Give

We give because God has first given to us. As it says in John 3:16,

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

More than this, Jesus gave his life as a ransom for us (1 Timothy 2:6)

As we recognise the generosity that God has shown us, we respond by giving generously to the work of God’s kingdom. As it says in 2 Corinthians 9:7 “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Some of us have little, some of us have much, but we encourage all to give as they are able for the good of God’s kingdom and the good of our hearts.

‘Tithing’ comes from a practice found in the Old Testament Scriptures, where the Israelites would give a tenth of all their produce in response to God’s generous blessings. The tithe would be offered to the Lord and then distributed to the priests and Levites – people set apart to do the Lord’s work (see Deuteronomy 12:22-29; Malachi 3:6-12).

Followers of Jesus are not compelled to give a ‘tithe’, but we are still called to give back to God. Indeed, if we truly understand the gospel of grace, we will give as a much as we can – and even beyond our ability (see 2 Corinthians 8:9).

The Finance Team has access to all bank accounts.  The description that appears on the bank statement is exported to our accounting system as part of the classification and reconciliation of transactions. This system is accessible only by the Finance Team.  The data remains confidential rather than anonymous. Only aggregated data and indicators are provided to the Committee of Management and the Congregation.

Biblical stewardship covers a broad spectrum of topics for discussion: from serving God, to being trustworthy Christians, to helping your neighbour, honouring God with your earthly possessions, and so much more.

What is a steward?

A steward is a person who has been entrusted with, and who manages, another’s resources according to the owner’s vision and values.  The gospel calls us to recognize that everything we have is a gift from God (James 1:17) — and that those gifts are to be used for his glory and to further his kingdom.

No, unfortunately Australian Tax legislation does not allow tax deductions for giving to religious institutions for the purposes of furthering the good news of Jesus.