God gives us everything and we respond by giving it all back to God in lots of different ways (I Chronicles 29:14). One way we give our money back to God is through giving a portion of our income to the Church, often known as tithing. Here at St Mary’s and the Good Shepherd a lot of our work is dependent on this giving from members of the congregation. The only other source of income we receive is rent from buildings we own, which also require maintenance, of course.
How to give
You can give financially through lots of ways:
- cheques made payable to “St Mary’s PCC” and posted to St Mary’s Church, Lansdowne Road, N17 9XE
- Standing Order or Direct Debit or BACs transfer to St Mary’s Parochial Church Council (PCC) Barclays Account 90796212 Sort Code 20-53-00
- Through cash and card machines at Masses and other services
- Through this link to our Churchdesk giving site. Just over 2% of what you give will be used in administration fees. https://pay.churchdesk.com/b6DqXb5ws
What does the Bible say?
St Paul says that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (I Timothy 6:10). Jesus Himself warned that the “lure of wealth can choke the word” (Matthew 13:22). We therefore have to be careful about how we use money.
Being a follower of Christ does not mean we will be rich in the things of this world. Jesus was born in a stable and came to challenge individuals to sell all they possessed for the sake of the Kingdom (Matthew 19:21).
Money stops being a negative thing if we use it for good purposes. The teaching of Jesus has inspired many to offer their wealth to the Church (Acts 4:32-36). One of the main tasks St Paul did during his ministry was to encourage Christians to have a collection so that the welfare of all Christians could be ensured (I Corinthians 16:1-4).
When we give we are to be happy and not resent it (II Corinthians 9:7). We rest assured that it’s not how much we give that is important. What is important is that we give so we go without something else (Luke 21:1-4).
The Old Testament established the concept of tithing, giving a tenth to God. This was applied to all sorts of things and continues to be important when we think about how much we should give financially. The Church doesn’t ask you to give money you don’t have so it’s best to work out what you give based on what you earn through work, or pension or gift. Aim to give ten percent of that to the Church and you will be tithing.
Finally, thank you for all you give to our churches. It won’t be wasted. It’ll be used to give glory to God.
Prayer of St Ignatius of Loyola
Lord Jesus, teach me to be generous; teach me to serve you as you deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labour and not to seek reward, except that of knowing that I do your will. Amen.
