Why We Give

Many may be unaware of how money works at Nativity. Our church is made up of a number of congregations that share one pool of resources to fund ministry activities. Although most of the expense relates to ministry staffing, resourcing and administrative costs, we also devote a part of our income to fund ministry activities, such as missionaries, local charities, foodbanks, counselling services and welfare groups.

WHERE DOES OUR MONEY COME FROM?
We are completely self-funded, which means that the money our members give is the only source of income we have to provide all the ministries listed above.

WHY GIVE?
The scriptures provide several reasons why God's people should learn to give.

1. It is a grateful response to the generosity of God, shown most clearly in the death of His Son (2 Cor. 8:9).
2. It's a way of recognising that everything we have belongs to God and we've been given these things as a gift (1 Chron 29:10-16)
3. There are certain people God commands us to provide for (1 Tim 5:17-18)
4. We are partners in God's gospel (Phil 1:3-7)

WHERE SHOULD CHRISTIANS GIVE?
Christians have a responsibility to:

• provide for both themselves and their families (1 Thess 4:11-12; 1 Tim 5:3-8). 
• support those whose work among them is preaching and teaching the Gospel (1 Cor. 9:7-14; 1 Tim 5:17-18)
• provide for poor Christians (Rom 15:25-29; 2 Cor. 8-9)
• do good for those in need (Gal 6:10)

In short, Christians should give because God calls us to do so and our giving should be:

1. To support ministries
2. For the furtherance of the Gospel
3. To help the needy

Giving generously is a marker of mature Christian living.

HOW SHOULD IT WORK?
There have been many views over the years about how Christian giving should work. Some have drawn heavily from the Old Testament and have proposed a tithe (one tenth) of a person's income is appropriate. Other's propose it should be based on one's ability to give and should be conducted generously and with joy.

At Nativity, we think a helpful approach is to

• Start with a tithe
• Wherever possible, grace should go beyond the law or a tithe; as
• we give generously and joyfully.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

• We recognise that the local church is not the only place where giving can or should be directed. Many members of the church give to other wonderful causes.
• We are incredibly thankful for those who already give faithfully and generously.
• We do not expect guests who are visiting our church to give.

But for those of you who regularly attend our church and have not yet made faithful and generous giving a part of your lifestyle, we encourage you to read about How We Budget, so you get a clearer picture of how we are able to function effectively as a church.

Ways to Give

How we budget