| Tithing is About Giving God The First Fruits |
|
At St. Thomas the Apostle Church, the Sunday Offering and other monetary contributions to the Church are referred to as Tithing. The whole belief that underlies Tithing is that God is the Giver of every gift we have in life--our life itself, our faith in Him, our family and friends and loved ones, our health, our jobs, our personalities, the different gifts and talents that each one of us have--all of these are God's gifts to us. So naturally, we make a return to God for all the wonderful gifts He has given us. This return is called our "tithe." A tithe is 10% of our income. The suggested guideline is 5% to your Parish, 1% to the Diocesan charities and appeals that take place during the course of the year, and 4% to other personal needs and chariites that are close to your heart. Tithing is a radical statement of our gratitude to God, an acknowledgement that our gifts are really His gifts to us, and our total dependence on Him. Tithing changes us. It is not simply a financial program, it is a spiritual program of total love of God. |