General Giving FAQs
Who should give online?
Anyone who is looking for a simpler way to ensure
their giving or would like to give to the ministry of Kentwood Community Church
either one-time or on a recurring basis.
What if I’m not a member of Kentwood Community Church but I want to make an online donation? How would I be able to get a statement for tax purposes?
We are happy to receive your gift, above and beyond your normal
giving to your own church home. Online giving is a simple and expeditious way
for you to give. All those who give more than $200 on an annual basis receive
an annual contribution summary regardless of membership status, assuming we
have all of the correct contact/address information. If you contributed less
than $200 and would like a printed detailed statement please send an e-mail to Julie or call 616.455.1740.
What is a tithe?
As Christ-followers, we believe that we are to follow God’s
command regarding tithing. “Tithe” means “tenth” or 10 percent. Leviticus 27:30
says, “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or
fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.” In Malachi
3:8-10 God speaks to His people, “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you
ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ In tithes and
offerings. You are under a curse – the whole nation of you – because you are
robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food
in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not
throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will
not have room enough for it.”
Why is giving so important?
We recognize that Jesus talked more about giving than the
subjects of heaven, hell or prayer. In Matthew 6:21 and 24, Jesus says, “For
where your treasure is, there your heart will be also…No one can serve two
masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted
to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” In Luke 6:38, He says, “Give, and it will be
given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over,
will be poured into your lap. For with
the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” “Each man should give what he has decided in
his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a
cheerful giver” II Corinthians 9:7.
How do I excel in giving?
The apostle Paul spoke to the new churches about giving. In 1
Corinthians 16:1-2, Paul admonishes the Corinthian church, “Now about the
collection for God’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. 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.” He prompted the
believers to be generous.
In 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, Paul says, “Remember this: Whoever sows
sparingly will also reap sparingly and whoever sows generously will also reap
generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not
reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” In 2
Corinthians 8:7, he encourages, “But just as you excel in everything - in
faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us
- see that you also excel in this grace of giving.”
What is an offering?
We are stewards, not owners, of what God has given us.
Therefore, we see tithing as giving back what is God’s to God (and He lets us
keep the other 90% to use appropriately). Any amount above 10% is considered an offering
to God. This type of giving is over and above and should also be done with
cheerfulness.
Why do we give?
Why do we give? Giving is a privilege. The storehouse spoken of
in Malachi is what we consider the local church. By partnering our monies
together, God’s work is done more effectively. Even Paul recognized this in the
newly formed churches of the New Testament. He tells the Corinthians in 2
Corinthians 8:13-15, “Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you
are hard pressed but that there might be equality. At the present time your
plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply
what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: “He who gathered
much did not have too much and he who gathered little did not have too little.”