FAQs
Thank you to everyone who gives to Trinity Church as part of their worship. Every gift matters and we are grateful for your partnership in the gospel!
We believe that Christian giving is an essential part of our worship to God and reflects our gratitude to God for all that He has given to us in the person of Jesus:
“[God] did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all” (Romans 8:32)
Christian giving also causes us to recognize that all we are and all we have is the Lord’s (Psalm 24:1, Colossians 1:16). It primarily invites us to give our whole selves to God in worship – the portion of income which we give back to Him is a tangible sign of this reality in our hearts.
In Scripture the tithe literally means “ten percent,” and we are called to give “at least the first 10% of everything to God.” The New Testament teaches that we should give as we are “able and even beyond [our] ability” (2 Corinthians 8:3). Therefore, the tithe (10%) is seen as a kind of minimum guideline for giving. The tithe is expressly an act of worship to God and, in that sense, it is different from all other kinds of charitable giving (which are given for a wide variety of reasons/motivations).
Scripture encourages us to give from our “first fruits” (Exodus 23:16 & 19; Proverbs 3:9), meaning that the goal is to give to God before we pay other expenses.
- There are different seasons in our financial lives and, in any stage, generosity requires prayerful and thoughtful planning so as to give without neglecting our legal and/or personal financial obligations. For some people, 10% is too low a starting point. For others, giving even 5% is a sacrifice.
- If 10% is financially unachievable for you right now, we encourage you to:
- Pray. Ask God what He is calling you to give.
- Set tithing as a future generosity goal (perhaps next year or the following).
- Get as close to 10% as you are able.
- Start! The first step can be the hardest. See what God will do as you step out in faith.
Our Christian giving is always an act of worship to God, given through His people. Scripture encourages us to give to the local Christian community in which we invest and where others invest in us. For most of us this means that the majority of our Christian giving should be directed toward the local church.
For married couples, we know that you will likely come to a decision together about financial giving. We also know that it can be challenging to come to a joint conclusion. Where possible, we encourage every couple to prayerfully discuss and consider this together. Those prayers and discussions themselves can be occasions for blessing and growth, whatever the financial outcome of the conversation. Most importantly, we hope you will find peace with each other as you go through this important time of discovery and generosity.
Financial giving to Trinity contributes toward our Annual Ministry Plan, which includes our Sunday worship services, midweek groups and programs, and outreach to our local and global community. The Trinity leadership places great emphasis on being good stewards of the resources given to the church, and continually seeks to use them for the glory of God and for meeting the needs in our church and community.
In the event that the Lord supplies a surplus in a given financial year, we recognize the abundance as something we are to carefully steward and set it aside in readiness for future investments in the Kingdom and Trinity’s mission.