Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is stewardship?
The Bible teaches that God is the creator of all things. This has two radical implications for how we live. First, it means that God is generous. Not only did he create a beautiful universe, he generously shares his creation with all humanity. Jesus said that God makes the sun to shine and rain to fall on the just as well as the unjust. Elsewhere scripture says, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." Second, because God is the creator, everything belongs to him. Therefore, we have been given the task of managing, or stewarding, everything in our possession. We control our material wealth in the same way a hedge fund manager controls the assets he or she has been given. As soon as we begin to use our possessions any way we want, we are defrauding our creator. So we must ask how God wants us to manage his money.
2. How should I steward my wealth?
While stewardship certainly includes much more than money, it does not include less. In the Old Testament, believers were required to give a tenth of their income to the support of the Temple and the needs of the poor. While the New Testament does not teach at length on the subject of tithing, Jesus encourages people to continue the Old Testament practice (Matt. 23:23). We are also told that we should give as we are "able and even beyond (our) ability". (II Cor. 8:3). Jesus himself teaches that our relationship to wealth should be far more radical and generous than that of the Old Testament when he reminds his followers that God was "pleased" to give us the kingdom (something God's followers in the Old Testament longed for) which, Jesus says, should liberate us to "sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Luke 12:33-34). Therefore, the tithe (10%) is seen as a kind of minimum guideline for giving for those of us who 'have been given the kingdom'. Of course, there are seasons to economic life that sometimes strain our ability to give. In many cases, good planning over time will be necessary to move our giving into Biblical proportions without reneging on legal and personal financial obligations.
3. Should I give all of my tithe/offering to Park Slope Presbyterian Church?
Your giving is an act of personal worship to God in response to his grace in your life and generosity should mark all aspects of your life. However, God prioritizes the church over everthing else: "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers" (Galatians 6:10). Furthermore, the Church is the only community established by God—through which ALL aspects of his kingdom values are to be lived out. At PSPC this means our budget goes to: teaching and worship, the financially and socially marginalized, church planting, the deepening of community through Community Groups, administration, counseling, cultural renewal, and many other areas. So, if you consider PSPC your 'home church', then you should be allocating most of your tithe and offering to the community where you invest most of your time and talent—and where others are investing in you.
After supporting the work of your local church, you should give generously to all people—particularly those who are intentionally promoting the work of God's kingdom.
4. Do I give 10% of my gross or net income? (You mean on my base salary AND my bonus?)
Scripture teaches that we are to give back to God our "firstfruits" (Exodus 23:16, 19). Proverbs 3:9 encourages us to 'honor the Lord with (our) wealth, with the firstfruits of (our) crops'. This is consistent with our understanding that we are first and foremost citizens of God's kingdom, seeking to invest our resources (time, talents, money) in ways that are consistent with God's values and priorities. This is what Jesus meant when he asked us to think first of investing our wealth "where no thief comes near and no moth destroys". Therefore, it is Biblical to calculate your tithe and offering on your annual gross income.
5. My giving doesn't reflect this teaching at all. How do I get there from here?
First, remember that giving must be a joyful response to God’s grace. St. Paul asked for money by saying, “I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, he became poor, so that through his poverty you might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:8-9). What a test! St. Paul says that the difference between moralists (those who think that God accepts them because of their goodness) and Christians (who know they are sinners saved purely by grace) is that a Christian wants to give as generously as he or she has received. Put starkly, we always give effortlessly to those things that give our life meaning, to our “gods.”
Second, your giving must be systematic and thoughtful. St. Paul directed the Corinthians to set aside a portion of their wealth each week until he came and received it, in this case for the relief of famine victims in Palestine. (See 2 Corinthians 8 again.) Giving “spontaneously” might be joyful, but it’s rarely significant. You need a plan, and the church can help with reminders and directions. Here’s a plan:
• Evaluate your own heart with regard to money. What do you most enjoy spending money on? What percentage of your income is going to (1) support the work of the church and (2) other Christian ministries and those in need (outside your family)? How close is it to 10%? Read Matthew 6:19-34; 1 Timothy 6:6-10; 2 Corinthians 8:1-5; 9:6-15. Do you need to adjust your giving in light of biblical values, in terms of eternal investments?
• Evaluate the use of your “non-liquid” resources—time, talents, energy, home.
• Do you have a regular plan for giving? First, decide what percentage of your income you will give to the Lord’s work this year. Then ask yourself, on the one hand, if this is sacrificial and, on the other hand, if this is responsible. Last, whenever money comes in, set aside the Lord’s portion first, with the understanding that it is his, not yours.
Remember: The more you trust God with your material treasure, the
more he will entrust you with spiritual treasure. (See Luke 16:9-12; 2
Corinthians 9:10-12.)
*adapted from material used by Redeemer Presbyterian Church