Why do YOU tithe?

Question:  What are your reasons for giving money to the church? 

My Reply:

The reason my wife and I give money to the church (tithe) is mostly because doing so is a part of worship, not of the church but of God.  Basically, there's no way that we could ever repay God for everything He's done, is doing, and continues to do.  So the money we give to the church is but a token that represents our way of saying thanks to God for the money that He has and continues to provide us with.  

We've also been in the situation before where we didn't have any money to give for a while.  If you've ever been there, and then begin earning something, you realize how much of a blessing it is to even be able to give something, even though it may be very small.


Something else we've been doing:

God said from the beginning to tithe the first portion of our income to Him.  So after re-reading this one day, we realized and decided that we should tithe our gross income (instead of net).  Isn't God more important and bigger than the government?  So why should God get a portion of our income after the government takes its portion?  So we tithe our gross income.  Sometimes it's more difficult to do so this way, but then you have to figure, none of what we earn is really OUR money anyway, and if it wasn't for the Lord, we wouldn't have these jobs and the income they generate in the first place.  So we give what's due, putting God first, and trusting Him to provide for our future and current needs...and He does.

---Pastor Andy

Do I Have to Pay or Put Money in a Box If I Go to Church?

Question:

I am a devout Atheist but I read the bible on a regular basis.  I would also like to go to different churches on an occasional Sunday, all for the entertainment value of course. My question is, would I be expected to put money in some sort of offering basket?  What is the protocol?

My Reply:

God asks that we tithe (give 10% of everything we earn) back to Him for the Church (or the church). It's also a part of worship, for

1) Everything belongs to God, so giving God back some of what was originally His shouldn't be a big deal;

2) For all God has and continues to do, can we really pay Him back? So we ask that our tithe might be even just a TOKEN to represent our thanks to God.

Many churches will announce that visitors aren't expected to tithe, seeing it only as something for the members who've promised to do so upon membership. Unfortunately though, if you watch, you'll notice that many regulars sometimes don't put anything in the tray anyway. 

If you’re in church for the entertainment, then consider it free entertainment. Heck, you could even consider the days of communion as a free morning meal. I think it's just great that you (an atheist) go at all.

---Pastor Andy