Giving

Let’s face it, giving can be difficult yet one of the most rewarding things we can do. Martin Luther once said that “there are three conversions necessary: the conversion of the heart, mind and the purse.” Believers have a tremendous opportunity to proclaim the gospel and give evidence of grace working within them as they give generously. The Lord gives us the opportunity to proclaim to our neighbors and community His sufficiency and provision. But there are a lot of questions that people have about their giving and about how the church is supposed to handle the funds, especially in light of the various scandals and abuses that have happened in the past. Regardless of these scandals and abuses, we believe the following to be true:

• Giving invigorates our devotion to Christ.
• Giving frees us from the tyranny of consumerism.
• Giving provides an outlet for compassion.
• Giving provides us an opportunity to teach our families that money is a servant rather than our master.

So, our prayer is that as people of faith we would live faithfully and generously! In order for you to easily contribute to Trinity Christian Fellowship, we are able to take your offerings online!

Online Giving

Why Give?
The simplest answer to this question is “because you want to.” Giving, like all godly obedience, is not a matter of begrudging submission, but rather the desire of the changed heart in response to God’s grace. As 2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “God loves a cheerful giver.” We strongly encourage you to read the whole context of 2 Corinthians 8-9 for an excellent and full theological treatment of the topic of giving.

As those who have been recipients of the abundant grace of God, we should desire to reflect that grace to others. Love for God and love for our fellow man should compel us to gladly give of those things with which we have been temporarily entrusted. The Scriptures say that love is foundational in our response and without it our gifts are empty (1 Corinthians 13:3).

Sometimes, as those who are still influenced by the sinful desires of the world, giving is not cheerful. In such cases, we are still exhorted to give while also called to seek repentance for any selfishness, covetousness and greed which may still linger in our hearts. We must remember that our lack of cheerfulness is in contrast to God’s abundant provision of forgiveness of sin and relationship with Him. We should meditate often on His provision, especially in the cross of Christ, as the failure to do so may lead us to forget how insignificant our gifts are in relation to what He has given. Where we are begrudging in our attitude or actions, we should pray for repentance and an appreciative and generous heart.

We must remember that all creation belongs to the Creator. We are merely stewards of that which rightfully and truly belongs to Him. Failing to obediently and joyfully give is a reflection of a failure to recognize His sovereign claim to all things. Therefore, the use of our resources, financial or otherwise, is an expression of our understanding of God and consequent disposition toward Him.

Should I give while in debt?
Financial offerings and contributions is a responsibility which we must honor. Debt is a responsibility which we must honor. Both duties must be considered carefully.

The Scriptures specifically speak about debt and command believers to work toward alleviating this burden. Debt is definitely not a preferred option and the avoidance of such is commended throughout the text. At the same time, some degree of acceptable, strategic debt (house payments, business loans and car payments could all be considered here, although there other instances which may fall under this category) may be necessitated.

In a sense, almost all Americans are in some sort of debt. Whether that be a house payment, car payment, apartment contract, credit card or otherwise. Therefore, if everyone was to wait until they were out of debt to give, nobody would ever give and the community would suffer as would our responsibility toward giving.

We recommend that anyone in overwhelming debt speak with a financial advisor who can work toward removing non-essential debt and managing reasonable debt. Non-essential debt is typically mere consumer debt which is increased through purchasing perishable and unnecessary goods beyond your means. It could also include debt which is accrued because one chooses to purchase an unnecessary type of a necessary good (for example: driving a car beyond your means or living in a larger or more comfortable house than you require, etc.). Regardless of the type of debt, if your responsibilities are such that you feel unable to give, then you are encouraged to meet with an advisor to work out a plan to allow you to do so.

The call to repay creditors must not be allowed to usurp the command to give and neither should our giving nullify our need to pay off debt. Both must be pursued. Deciding how to allocate funds to achieve both responsibilities will probably not be easy for all of us and therefore should press us toward considered counsel and wisdom.

Are my gifts to Trinity Christian Fellowship tax-deductible?
Our policies for acknowledging and recording charitable contributions adhere to the IRS rules for these types of gifts. For more information on the IRS rules, please refer to Publication 526, Charitable Contributions and for information on determining value, refer to Publication 561, Determining the Value of Donated Property. Both of these documents may be found on their web-site located at www.irs.gov.

Gifts of cash and checks that are applicable to our general fund or in response to a church sponsored appeal for funds or through deputized fund-raising, then these gifts are considered tax-deductible. Per IRS rules on pass-through donations, gifts of cash and checks that are intended to ultimately benefit a particular individual are not considered tax-deductible.

Payments for events, camps, materials, etc. are not considered tax-deductible contributions.

We do not acknowledge as a charitable contribution donations of personal services or labor.

We do accept non-cash contributions of tangible items, including securities. Acknowledgments for these types of gifts are given to the respective donor. The acknowledgment includes an itemized listing of the tangible items, but does not include a value for these items. Per the IRS rules for charitable contributions, it is the donor’s responsibility to place a value on these types of gifts. Certain types of donated property require additional documentation to be completed and sent to the donor. In these circumstances, the church complies with all IRS rules for documentation and written acknowledgment of these contributions.

If you have any further questions, please contact us at your convenience. Thank you for contributions!