Stewardship The Key to Financial Success

1 Chronicles 29:10-14

David praised the Lord before the entire assembly: "O Lord God of our father Israel, you deserve praise forevermore! O Lord, you are great, mighty, majestic, magnificent, glorious, and sovereign over all the sky and earth! You have dominion and exalt yourself as the ruler of all. You are the source of wealth and honor; you rule over all. You possess strength and might to magnify and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give thanks to you and praise your majestic name. But who am I and who are my people, that we should be in a position to contribute this much?

David acknowledged the sovereignty of God over everything he had. If we want to have financial success in every area of our lives, we need to do the same.

God has given each one of us the responsibility of managing our finances. One who manages assets, affairs or property belonging to someone else is called a "steward". The "someone else", who is owner of all, is God!

As stewards of what God has entrusted to us, it is our responsibility to recognize that God owns everything and we own nothing. An attitude of gratefulness is the appropriate response to God, for the things He has placed in our care. Like David, the key question for us should not be, "How much are we required to give?" Rather it should be, "How can I maximize what God has given me to bring Him glory?"

Tithes and Offerings
The word “tithe”, meaning 10%, comes from the Old Testament. God set down the guidelines for tithing to cause us to recognize his ownership of everything, on a regular basis, as well as to teach us, as believers, to put Him first in our lives.

When you give your tithe, you are giving back to God what is already his, what is expected, what is required. In giving an offering, you are giving a gift to God from a heart of love, over and above the tithe. The tithe is an act of obedience; the offering is a statement of love.

God has blessed our lives in countless ways. Giving back to him, whether in tithes or in offerings, is a privilege which should cause believers to overflow with thankfulness for all of His many blessings. What has God entrusted to you? How are you managing it? God’s own words in Matthew 25:14 -28 tell us that the reason we may not have much is because God cannot trust us with much! Our Lord blesses wise managers with even more to manage.

At Whipple Creek Church, we believe that God has entrusted time, talents and treasures to us as believers, and expects us to manage them in ways that bring honor to Him. We conveniently offer you the capability to give online.

Online Giving
Giving is one of the central themes in the Bible. Jesus talked more about this subject than heaven, hell or prayer. To understand what it means to be a Christ-follower, we must also understand what it means to be a giver.

Giving is the only area in the Bible where God invites us to test Him. Give your tithe (the first 10% of your income) to God and see if He does not open the floodgates of heaven to bless you in ways that you never dreamed possible. (Malachi 3:10) Even when the stock market’s down, you can make an investment that pays dividends for a lifetime and beyond. Only two things will last forever: People and The Church. By investing in the life-changing message of the church, you can leverage your money for eternity. (I Timothy 6:7)

Giving online is safe and secure. Whether you want to submit a single donation or would like to set up scheduled giving, you can now do it all online. You may give either by a withdrawal from your checking account or we accept most major credit cards through Paypal.

Debit
We encourage the use of ACH automated transactions by a bank debit account. For this, please print the following form and drop it off in the church office: ACH Debit form.

Credit
If you choose to give online using your credit card, the link below will direct you in this process. Whipple Creek offers this service as a convenience only and does not encourage the use of credit cards to accumulate debt. For questions about online giving regarding credit card transactions, click here to see our online giving FAQ page.

If you have any questions or concerns about the online giving process, please send an email to our Business Department.

Online Giving FAQ’s for Credit Card transactions
Q: When would an automatic contribution be charged to my account? On the signup screens, you can specify whether you want your contribution made one time, weekly, twice per month, monthly, quarterly, or yearly. You can set up as many schedules as you would like, so it is possible to give a monthly gift as well as a weekly one.
Q: Can I test this by giving one time? Yes. You may test Online Giving by selecting “One Time” in the frequency drop down box of the signup process.
Q: Can I give to special funds? Yes, you will be asked to choose from the "General Fund" "Benevolence Fund" “World Missions” and/or "Building Fund."
Q: What if I change credit cards or want to change the amount of my contribution? You can change your giving choices at any time by contacting the church Business office.
Q: If I don’t feel comfortable setting up automatic giving by credit card online, do you have a form that I can print out and personally deliver to the business office? Yes, please download our Authorization Agreement for Direct Payments form.
Q: How do I participate in the weekly offering if my contribution is automatically processed online? If you wish, you can write “I’m giving online” on the giving envelope and place it in the offering basket, but it is not necessary.
Q: Who do I talk to if I have more questions? Contact our Business Department at the church office and we'll be glad to answer any other questions you may have.