Today, the word tithe is often used synonymously with any church giving. And there’s a lot of discussion around whether New Testament Christians (including Christians today) are expected to give in the same way as those under the law in Moses’ time.
The law of Moses required an Israelite to offer the first 10 percent of their harvest. This reminded the Israelites that what they had was given to them by God and was ultimately His. It demonstrated thankfulness for His gracious provision. This tithe helped care for the priesthood and the needy, and it helped cover the costs of Israel’s festivals.
Any Christian would agree that generosity is one of the marks of a follower of Jesus. Some would suggest that, unlike ancient Israel, all we have belongs to Jesus, and there’s a problem if our generosity isn’t able to at least match what Israel was compelled to give. While others might challenge a minimum expectation, like limiting ourselves to 10% or only giving to one source.
Whatever we believe, it’s important to always go back to what our giving, large or small, could do. What impact could it have on our world and the fulfillment of the Great Commission?
The question of organizational tithing
Relevant Magazine recently calculated that if Americans all gave 10 percent, the church would have another $165 billion to distribute. Because we hear the word billion thrown around so often, it can be hard to understand the global impact that would have. Now, imagine what would happen if churches tithed too!
Many churches have decided to begin tithing as organizations. This means that a minimum of 10 percent of giving is set aside to be distributed to other ministries and charities. There are some strong reasons why churches benefit from organizational tithing.
1. It sets a good example
When it comes to giving, clergy spend a lot of time persuading parishioners to be consistently generous. One critical element that’s often missing is positive examples, but that can be hard because you don’t want to be exalting people for their giving. Since we don’t want to exalt anyone for their consistent giving, it’s a challenge for people to find examples they can emulate. But if your church regularly tithes, you can use the church itself as an example.
Churches face many of the same struggles that individual givers face. Committing to giving 10 percent of your budget away means that sometimes you’ll have to make tough choices in order to be persistent. You might have to wait on hiring a new staff member or buying a new piece of equipment. When the church has to make the same kinds of decisions that congregants do in order to be good stewards, it can really go far to creating the kind of example that they need to see.
2. It creates a sense of shared partnership in ministry
Once a church decides to give 10 percent of its income to ministries and charities outside the church, they enter into the exciting process of choosing where that money goes. This is something that the entire church can do together. Making the decision public can be fun and inspiring as you look for organizations that align with your priorities and values.
Not only does the congregation get to take part in choosing who to support, but regular updates keep them aware of the good you’re doing together. This keeps parishioners invested in the work of other ministries and can actually encourage more generosity as they see a clear connection between their giving and good work being done. Regular investment in specific ministries will also help build a sense of partnership with them, and can even lead to more hands-on involvement in outreach and charitable work.
3. It can help ministries run smoothly
Church members often run into struggles. More often than not, they have every intention to give. But because they haven’t made the commitment to give regularly, urgent needs and worries often make it challenging. Expenses crop up or they intend to start giving after events like an upcoming wedding, vacation, or raise. If people aren’t resolved to give, it’s easy for it to happen infrequently.
Churches can be the same way. The best intentions to support outside church ministries can be a struggle because there’s always some new need or expense that arises. But as with church members, once a church makes the public commitment to regularly give a portion of their income, they don’t have to think about it again. That portion is already dedicated.
The more churches commit to this kind of giving, the more consistent ministry and charity budgets become. These organizations aren’t constantly in a scramble to raise funds just to fund regular expenses. When churches give consistently, ministries and charities can focus on ends instead of constantly worrying about the means.
Find ministries that align with your church
There is no shortage of ministries and charities (local, national and international) that could align with your church’s values and mission. The process of identifying the right ministries to support is exciting and valuable, and the more you can include others in the process, the better.
While you’re considering ministries to support, give some thought to Jesus Film Project®. For 45 years, we have been working hard to take the story of Jesus into the areas of the world that need to hear it most. In 2022, we translated the JESUS film into its 2,000th language, and we’re still working on translations to ensure more people have an opportunity to hear the gospel story. To date, more than 22 million people have chosen to follow Jesus after watching content from Jesus Film Project.
You can learn more about the Jesus Film Project by reading “What Is the Mission of Jesus Film Project?” And check out this video about our current vision and belief that the Great Commission can be fulfilled in this generation.
