money is spiritual
Would you believe that Jesus talked about money more than just about any other topic? The truth is that while money is morally neutral, its effect on human hearts and lives is morally powerful. What we do with our money reveals something deeper than our receipts can show: it reveals what's in our hearts. Perhaps surprisingly, what we do with our money also has an effect on us, shaping us into people more invested into where we just put our money (Matthew 6:21).
Sharing the resources that we have is also about recognizing where we got them in the first place. God is the Creator of everything, so we are merely caretakers of what belongs to him (1 Chronicles 29:14), and any money we have is our because of his blessing (Deuteronomy 8:18). Faithfulness in our finances means that we give regularly (1 Corinthians 16:2), cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7), and sacrificially (Psalm 4:5).
Contributing financially to the mission of the church from our "first-fruits" is both a renunciation of greed as an idol and an acknowledgement that we could never out-give the God who gave us all things, including his Son (Romans 8:32). Really it is a celebration of the love of God who, though rich, for our sakes became poor (2 Corinthians 8:8-15) and made us to be his own most precious possession (Deuteronomy 4:20, Matthew 13:44-46).
Jesus taught us to be generous and it is our joy and blessing to follow his teaching on this.
Sharing the resources that we have is also about recognizing where we got them in the first place. God is the Creator of everything, so we are merely caretakers of what belongs to him (1 Chronicles 29:14), and any money we have is our because of his blessing (Deuteronomy 8:18). Faithfulness in our finances means that we give regularly (1 Corinthians 16:2), cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7), and sacrificially (Psalm 4:5).
Contributing financially to the mission of the church from our "first-fruits" is both a renunciation of greed as an idol and an acknowledgement that we could never out-give the God who gave us all things, including his Son (Romans 8:32). Really it is a celebration of the love of God who, though rich, for our sakes became poor (2 Corinthians 8:8-15) and made us to be his own most precious possession (Deuteronomy 4:20, Matthew 13:44-46).
Jesus taught us to be generous and it is our joy and blessing to follow his teaching on this.
what is a "tithe"?
"Tithe" literally means tenth or 10%. In God's economy the first 10% of income is returned to God, brought into a common place to support the gospel work and gospel workers. In Old Testament Israel it supported the Levites who served in God's temple. Unlike the people of other tribes, the Levites did not receive an allotment of land in order to support themselves; they depended on the gifts of the people.
We no longer live in ancient Israel and now in Christ all believers are part of the priesthood (1 Peter 2:5), but still there is a role of the "tithe." The New Testament teaches that the church should support gospel workers financially (1 Corinthians 8:13-14; 1 Timothy 5:17-18) and we encourage all believers to return to God the first tenth of their income for this purpose.
Probably the highest-impact benefit of tithe is in the pastors who serve the churches and the teachers advancing the spiritual mission of our schools. Pastors' salaries and benefits are funded by the tithe, and in the Seventh-day Adventist system, all pastors are paid about the same salary (give or take a little for experience and cost-of-living). This works because we all contribute our money together into one pot from which all the workers get paid. The Oregon Conference functions like a common storehourse, so pastors of big churches don't get more money than pastors of small churches.
We no longer live in ancient Israel and now in Christ all believers are part of the priesthood (1 Peter 2:5), but still there is a role of the "tithe." The New Testament teaches that the church should support gospel workers financially (1 Corinthians 8:13-14; 1 Timothy 5:17-18) and we encourage all believers to return to God the first tenth of their income for this purpose.
Probably the highest-impact benefit of tithe is in the pastors who serve the churches and the teachers advancing the spiritual mission of our schools. Pastors' salaries and benefits are funded by the tithe, and in the Seventh-day Adventist system, all pastors are paid about the same salary (give or take a little for experience and cost-of-living). This works because we all contribute our money together into one pot from which all the workers get paid. The Oregon Conference functions like a common storehourse, so pastors of big churches don't get more money than pastors of small churches.
...there's more?
In addition to returning our tithe, we are invited to give freewill offerings as a show of thankfulness, according to our ability. You'll notice that there are several options listed on our (paper and electronic) giving envelopes, including these:
Church Ministries Fund funds our local church and its ministries to children, youth, and adults. From it we support our mission partners (Hood View Adventist School, Portland Adventist Academy, and Portland Adventist Community Services), fund our local and non-pastoral staff (our office administrator, our minister of music, our treasurer and assistant treasurer), as well as power outreach and service and church life. Each year we set a collective giving goal and a church family budget. Meeting that goal ensures that we can continue our ministry right here in our local context. Every program or ministry we operate together here at PVC is supported by your giving to the Church Ministries Budget.
The Help Fund is used to give financial assistance to community members and church members to help meet their basic needs.
Student Aid provides financial support so that families who want to can experience the blessing of Adventist education.
Oregon Conference Evangelism and Youth Support offerings go straight into the common storehouse to support investments in those areas.
Church Ministries Fund funds our local church and its ministries to children, youth, and adults. From it we support our mission partners (Hood View Adventist School, Portland Adventist Academy, and Portland Adventist Community Services), fund our local and non-pastoral staff (our office administrator, our minister of music, our treasurer and assistant treasurer), as well as power outreach and service and church life. Each year we set a collective giving goal and a church family budget. Meeting that goal ensures that we can continue our ministry right here in our local context. Every program or ministry we operate together here at PVC is supported by your giving to the Church Ministries Budget.
The Help Fund is used to give financial assistance to community members and church members to help meet their basic needs.
Student Aid provides financial support so that families who want to can experience the blessing of Adventist education.
Oregon Conference Evangelism and Youth Support offerings go straight into the common storehouse to support investments in those areas.
how much?
If you're wondering how much you're supposed to give for offerings, there's no rule about it. Our best counsel is to prayerfully assess your own situation and commit to building generosity into your personal spending plan instead of haphazardly giving when the feeling strikes. The percentages will vary from person to person and from family to family. One recommendation for giving would be that, in addition to returning 10% of income as tithe, one might give 3-5% to the Church Ministries Budget, 1-2% to the Oregon Conference funds directly, and 1-2% to the World Budget (supporting world missions and projects).