphasize it less. There aren't as many bills.

[Moxie]

Catholic. We're encouraged to give of our "time, talent and treasure". We're also encouraged to give to other charities.

[LucyStoner]

I was raised to give 10% even though we were quite poor. I have interpreted this as 10% of net income to giving, not 10% to the church. That is the mark that we aim for each year. Some of it goes to several church related charities, some to church and most to charitable giving. I was raised Catholic but my husband and I attend a liberal American Baptist Church. We are likely more Unitarian Universalist in belief set but we are very fond of the minister at the Baptist church.

[momma2three]

UCC.

 

I think most mainstream non-evangelical denominations don't teach tithing. The LDS and various independent churches are the only ones I've heard of requiring it. The Catholics consider it simony to have a specific requirement of what you must give.

[Denise in Florida]

I grew up United Methodist and we didn't tithe in the sense I see on here. There was a weekly offering and regular members of the church could sign up and get envelopes to use each week but you could also just use the envelopes provided in the pews or put loose money in the offering plate. I never heard anything about contributing a certain amount.

 

United Methodist here also. Tithing is explained and encouraged but not required. No one brow beats you for how much you give.

 

You are encouraged to 'pledge' an amount (up to you) for the upcoming year but that is more for planning purposes, no one has ever questioned the amount I have pledged.

 

We are encouraged/urged/taught to help others and to work for justice. The UM Committee on Relief is a highly ranked charitable fund that spends almost 100% of money donated directly on the mission (very little overhead). I have heard more sermons on helping with poverty than I have on tithing.

[Audrey]

I grew up United Methodist and we didn't tithe in the sense I see on here. There was a weekly offering and regular members of the church could sign up and get envelopes to use each week but you could also just use the envelopes provided in the pews or put loose money in the offering plate. I never heard anything about contributing a certain amount.

 

Same here. Same denom growing up.

[mom2scouts]

In my church tithing is encouraged, but they mostly emphasize giving "first fruits" and giving sacrificially. They teach that the amount is between you and God and the attitude you have when you give is more important than the amount. It's an evangelical, non-denominational church.

[TravelingChris]

Presbyterian and have been in three different groups of them. While they do teach tithing, no one ever checks, there is not a big emphasis on this, and giving in talents and service is also worthy.

[Dobela]

church of Christ

[mommaduck]

EO. I have seen a little booklet in the entryway about what tithing is. It (the booklet) is a historical background on it from the Old Testament. It does end with the idea that we need to be generous and giving, but it doesn't attempt to place the OT understanding, into a NT church.

Ditto.

[Kathryn]

Perhaps it's my area? We go to an Episcopal church and they certainly mention it a lot at stewardship time. I've investigated websites of churches around us. The Catholic church is the only one that didn't mention tithing and from their budget and membership numbers, I can tell that it's definitely not happening. I found United Methodists, Southern Baptists, independent Baptists, Lutherans, and Presbyterians asking members to tithe. I even spoke to a Greek Orthodox friend who just moved here last year and she said they are told to tithe by the church here (though they split their money between her home church, her husband's home church, and their new church here; I didn't ask if their old churches said anything about it.). Maybe it's because these are all bigger churches? The small ones don't have websites. The Orthodox church didn't have much on their website, but they just completed a HUGE building project.

[Parker Martin]

Evangelical nondenominational.

 

ETA: We are so happy with how our church uses its money that it is a joy to give to it. They would never have to ask us to tithe. In the past at other churches, we made most of our charitable contributions to outside charities because we didn't think money given to the church was being put to good use.

Edited August 20, 2012 by Parker Martin

[Kathryn]

Here's an excerpt from last year's stewardship pamphlet from the closest UMC to us:

 

For example, if you bring home a combined family income of, say, $60,000 per year, then 10% (a tithe, as the Bible says) equals $6,000 per year. That turns out to be roughly $115 per Sunday. (You could give $100 per week to the church offering and still have $15 per week to donate to other special projects.) WOW! Just $115 per week from every family would fund

both the annual budget AND the building AND more!

 

If you’ve never tithed before, you may feel more comfortable starting with 7% and working your way up. At a yearly income of $60,000, 7% would be $80.00 per week. Close, but not full funding here. Right now our average family gives about $75 per week.

 

Can we all step it up to the $80 - $115 range per week? We would then be very close to fully funding our vision for bringing disciples to Christ at XXX.

[Kathryn]

I was raised to give 10% even though we were quite poor. I have interpreted this as 10% of net income to giving, not 10% to the church. That is the mark that we aim for each year. Some of it goes to several church related charities, some to church and most to charitable giving. I was raised Catholic but my husband and I attend a liberal American Baptist Church. We are likely more Unitarian Universalist in belief set but we are very fond of the minister at the Baptist church.

 

LOL, I get it, but no one around these parts does. My family comes from a long line of New England American Baptist ministers. When I talk about them, I make sure to insert AMERICAN before the Baptist, but people down here have no clue what that means and just hear BAPTIST and form an immediate opinion of their politics.

[Parrothead]

Roman Catholic

 

RC does not teach tithing per se. We are encouraged to give our time, talent and treasure as one sees fit. For everything there is a season. When we were first starting out I'd freely give of my time and talent. Now that I can give more of the treasure in lieu, I tend to do that because I lack the time.

 

We are also big on alms-giving. Especially during Lent.

[Parker Martin]

Here's an excerpt from last year's stewardship pamphlet from the closest UMC to us:

 

For example, if you bring home a combined family income of, say, $60,000 per year, then 10% (a tithe, as the Bible says) equals $6,000 per year. That turns out to be roughly $115 per Sunday. (You could give $100 per week to the church offering and still have $15 per week to donate to other special projects.) WOW! Just $115 per week from every family would fund

both the annual budget AND the building AND more!

 

If you’ve never tithed before, you may feel more comfortable starting with 7% and working your way up. At a yearly income of $60,000, 7% would be $80.00 per week. Close, but not full funding here. Right now our average family gives about $75 per week.

 

Can we all step it up to the $80 - $115 range per week? We would then be very close to fully funding our vision for bringing disciples to Christ at XXX.

 

Wow. Rude. (Just my opinion.) I guess this also depends on what they're spending on the money on. If someone sent me a letter asking for more money to fund missionaries, open an orphanage somewhere, expand economic opportunity in a Third World country, pay for tutoring for poor students, or something like that, then sure, I'd be happy to see if I can dig deeper. But if it's supposed to fund a too expensive building mortgage, a million dollar mansion for the pastor, a showy low impact project, or something similar, forget it.

[bobbeym]

In my church tithing is encouraged, but they mostly emphasize giving "first fruits" and giving sacrificially. They teach that the amount is between you and God and the attitude you have when you give is more important than the amount. It's an evangelical, non-denominational church.

 

My church is also evangelical, non-denom Christian and teaches a similiar thought.

 

Our previous church was Assemblies of God (Pentacostal) but the pastor there pushed tithing much more strongly. I don't know if that was a denominational thing or a pastor thing though. We left because of other leadership-related issues that were not being resolved. (Those issues have since been resolved from what I've heard from friends, but after the way we were treated when we left, we certainly won't be going back. :glare:)

[mommaduck]

Wow. Rude. (Just my opinion.) I guess this also depends on what they're spending on the money on. If someone sent me a letter asking for more money to fund missionaries, open an orphanage somewhere, expand economic opportunity in a Third World country, pay for tutoring for poor students, or something like that, then sure, I'd be happy to see if I can dig deeper. But if it's supposed to fund a too expensive building mortgage, a million dollar mansion for the pastor, a showy low impact project, or something similar, forget it.

:iagree:

[mommaduck]

Perhaps it's my area? We go to an Episcopal church and they certainly mention it a lot at stewardship time. I've investigated websites of churches around us. The Catholic church is the only one that didn't mention tithing and from their budget and membership numbers, I can tell that it's definitely not happening. I found United Methodists, Southern Baptists, independent Baptists, Lutherans, and Presbyterians asking members to tithe. I even spoke to a Greek Orthodox friend who just moved here last year and she said they are told to tithe by the church here (though they split their money between her home church, her husband's home church, and their new church here; I didn't ask if their old churches said anything about it.). Maybe it's because these are all bigger churches? The small ones don't have websites. The Orthodox church didn't have much on their website, but they just completed a HUGE building project.

Eh, I'll place that on their particular priest. We are encouraged to give, donate, etc, but that can take many forms and, if monetary, does not have to go as tithe, but could go elsewhere (scholarships for kids, benevolence fund, etc). Those that have more, more is expected. Those that are barely making it are not expected at all. Smaller mission churches will take more cooperation from everyone to make the mission work. But to say that tithing is taught as a requirement would be inaccurate...except maybe that is the opinion of a priest here or there.

[Parker Martin]

A friend of mine once had to sit through a sermon at her church where the priest implored the congregation to dig deeper to pay for a fancy new athletic complex for the private school because God told him to build it. Ha.

 

There's also a famous pastor around here who was once favorably featured in the newspaper for his rockstar lifestyle with limos, state of the art gym equipment in his office, etc. How he gets people to give him money after that, I've no idea. They do though.

[Kathryn]

Wow. Rude. (Just my opinion.) I guess this also depends on what they're spending on the money on. If someone sent me a letter asking for more money to fund missionaries, open an orphanage somewhere, expand economic opportunity in a Third World country, pay for tutoring for poor students, or something like that, then sure, I'd be happy to see if I can dig deeper. But if it's supposed to fund a too expensive building mortgage, a million dollar mansion for the pastor, a showy low impact project, or something similar, forget it.

 

According to the pamphlet, it's to cover operating expenses and the "capital fund." They built a new building while still owing over a million dollars on their old mortgage.

[Kathryn]

A friend of mine once had to sit through a sermon at her church where the priest implored the congregation to dig deeper to pay for a fancy new athletic complex for the private school because God told him to build it. Ha.

 

There's also a famous pastor around here who was once favorably featured in the newspaper for his rockstar lifestyle with limos, state of the art gym equipment in his office, etc. How he gets people to give him money after that, I've no idea. They do though.

 

The big Baptist church near us is urging members to go beyond their tithe to pay off the athletic fields and buy audio equipment and chairs for the gym so they can put people there on Sundays because their new HUGE sanctuary isn't big enough.

[Little Nyssa]

EO. Tithing means something a bit different to us-- not necessarily 10 percent exactly, but that you ought to be a steward of the church and give something, in a regular, planned, way, considering your own circumstances.

[mommaduck]

I have an issue with churches going into large debts. If you can't afford to build it, then you probably don't need it. *sigh*

[mommaduck]

EO. Tithing means something a bit different to us-- not necessarily 10 percent exactly, but that you ought to be a steward of the church and give something, in a regular, planned, way, considering your own circumstances.

Better stated :D

[BearWallowSchool]

According to the pamphlet, it's to cover operating expenses and the "capital fund." They built a new building while still owing over a million dollars on their old mortgage.

 

Wow. That's irresponsible. When the church has that much debt it just gives me the impression that they've turned the church into a business. :glare:

[Parker Martin]

Yeah, there's no way I'd support that. In fact, I'd probably move my current contributions to other charities.

[HollyB]

Our church is non-denominational. They teach giving rather than tithing.

[LucyStoner]

LOL, I get it, but no one around these parts does. My family comes from a long line of New England American Baptist ministers. When I talk about them, I make sure to insert AMERICAN before the Baptist, but people down here have no clue what that means and just hear BAPTIST and form an immediate opinion of their politics.

 

Yeah, I made the same assumptions. My dear friends went there and knew we were looking for a new church (because no matter how much we liked our church, I wasn't willing to fund the diocese's political works) and urged us to visit. I did so with great trepidation but the minister was the right fit for us. He was recruited to a larger congregation and we followed him there. Baptist does not always equal Southern Baptist conference and coming from a very Catholic background, I had no idea.

Edited August 20, 2012 by kijipt

[QueenCat]

Wow. Rude. (Just my opinion.) I guess this also depends on what they're spending on the money on. If someone sent me a letter asking for more money to fund missionaries, open an orphanage somewhere, expand economic opportunity in a Third World country, pay for tutoring for poor students, or something like that, then sure, I'd be happy to see if I can dig deeper. But if it's supposed to fund a too expensive building mortgage, a million dollar mansion for the pastor, a showy low impact project, or something similar, forget it.

 

I go to a UMC, and have gone to several over the years. I have yet to see super flashy houses, steep mortgages, etc. Most UMC churches I've belonged to are very giving, and their budgets reflect that. Giving is emphasized to be from the heart, but yes, the word tithe is sometimes used, but not overly emphasized.

[momma2three]

Wow. Rude. (Just my opinion.) I guess this also depends on what they're spending on the money on. If someone sent me a letter asking for more money to fund missionaries, open an orphanage somewhere, expand economic opportunity in a Third World country, pay for tutoring for poor students, or something like that, then sure, I'd be happy to see if I can dig deeper. But if it's supposed to fund a too expensive building mortgage, a million dollar mansion for the pastor, a showy low impact project, or something similar, forget it.

 

:iagree:

 

 

And so thoughtful to suggest that you can choose how you want to spend $15 of your charitable donation while the church gets the other $100. :glare:

[Alenee]

We are preparing to enter the Eastern Orthodox Church and as stated above, I have never heard them say anything about tithing. It is refreshing after coming out of Baptist churches where the pressure to tithe *money* was always there. At one church, the building was overflowing with people at all 5 services. It was sad because they did literally have to turn people away due to fire code. So after years of hearing about it, a building was constructed at a cost of over $4,000,000. But it was okay because a member of the congregation was offering a $2,000,000 interest free loan. :glare: That was one reason among many that we had to leave. The church staff became as business managers and I've been sad and am still sad as I have watched/am watching people die in their faith. :(

[shinyhappypeople]

Here's an excerpt from last year's stewardship pamphlet from the closest UMC to us:

 

For example, if you bring home a combined family income of, say, $60,000 per year, then 10% (a tithe, as the Bible says) equals $6,000 per year. That turns out to be roughly $115 per Sunday. (You could give $100 per week to the church offering and still have $15 per week to donate to other special projects.) WOW! Just $115 per week from every family would fund

both the annual budget AND the building AND more!

 

If you’ve never tithed before, you may feel more comfortable starting with 7% and working your way up. At a yearly income of $60,000, 7% would be $80.00 per week. Close, but not full funding here. Right now our average family gives about $75 per week.

 

Can we all step it up to the $80 - $115 range per week? We would then be very close to fully funding our vision for bringing disciples to Christ at XXX.

 

This turns my stomach.

 

I'm all about pitching in to help keep the lights on and then some, which is why I posted what I did in the other tithing thread. But THIS? You know what my initial thought was? "Gee, so families that make less than $60,000 a year need not apply?"

[shinyhappypeople]

:iagree:

 

 

And so thoughtful to suggest that you can choose how you want to spend $15 of your charitable donation while the church gets the other $100. :glare:

 

Seriously. And what if someone has JUST $15 a week to give. "Well, thanks, but we still won't be at full funding." I hate that.

[stephencurtisjoelle]

Churches have bills like everyone else does. Mortgage, electric, gas, insurance, etc.

 

When folks don't give, how are those bills supposed to be paid?

 

My fil pastors a church and sooo many people don't give. I am not saying an amount they have to give, but surely if one is invested in their church they will financially support it in some way?

 

People want lights when they come to the service, they just don't want to help pay for them. Oh, and if there was no air conditioning they would never come back. Guess they think the Lord pipes that in for free?

 

Pray and seek the Lord on this. All anyone can do is what the Lord leads for their family. Some type of financial giving is always better than none.

 

At my fil's church there are members who give $1 each week. It is all they have to give. However, they give it faithfully. I believe the Lord can use that and mulitply it for His good.

[Seeking Squirrels]

I honestly don't know if our new church focuses on it much because we haven't gone consistently enough. The church I grew up in put so much attention on it that it really turned me off. And my uncle is the pastor! Several times a year the sermon was on tithing. One year they even turned the Christmas Eve candlelight service into a "give more money" sermon and skipped the candles. :/ they spent years consumed with the new building project. I held out hoping it would ease up after they finally got the new building up. It didn't. We left. It *was* an AoG church but somewhere along the line they became independent because my uncle got divorced and remarried and the church board voted to keep him. I guess that's against AoG policy.

[TranquilMind]

I have an issue with churches going into large debts. If you can't afford to build it, then you probably don't need it. *sigh*

 

Yes, this. Exactly. If God told you to build it, HE is gonna fund it without you strongarming everyone you know. The money will just come.

[WishboneDawn]

Churches have bills like everyone else does. Mortgage, electric, gas, insurance, etc.

 

When folks don't give, how are those bills supposed to be paid?

 

My fil pastors a church and sooo many people don't give. I am not saying an amount they have to give, but surely if one is invested in their church they will financially support it in some way?

 

People want lights when they come to the service, they just don't want to help pay for them. Oh, and if there was no air conditioning they would never come back. Guess they think the Lord pipes that in for free?

 

Pray and seek the Lord on this. All anyone can do is what the Lord leads for their family. Some type of financial giving is always better than none.

 

At my fil's church there are members who give $1 each week. It is all they have to give. However, they give it faithfully. I believe the Lord can use that and mulitply it for His good.

 

I don't think anyone has suggested not giving. There's no tithing taught at my local church but the offering plate is always passed and people give items and their time to fundraisers that earn money for the churcth and build links to the wider community.

[Carol in Cal.]

Confessional Lutheran.

 

We teach proportionate giving, and although the example of tithing is taught, after all it is in the Bible, it is not taught as a law, rule, or requirement.

 

We teach that our financial offerings should include regular and extraordinary gifts.

 

We teach that our giving should be in thankful response to God's gifts that He has given us already, and that chief among these is putting Christ's righteousness on us and forgiving our sins.

 

We teach that it should encompass time and talent as well as money.

 

We teach that we are stewards of all that God has given us, and that whether we donate it or not, we are to use it in that light.

[Wheres Toto]

The UMC church I attended my whole life was in a 150+ year old building. There was no air conditioning and people still came (although enrollment was definitely low in the summer). The position came with a house right across the street for the minister and his family and a fairly low salary. More recently the ministers also did services at another church in the area so split their time between the two congregations. They published their budget needs at the beginning of each year and asked regulars to pledge what they could.

[PeacefulChaos]

Here's an excerpt from last year's stewardship pamphlet from the closest UMC to us:

 

For example, if you bring home a combined family income of, say, $60,000 per year, then 10% (a tithe, as the Bible says) equals $6,000 per year. That turns out to be roughly $115 per Sunday. (You could give $100 per week to the church offering and still have $15 per week to donate to other special projects.) WOW! Just $115 per week from every family would fund

both the annual budget AND the building AND more!

 

If you’ve never tithed before, you may feel more comfortable starting with 7% and working your way up. At a yearly income of $60,000, 7% would be $80.00 per week. Close, but not full funding here. Right now our average family gives about $75 per week.

 

Can we all step it up to the $80 - $115 range per week? We would then be very close to fully funding our vision for bringing disciples to Christ at XXX.

 

:ack2:

Sorry... that's just what comes to my head seeing that. It's a little too heavy on 'what you should be giving' for my taste.

FTR, my church does teach tithing but not in the sense of many others I've seen on here (not in this thread - just over time). It's talked about here and there but not preached on, and no one has any knowledge of whether it's 10% of anyone's income or not. Only 1 person has any knowledge of how much is given, and that's the recording secretary (who then prepares the stuff for us for tax time if we want it). There are a few times that it comes into play (one cannot be on the board of deacons if he doesn't tithe - though, again, there is no knowledge of how much he gives or how much he makes in general, so it's more that he can't be on the board of deacons if he doesn't give on a regular basis at all) but in general it isn't really something our church concentrates on.

We're AG (Assemblies of God)