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Your Turn Discussion

How have you embraced "sacrificial giving" when your church struggled to make ends meet?
Total Responses: 7Add your own comment

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Pastor Dan   (Guest) Posted: March 30, 2008
I am over 50 and this is my first church. When I was approached to come here as pastor it was as an interim. I agreed to come on a Sunday. On Monday they wanted to change my schedule at work to Friday-Monday. I ended up quitting. God took care of us. I was called by the church as it's pastor in the first month, given a $100/week raise retroactive to when I started. God even provided enough for us to go to Guatemala on a work and witness trip. At the end of the year our finances were in better shape than they had ever been, in spite of making less in a week than I had in a day at my old job.


Joe Steve   (Registered User)Posted: March 30, 2008
I must say that sacrificial giving has been a way of life for my wife and I over the past 25 years. As a pastor I am persuaded that I must lead by example, and as a Christian I have a responsibility to tithe and pay my offering. I am sadden that most members of our churches are not willing to make the commitment to God to give. As a father of four with two kids in college and at one time three I can say that God has always made a way, sometimes it has been difficult but thats where our faith and trust in God comes in. Yes we still live a comfortable life even as a bi-vocational pastor, but I am persuaded that none of that would be possible if we didnt give according to how God has prospered us, but it doesnt stop there, most of us and so did I at one time think that after tithes and offering I have done my part, but then there are times when the budget is not met, or a special offering is needed for one reason or another, in those time are we to give sacrificially.


~L   (Guest) Posted: March 27, 2008
As a student fresh out of seminary, I did not know the giving of individual members, however I knew the overall giving figures of the congregation and was deeply disappointed to learn that in a congregation of nearly 1000 (comprised of many of the community's corporate leaders), a tithe of my small beginning pastor's income made me one of the top ten givers. Regretably, through the twenty five years of my ordained ministry, I have seen seen much the same. Wherever I have served, as I continue to give a tithe and more, my giving far outstrips what congregation members give. I struggle to make ends meet at home, and give generously at church. Members are all too willing to give little to church and live lavishly at home. I keep the theme of our joyful response to God's extravagant love and generosity before the congregation and pray that God's Spirit will move them to give sacrificially instead of selfishly.


Gloria   (Guest) Posted: March 27, 2008
I can not say that my church was struggling to make ends meet but last year the Holy Spirit lead me to give $300 per month over and above my tithe and offerings for six months (July-December, 2007). I was seeking guidance in my life for a couple of different things. I can honestly say that right after I completed this test of faith which was difficult for I really needed that money at different times during the six months but at completion I can truly say that my finances have been blessed and I haven't struggled with my finances in any area for the last four months. I know that this is due to giving sacrifically and the Holy Spirit has worked a miracle in my life. Giving in tithes, offerings, sacrifically, seed giving, etc. will always works wonders in your life in whatever area changes are needed. Gloria Philadelphia


Rich Phillips   (Guest) Posted: March 27, 2008
As a church we had been always trying to just make it year to year and break even. We were beginning to be challenged to really pray and develop a more faith like attitude. We had a series of meetings in the fall and had invited 3 other churches to join us. Each night we took offerings to offset the cost of the speaker, etc... After the meetings at our first Board meeting we decided to sow seed for the Kingdom. None of the offering bags that we seal were opened yet. We decided to give the offerings away to further the kingdom of God in our city. We had our Treasurer take the three offerings and divide the total amount into 3. We then sent a letter & cheque to each of the three churches that had been at the meetings with us and thanked them for their work in the city. We ended the year off with a very good surplus and in the New Year allowed a gathering to use our building and asked nothing. The honorarium they sent us later was slightly more then the original 3 offerings.

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