Q & A, final chapter
Q: There are many evidences of church leader dishonesty and fraud. How do I know giving in church is actually going to God's work? Is there accountability for every $ coming into church?
A: I totally understand the question. At Crossroads we have a system in place that we have confidence in--1. We always have more than one person take the offerings, count the cash, and put everything immediately in the safe. 2. We have 2 people who then take the money, record all the contributions and put them in the bank (these are long-standing members who have been doing this "forever"). 3. Only a handful of financial people can write checks (no pastors have access to church funds) and no pastors know what anyone gives. 4. Every dime given and every dime spent is recorded daily and month reports are made and available. 5. A yearly audit is performed to verify all the above. IF ANYONE WANTS TO SEE THESE THEY ARE AVAILABLE. We have nothing to hide and have never had anything questionable happen to us in this area.
Q: If a person is totally in debt and does not have a good income, can that person start with less than 10% and then work up to it?
A: Yes. It's called by some a "graduated tithe". You start with say 4% this year and bump it to 6% next year and keep bumping as you pay off debt and "get your financial house in order". We (as a church) did this at Crossroads when I first came. We weren't giving anything to missions due to many factors. I suggested we start somewhere and increase it yearly until we as a church were tithing to missions. God honored that decision and we were able to start paying all our bills and give to missions.
Q: Let's say I work for a church (like Crossroads). Do I have to tithe or can I just keep the money I make and call it even?
A: (maybe this is one of our staffers' question!) No. You tithe whatever you make wherever you work.
Q: Don't you count time spent (in lieu of working) in volunteer work at the church in your 10%?
A: No. Tithing/giving $ is separate from using your talents to serve in some ministry. There are no reductions in your tithe for volunteer hours given. Sorry.
A: I totally understand the question. At Crossroads we have a system in place that we have confidence in--1. We always have more than one person take the offerings, count the cash, and put everything immediately in the safe. 2. We have 2 people who then take the money, record all the contributions and put them in the bank (these are long-standing members who have been doing this "forever"). 3. Only a handful of financial people can write checks (no pastors have access to church funds) and no pastors know what anyone gives. 4. Every dime given and every dime spent is recorded daily and month reports are made and available. 5. A yearly audit is performed to verify all the above. IF ANYONE WANTS TO SEE THESE THEY ARE AVAILABLE. We have nothing to hide and have never had anything questionable happen to us in this area.
Q: If a person is totally in debt and does not have a good income, can that person start with less than 10% and then work up to it?
A: Yes. It's called by some a "graduated tithe". You start with say 4% this year and bump it to 6% next year and keep bumping as you pay off debt and "get your financial house in order". We (as a church) did this at Crossroads when I first came. We weren't giving anything to missions due to many factors. I suggested we start somewhere and increase it yearly until we as a church were tithing to missions. God honored that decision and we were able to start paying all our bills and give to missions.
Q: Let's say I work for a church (like Crossroads). Do I have to tithe or can I just keep the money I make and call it even?
A: (maybe this is one of our staffers' question!) No. You tithe whatever you make wherever you work.
Q: Don't you count time spent (in lieu of working) in volunteer work at the church in your 10%?
A: No. Tithing/giving $ is separate from using your talents to serve in some ministry. There are no reductions in your tithe for volunteer hours given. Sorry.
posted by Pastor Phil Print at 7:31 AM
4 Comments:
I've enjoyed your answers to these interesting questions. Now I have one, if you'll allow me to be so presumptuous: What is your Biblical basis for saying that a tithe is strictly a financial gift and can't be "made up" with time? I ask without having a "better" answer. It just seems it might logically follow ... I'm just not sure I've got any Biblical backing for that.
Matthew Tilley
http://mjtilley.wordpress.com
Would we agree that the church is not a building, nor it is the staff -but the congregation of believers? The early church often shared their offerings in the form of meals with each other, and fellowship, and caring . Yet today the church advocates simply 'cash only' measures for professions of faith. We see places like the Living Word that take in $25M a year so that 'we' might be blessed more. Yet many people do not work a full time regular job, do not make much 'cash,' so they donate countless hours to the missions, churches, and community because they can offer time instead of cash. But it's only paper with President's faces on it that count from the standpoint of the church.
That sounds like a pretty harsh judgement of the church. Nowhere has a CR pastor said that service to others doesn't matter. In fact, CR pastors preach and personally demonstrate that service to others is core to a life obedient to Christ. I am annoyed that CR is misrepresented here.
As for not needing money: it's only paper with President's faces on it that the mortgage company accepts, that utility companies accept, that the local car dealer accepts, and the grocery store and clothing store accepts from the pastors and staff. If you are advocating unpaid pastors, then be prepared to deliver food to Phil et al. If you are advocating no pastoral staff at all, then you would probably be happiest in a house-church. There are some in the area.
As for the building, the mortgage, the utilities, the supplies, and chairs etc are paid with money. Again, if you are advocating house-churches, great, but unless I missed the email, we are going to be having six church services this coming Christmas, and those are happening in a building.
As for offerings, etc... there is the OT principle that the poorer people could give lesser offerings (a pigeon instead of a bull...). There is also the NT principle that if you are not happy giving your offering, then don't bother. Giving is a spiritual exercise, and it has spiritual implications in a person's heart. Giving is another manner by which God works on the heart.
Would you turn it around and say "I don't have time to serve others, but I'll give money to make up for it?" Service is also a spiritual exercise, through which God works on the heart.
Again, to say that only money counts to CrossRoads is a gross misrepresentation of the truth.
Okay, I'm done...
Blessings all....
Thanks, matta, for clarifying my short answers. I didn't intend to "diss" service. I was reacting to an all-too-common excuse many give for not giving ("I give time not $ to my church"). As I read the Bible I see that it's a both/and deal. I also appreciate the cheerful giver reference. If I added one more message to this series (which I'm not) I'd probably talk about cheerfulness in giving. FYI, please DO NOT give to Crossroads or anywhere else if you're doing in under compulsion or with a grumpy heart.
The last thing I'll say about all this is that Crossroads is a wonderfully generous and joyful church. People want to give. People want to serve. I'm honored to lead this crazy church.
Post a Comment
<< Home