Alms/Giving to Charity - best way to give!

[taylor30]

OPTION # 1. I can give to a church or charity and HOPE my hard earned offering is not misused or mishandled.

If you are a member of a good church and are involved in all it's activities in faithful service you know exactly where your tithe or offering is going. I can even designate where my offering should go.

And as a matter of interest, we meet in a free venue and our pastor does not draw a salary. He supports himself and his family from investments in property he sold to become a full time pastor.

Our elders and leadership team meet to discuss where the money is best used to bless, and it is no secret, the church books are open for anyone in the congregation to read.

Is there a passage of scripture where it says our money is to go ONLY to a church? If so, please show me. If not, why is everyone trying so hard to convince me that giving to anything but a church is wrong. Everyone who has answered me ( and there has been about 5 or so ) seems far more concerned about the fact I don't give to a church than the fact give at all. You would think a person who gives would be told good things, but apparently a tithe or offering is no good if the money goes to anyone except the pastor.

The pastor at the last church I went to made $300,000 a year. No wonder so many people feel "called" to the ministry today.

[taylor30]

I appreciate your words. It sounds like your small church is a good one and doing what it is supposed to. However it is not my desire to discourage people from giving to churches as it appears that is what people think I said. I will never tell someone not to give to church. My only point was that the church is not the ONLY place to give. Christians seem to have the idea that the church is THE place to give. Except there is no command for Christians to give to churches. Paul only told people to be generous givers, he didn't say where they had to do it. Also, the very concept of a public offering has always rubbed me wrong. We are supposed to be humble and give in secret. We can't do that with everyone looking to see how much we put in the plate. I am glad you admitted you can't really judge, of course that concept is lost on most Christians. I generally have a bad reputation among Christians because I refuse to put anything in the plate. I DO give, but I don't let anyone see it. I have no doubt that God will reward me for it, but that doesn't help now when my so called "Christian" brothers and sisters think I am selfish and greedy.

I am only saying its ok to give to places other than the church and to ask my Christian associates reading this to be slow to judge your fellow believer because they may be doing incredible good that you have no knowledge of. GOD BLESS.

I do understand your sentiments yet when we give we are to give and allow God to direct where it goes. Do you ever give money to someone homeless and then tell them where they can spend the money or do you allow God to direct it? We are to give to our fellowships thats what the tithing system was set up for, to give to the temple who then distributes to the where God directed it. Sure there are many obvious places where ones money doesnt seem to be going where its needed, many of the WOF, prosperity gospels and such, we need to have discretion on if we should even be involved with those things.

I am not a huge fan of passing the offering plate and feel that it might be best to leave a box or basket where offerings are made. But understand that this happens usually for convience sake and nothing more. And yes its fine to give to other charities also but we should not forget our own pastors, needy, etc, within our own community or fellowship. If you look at the model given to Israel as tithes and it is from the commandments given to Israel where it comes from, we see giving for certain things. The actual sacrifices fed not only the priests but their entire families, then there are the tithes to the widows and orphans, etc. How do you support your fellowship unless you give some tithes to them? I think what we read about Stephen is a good one and shows us exactly how we are to give, with a free will offering, they gather all things at the temple then send them out to the needy. We are told put our offerings in the store house so that there would be food for all in His house. Give where you feel the need is greatest yet dont neglect those that are sitting next to you in our fellowship either.

We now give all our offerings to our fellowship, we know exactly where our offering are going. If you have dont know where yours are going I would ask for a break down of finances from your church.

shalom,

Mizz

That is not a fair comparison. The tabernacle/temple/priesthood of the OT is not even close to the same as modern pastors/churches. The last church I attended showed they make about 10 MILLION a year off of tithes and offerings. Then they claimed half of that went to salaries. The pastor made $300,000 a year. Are you seriously going to tell me that church needs my measly offering? I don't think so. Besides, how do you know God DIDN'T tell me to give my money to something other than the church? I don't even use any services my church offers so I certainly am not indebted to give them my money. As I said in an earlier post, I see the problems in society and my own neighborhood. I think I am a better judge of where my money should go than the local pastor. Just my opinion.

[Fez]

If not, why is everyone trying so hard to convince me that giving to anything but a church is wrong.

That's not the point. You started this by stating in no uncertain terms that giving to a church was wrong, and you continue to do this in subsequent posts in this thread. What people are trying to tell you is that they feel the opposite to a large degree.

I don't only tithe, but also bless those in need, not of the church, whenever I can. My wife and I have a mission to do "random acts of kindness", as well as tithing.

[taylor30]

If not, why is everyone trying so hard to convince me that giving to anything but a church is wrong.

That's not the point. You started this by stating in no uncertain terms that giving to a church was wrong, and you continue to do this in subsequent posts in this thread. What people are trying to tell you is that they feel the opposite to a large degree.

I don't only tithe, but also bless those in need, not of the church, whenever I can. My wife and I have a mission to do "random acts of kindness", as well as tithing.

Have you actually READ my posts? I NEVER said its wrong to give to a church. I said that I don't do it for several reasons. Please don't put words in my mouth.

And if you wish to incorrectly judge me like others have, go right on ahead. God will deal with you on his timing.