Regular Giving as a spiritual discipline is a
grateful response to what God has done for us in Christ. Regular giving will deepen your
dependence on the providence of God. We are blessed by God in
order to bless others. The Old Testament standard for minimum
giving was a tithe – or ten percent – of one’s increase, regardless
of the source of income. New Testament principal for giving is
set by the Holy Spirit – at
beyond ten percent. Giving as a spiritual discipline can
change your life!
If you
have never given regularly before, here is a way to begin:
1. Pray by thanking God
for all that you have. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your mind
and heart to a clear understanding of giving.
2. Read The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn.
This is a short, inexpensive, easy-to-read – but comprehensive –
book on the spirituality of giving.
3. Remember that security is
found in God, not in material items.
4.Think
of money as a tool to be well-used in a
variety of ways: Food and housing, transportation, education,
charitable giving, etc.
5.
Decide to give a
percentage of your income regularly. If ten percent seems like
too much at first, begin with less and increase it each year until
you reach or exceed it.
6. If your budget seems
out-of-control, seek out advice from the church, your banker or
financial advisor, or an organized program such as Crown Financial
Ministries http://www.crown.org/Tools/ or Financial Peace University
http://www.daveramsey.com/fpu/home/
7.
Give back to God first,
before you pay your other expenses.
8. Beyond your systematic giving,
find out about the ministry and missions of the congregation to see
if there are ways you can help fund them, such as by providing a
scholarship for a student or support for a missionary.
In addition to disciplined giving, there are
other ways to contribute to God’s work in the world:
Memorial Giving
Establishing
an endowment, scholarship or dedicated fund for mission are some of
the ways to honor those we love. Let
us help you decide how to set up your memorial funds by considering
how God is leading the congregation into the future, or the best way
to honor your loved one within the existing ministries of the
church.
Wills
Consider
a gift to First Presbyterian Church of Guymon in your will. Gifts
may be direct and undesignated (for general use) or designated
according to an existing criteria or for a specific ministry. Gifts
may also be given through
the management of the Presbyterian Foundation for the benefit of
FPC.
Charitable Gift Annuity
Consider
a tax-deductible contribution to charitable gift annuity managed by
the Presbyterian Foundation for the benefit of FPC, that will
provide you with a guaranteed income during your lifetime and, if
you choose, the life of another.
Undesignated Gifts
received by
FPC
will be divided equally between the Operating Fund, Building Fund
and Mission/Outreach.
Presbyterian Foundation
The
Presbyterian Foundation is one of the largest religious foundations
in the
United States. The Foundation can help you establish a gift and manage funds for
the benefit of
First Presbyterian Churchof Guymon.
http://www.presbyterianfoundation.org/
