Why We Give

The Bible is clear. 1 Timothy 6:18-19 says, “They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.” 

All believers are expected to support the work of the Lord done through the Church. Together, United Methodists do remarkable ministry around the world. We care for survivors recovering from earthquakes and storms; we invest,  long term, in vulnerable communities; we equip the next generation to lead the church and society. We strive to stay mission-minded and be the cornerstone for our community. In all of this, we share the good news of Jesus Christ and minister in Jesus’ name. We give because God first gave to us. 

As well as tithing, please consider Planned Giving by remembering your church in your estate planning.  Click on the PLANNED menu selection under the GIVING dropdown option at the top of this page.

Tithing is commonly understood as the giving of one-tenth of one’s  income for God. This standard of giving comes from several passages in Scripture (e.g. Genesis 28:10-22). The founder of the Methodist movement, John Wesley, offered an even higher standard for giving. Here is Wesley’s own brief summary which is the foundation of our teaching:  “Gain all you can…. save all you can… give all you can.” 

Indeed, Wesley says, “Render unto God, not a tenth, not a third, not half, but all that is God’s.” For some of us, after earning and saving all we can, while caring for our family’s basic needs, there may not be much left over. For others, there may be much, indeed. Whatever that is, we say, give it all! 

United Methodists value the tithe as a benchmark for giving, one we encourage our members to move toward. We believe our giving should be both more challenging and more gracious to the whole world than simply trying to  give a tithe of our income. We also believe that there is joy in giving,  and the greater the generosity the deeper the joy.