Everything You Need Is In the House
According to some statistics, more than eighty percent of American Churches have some type of fundraiser or other methods on a monthly basis for the purpose of paying the bills and doing ministry. How can this be Biblical? Is not God obligated to fund the projects He institutes? If God will not or cannot fund the ministries to which He has called Pastors and Evangelists, it is a very bad testimony of our God to the lost world.
As the prophet taught the Widow woman when he asked her the question, “What do you have in the house?,” we are instructed that everything we need is at our disposal. If this is true, and it is, then why do so many Churches struggle?
God’s Plan
God has a plan to fund ministry. This plan, when instituted and obeyed always works. Unfortunately, most Churches and most Ministers will not follow it. The plan is simple—it is tithes and offerings.
When everyone in the Church, members and Pastors, tithe and give an offering every service that Church will never worry about finances—there will always be enough money to perform every function and ministry that God ordains for that house.
As I have searched the Scriptures for more than 35 years, I have never found an instance where God commanded his people to conduct a fundraiser so the people could carry out the ministry instructions God had given them. He has not changed. The problem is that we have changed.
The Problem
Less than twenty percent of Church families tithe. Add to that statistic the fact that less than eleven percent of Pastors tithe. Is it any wonder that Churches struggle? How could you live day-to-day if only twenty percent of your physical body functioned or contributed to your day-to-day life? You couldn’t, yet the Church is a body that is expected to do just that. Therefore, when the Church body needs more energy (money) to survive, it must look to outside sources via fundraisers.
Not only does this send the wrong message to sinners, but it also creates an IRS issue. Fundraisers or income other than tithes and offerings are considered as Unrelated Business Income by the IRS and therefore is taxable income.
Most Churches have never filed the appropriate forms to report the Unrelated Business Income and this has them in violation of IRS regulations. God cannot and will not bless a mess.
There Is Help
If every Church could get the members and the Pastor tithing, there would never be a lack of resources to do Cod’s business. I feel that I must inject a caveat. Pastors, you should never tithe to your Church. You should always tithe to the ordaining body who issued your credentials. You must tithe up. Abraham did not pay tithe to himself, but to Melchizedek. Tithing to yourself (to the Church you pastor) is nothing more than robbing God. If you are a Pastor that tithes to the Church you oversee, you have cursed your Church and are hindering the blessing that God wants to afford to other tithers in your local assembly. Get your tithe out of your House and watch God bless it.
Chitwood & Chitwood has been helping Pastors and Churches for more than 78 years. We are the largest, single resource center for ministry. We have a Tithing System, that when taught in your Church, will result in an increase in tithes and offerings. The increase experienced by some Churches has been as high as one hundred percent. Not only will your Church benefit from it, but several research groups have determined that Christians who tithe are happier, healthier, and are more financially stable than those who do not. To purchase this system, contact us at 800-344-0076 and ask for the Tithing System.
It would also behoove every Pastor and Church Leader to attend an upcoming Church Management and Tax Conference in the city nearest them. We are launching the upcoming Fall Tour and will be teaching, not only the latest IRS updates, but also what Pastors need to make their Churches successful. To register, contact us at www.cmtc.org or call 800-344-0076. You will be glad you did.
Remember, for us it is “A Ministry—Not a Job!”
