The last post looked at the fact that most people within simple/organic/house churches, although they give more generously than their traditional church counterparts, often do not give (or only give a part) via their simple church. Here are some potential reasons for this:
- Many simple churches do not discuss giving. Period. Christians have been so burned by the pressure to give from their previous experience that no one wants to bring up a potentially controversial subject.
- Some simple churches haven't set up a giving mechanism. They have neither a bank accounty nor do they take up offerings. They ponder over whether to become a 501C3 charitable entity. Some are very wary of giving information to the government. Others don't want to go through the hassle of all the paperwork.
- Many Christians have sought the Lord over their giving, and are giving where he indicates (which is not via their simple church network.)
- There is a lot of giving going on within the simple churches that doesn't go via the church as a whole. A person becomes aware of another person's need and provides for it without going through "official channels."
- Many people have friends who are involved in full-time Kingdom work and revel in the freedom to support them directly.
- To tithe or not to tithe: that is the question.
- Many individual churches or networks of churches have not sought God corporately regarding what he wants them to do with their finances.
- Lack of vision for what a strategy for giving might accomplish.
What other reasons can you think of?
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