How We Give
When we speak of giving, we believe that means we give of our time, treasure and our talents. In 2 Corinthians 8:3-5 we see the model that we hope to emulate. We are told the early church gave according to and beyond their ability in order to share in ministry to others, and that it was done voluntarily as people sought to align themselves with God’s mission.
So when we give, we do it in the following three ways:
Cheerfully
Scripture makes it clear the attitude with which we are to give. In 2 Corinthians 9:7 it says, “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” We believe then that giving is a voluntary matter that originates in the heart and is driven by love, not duty or law.
Sacrificially
Scripture tells us that when we give we should give sacrificially. Jesus is our model in this, as he sacrificed himself for us that we might have life in him. When we give then, we give sacrificially. This means we give so that it is costly to us, that we can imitate God’s generosity. It also means when we give we do so quietly without letting others know (Matthew 6:1-4) so only God can see what we give.
Consistently
Generosity is not something we learn by doing once, but by making a habit just as God has made a habit of loving us. We learn this best when we give on purpose, intentional setting aside money on a regular basis to give to the Kingdom. We learn this by giving progressively. As God provides and moves in our lives, we increase our giving to reflect our gratefulness and dependence on him.
When you give at First Baptist, unless otherwise referenced your giving will go towards our general fund. This account includes our annual budget including the ministry we do as well as our day to day expenses. Already included into this fund is our missions giving. Ten percent of every dollar that is given to our general fund is immediately turned around and given to mission efforts. From local missions in our city, to our state, nation and around the world, you are giving towards missions with every gift you give. It is through this account that your giving allows us to do ministry