Thinking about Giving
The Bible has around 2000 verses about money and how we use it. Jesus said more about it than he did about heaven and hell, church, leadership, and sexual ethics etc. It is clearly something that he wants us to think about even if that makes us feel a little uncomfortable.
Giving Away
In the Bible we are often encouraged to give some of our income away. There are lots of stories about giving.
In Leviticus 27.30 you can read about giving 10%, and in Matthew 19.16-22 a rich man is told by Jesus he needs to give 100% away!
What we choose to give is between us and God. The amount is not as important as our attitude when we give.
In 2 Corinthians 9:7 it says we should “each give, what we have decided, not with regret or out of a sense of duty; for God loves the one who gives gladly.”
We Give Because We Are Blessed
God has blessed us with so much! Sometimes, we might feel poor, yet we still have so much more than most people in the world.
Everything we have is a gift from God. We need to be thankful, and understand that he has been generous to us so we can also be generous.
We Are Committed to Building God's Kingdon
We Are Committed to Building God's Kingdom
God doesn't need our money to build his Kingdom, but he gives us the chance to be part of what he is doing through what we give. He uses all that we give to see his Kingdom come on earth in the same way it is in Heaven.
Because we are committed to God, we are also committed to building his Kingdom through his church.
God Expects Us to Give
When Jesus talks about giving he doesn't order us to give. He assumes this is something that followers of God do anyway. Instead, he talks about the right way to give.
For example, in Matthew 6:1-4 and Luke 21:1-4
he talks about not making a big show of what we give, but giving with kindness, privately and with great generosity.
Every good and perfect gift is from above James 1.17
Where Does the money Go?
Everything you give to the church is used in one way or another for the Kingdom of God locally and across the world.
Here are some examples:
We pay staff so they can afford to live whilst they work for God in the church and community.
We pay for electricity, water, and things like keeping the buildings clean and properly maintained, so that they can be used for church events as well as events that show God’s love for the local community.
We support work done by Christians both in the UK and in some of the neediest parts of the earth by giving to them some of what has been given to us.
Sometimes, people decide to give money for a special project. When this happens, that money is put aside to be used for that project.
How to Give
Standing Order (SO)
These are helpful if you have a regular amount you have decided to give each month. With a SO, you are in charge and can increase it or cancel it at any time. A regular SO helps the church to budget.
The Sunday Collection
Some people prefer to put money into the bag which is passed around during the service. You can do this weekly or monthly. If you want to Gift Aid the money, Please use one of our special envelopes, so we can show the tax office that all is being done properly.
Bank Transfer
You may find this useful if the amount you decide to give is likely to change quite often.
Most banks let you to do this via telephone or online. Call your bank or login to your account online.
​Gift Aid
Whatever way you chose to give, if you pay income tax, please ask the treasurer about Gift Aid, so you can decide if this scheme is right for you.
Gift Aid means that for every £1 you give to the church, we can claim 25p back from the tax office. Over a year we are able to claim several thousand pounds which makes a huge difference to what we can do.
You can download our Gift Aid Declaration Form, complete it and return it to our Treasurer.
Church Bank Details
Church Bank Details
Account Name: Stalham Baptist Church
Sort Code: 20-99-21
Account Number: 00821705
A Gift in Your Will
Leaving some money to the church in your will can be a way to leave a special gift. Please pray about it and ask God if you should do this.
Easy Fundraising
SBC is signed up with Easy Fundraising. This means you can raise money for us through your normal online shopping.
Go to Easy Fundraising and join for free, then each time you shop online, go to EF site, find the seller you want and do your shopping.
Argos, ASOS, Booking.com, Ebay, John Lewis, and M&S all on the site along with around 8000 others.
It won't cost you any extra and each time you shop the sellers make a small donation to the church.