Our Thoughts On Giving
We hold to the belief that everything we have is from God and ultimately belongs to Him: Our lives, marriages, children, jobs, our time, our energy and our resources. The bible teaches that each of us functions in the role of steward. We invest what we have been given charge of on behalf of the one who actually owns it. As we give of ourselves and what we have as investment in the Kingdom of God, the Lord is faithful to give back to us for the purpose of further investment.
Our position on giving is summed up by Paul when he says: "He who sows sparingly shall reap sparingly. He who sows bountifully shall reap bountifully. Let each one do just as he has purposed in his own heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Cor. 9:6-7)
The tithe is a divine principle of giving ordained by God. Simply defined, the tithe means "one tenth". It is a spiritual system of proportional giving unto the Lord for the work of the Kingdom. In the Old Testament, the tithe was a mandatory program of giving which equally applied to the whole nation of Israel. No one was exempt.
Contrary to the belief of some, Jesus did not do away with the tithe principle. As a matter of fact He placed His divine stamp of approval and authority upon it when He chided the Scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23:23. "You pay the tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: you should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former ".
On several occasions Jesus validates the practice of tithing. It is true, however, that giving is different under the New Covenant. Our belief is that if God required 10% under the covenant that taught us of death and separation, we would certainly not give less than that in the covenant that brings us from death unto life. Contrarily, the tithe becomes the beginning place of giving. The Bible has much to teach on the subject of giving, and it extends far beyond the tithe. To all who are interested we will lend to you free of charge a recent tape series on the biblical practices of giving. Simply contact our offices and request the tapes.
Your tithes and offerings at the Vineyard go for rent, salary, training, missionary support, church planting, helping the oppressed poor, and support of other ministries that we feel are very valuable.
Our financial year ends on June 30th of each year. Our yearly financial statement is available to anyone upon request, and can be found at the Information Table in the foyer.
Suggestioned Reading:
Your Money Counts by Howard Dayton.
Vineyard Community Church - Central Maryland
255 Najoles Road, Millersville, MD 21108
P.O. Box 1170, Millersville, MD 21108
410.987.3440 office | 410.987.8369 fax | office@vcccm.org
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