I’m a firm believer that God has blessed us to be a blessing to others. He calls us to give a portion of our income back to Him. While we have been freed from the hard “10%” number, I still consider 10% to be a good goal. The point is not the number, but to stretch our faith. We should give until it’s a little uncomfortable and then see how God responds.
I also believe that if students are to learn the joy of tithing, we must model it to them. That means that parents should include their kids in the discussion about what to give to the church each week. It means that the church must set an example of tithing. And so our ministry tithes from all group fundraising efforts. We give students the opportunity to decide where we send the money, so they may know the joy of giving to others. We did this at our meeting this past Sunday. Here’s what they decided:
- $125 to the orphanage in Les Cayes, Haiti that we sponsor as a church
- $94 to the 30 Hour Famine that the Crossroads youth will participate in on Feb 8-9, 2008
- $70 to Lutheran World Relief
May you be a blessing to others through your stewardship of time, talents and treasures!