St. Paul’s UMC recognizes that God is the giver of the gift of life itself. We have responded to the call of Jesus Christ to receive the gift of salvation and to become disciples. As Christians, we recognize everything we have comes from God, and we are simply sharing these gifts for Kingdom work. Through our tithes and offerings, we demonstrate in a tangible way our love for God and our neighbors. Each year, we ask our faith community to commit to their tithes and offerings for the coming year in support of our church's ministry and mission. We do this for three reasons:
- All we have is a gift from God, so we believe that giving to God's work is an act of worship.
- St. Paul’s UMC expresses our commitment to God through our prayers, presence, gifts service and witness. Giving is an expectation of membership. The church does not specify how much an individual should give, but we hope each person will commit a percentage of their income and increase that amount as they are able. A biblical tithe is 10% of income.
- Annual giving makes possible worship, programs for children and students, Bible studies, small groups, pastoral care and support, mission trips, community service, and building and operational needs.
Stewardship involves our whole being—our talent, time and effort, and financial resources. It is how we express to God our appreciation for the gift of life in Jesus Christ using God’s Church as an instrument through which we dedicate ourselves.
