In God We Trust

HCC Fiscal Health Spending less than taking in – operating in the black Several months of emergency funds Debt - $7.3M > $4.1M (HCC Soncy) Pay off debt by December 2012 – through two avenues

In God We Trust “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:12-13

In God We Trust “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21, 24 “You cannot serve both God and Money.”

In God We Trust When we trust Christ, we manage His money When we distrust Christ, we own our money

In God We Trust We own nothing, He owns everything We become % givers We avoid excess debt Spending decisions become spiritual decisions We can’t ever give enough

In God We DisTrust We own our stuff We’re tippers (giving God what’s left) We use debt excessively Spending decisions are my decisions We can’t ever get enough

Christian Giving Statistics 23% of all evangelical Christians tithed Barna Research May 2011

Christian Giving Statistics 23% of all evangelical Christians tithed Of ALL American Christians – only 4% tithed Barna Research May 2011

Christian Giving Statistics 23% of all evangelical Christians tithed Of ALL American Christians – only 4% tithed ALL American Christians – gave an average of 2.38% to church Barna Research May 2011

Hillside Christian Church FY2010 budget = $7,255,143 FY2010 income = $7,389,647 FY 2011 budget = $7.16M FY 2012 budget ~ $8M

HCC Missions FY2010 – Actual Income = $7,389,647 Actual Missions giving = $553, % Fy2011 – Budget = $7,164,214 Missions budget = 561, %

HCC Giving If HCC members are giving the average of 2.38% & our FY2012 budget ~ $8M Then – if ALL members tithed – our income would be about…

HCC Giving If HCC members are giving the average of 2.38% & our FY2012 budget ~ $8M Then – if ALL members tithed – our income would be about… $32,000,000?

HCC Giving $32,000,000 Debt at HCC (Soncy) - $4.1M Missions - $3.2M (or much more!!)

In God We DisTrust “As goes culture, so goes the church.” “I Never Thought I’d See the Day David Jeremiah 10/19/11

In God We DisTrust “Churches on the whole are continuing to spend more on current members and less on the larger mission of the church and cutting back on missionaries,” Sylvia Ronsvalle, Empty Tomb’s executive vice president, told the [Christian] Post. The State of Church Giving Through 2009 Empty Tomb Inc.

In God We DisTrust By increasing tithing to 10 percent, parishioners could help provide much needed relief efforts around the world and contribute to the end of many of the world’s greatest problems, while still maintaining their own church activities. But the “lukewarmness” of the church in the United States and not a lack of resources or methods posed serious consequences to both global evangelization and the end of physical suffering. If a church is turning inward and valuing the happiness of its members over service to others, it is moving on a spectrum toward pagan values, the vice president also stated. The State of Church Giving Through 2009 Empty Tomb Inc.

In God We Trust We own nothing, He owns everything We become % givers We avoid excess debt Spending decisions become spiritual decisions We can’t ever give enough

In God We DisTrust We own our stuff We’re tippers (giving God what’s left) We use debt excessively Spending decisions are my decisions We can’t ever get enough

In God We Trust You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.”

In God We Trust You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the L ORD your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth… Deuteronomy 8: 17-18

In God We Trust Who has a claim against Me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to Me. Job 41: 11

In God We Trust The earth is the L ORD’S and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it… Psalm 24: 1 The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; You founded the world and all that is in it. Psalm 89: 11

In God We Trust Everything in heaven and earth is yours I Chronicles 29: Wealth and honor come from you

In God We Trust But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what has come from your hand. I Chronicles 29: 14-20

In God We Trust King David – with all my resources & my personal gifts over & above The leaders gave willingly The people gave generously I Chronicles 29: 1-9

Naked I came from my mother’s womb And naked will I depart. The L ORD gave and the L ORD has taken away; May the name of the L ORD be praised. Job 1: 21

In God We Trust King David – with all my resources & my personal gifts over & above The leaders gave willingly The people gave generously I Chronicles 29: 1-9 We can only give that which God has first given us

In God We Trust Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse Malachi 3: 8-10 Tithing isn’t commanded for the NT church Tithing isn’t commanded for the NT church The word ‘storehouse’ is not in the NT The word ‘storehouse’ is not in the NT Therefore….

In God We Trust Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices — mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law — justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. Matthew 23:23

In God We Trust Luke 11:42 Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.

In God We Trust Storehouses in several cities Storehouse = tabernacle/temple treasury Honor God Honor God Pay the priests Pay the priests Help the needy Help the needy God commands the tithe from the Israelites

In God We Trust New Testament examples Now about the collection for God's people: … On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem. 1 Corinthians 16

In God We Trust This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. New Testament examples 2 Corinthians 9

In God We Trust If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? New Testament examples 1 Corinthians 9:11 Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor. Galatians 6:6

In God We Trust All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. New Testament examples Acts 2: ,000 members & growing!

In God We Trust Mark 12: Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything — all she had to live on."

In God We Trust Matthew 5 & 6 You have heard that it was said, DO NOT… (physical, outward observance) But I tell you… (heart, inward observance resulting in outward actions)

In God We Trust So – do I give to my church? Why? How much? Do you depend on a regular income? Should your church do the same? Missions, benevolence & light bulbs