In God We Trust. HCC Fiscal Health Spending less than taking in – operating in the black Several months of emergency funds Debt - $7.3M > $4.1M (HCC Soncy)

In God We Trust

HCC Fiscal Health

• Spending less than taking in – operating in the black

• Several months of emergency funds

• Debt - $7.3M > $4.1M (HCC Soncy)

• Pay off debt by December 2012 – through two avenues

In God We Trust

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword,

it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid

bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

Hebrews 4:12-13

In God We Trust

““Where your treasure is, Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”there your heart will be also.”

Matthew 6:21, 24

““You cannot serve You cannot serve both God and Money.”both God and Money.”

In God We Trust

• When we trust Christ, we manage His money

• When we distrust Christ, we own our money

In God We Trust

• We own nothing, He owns everything

• We become % givers

• We avoid excess debt

• Spending decisions become spiritual decisions

• We can’t ever give enough

In God We DisTrust

• We own our stuff

• We’re tippers (giving God what’s left)

• We use debt excessively

• Spending decisions are my decisions

• We can’t ever get enough

Christian Giving Statistics

23% of all evangelical Christians tithed

Barna ResearchMay 2011

Christian Giving Statistics

23% of all evangelical Christians tithed

Of ALL American Christians – only 4% tithed

Barna ResearchMay 2011

Christian Giving Statistics

23% of all evangelical Christians tithed

Of ALL American Christians – only 4% tithed

ALL American Christians – gave an average of 2.38% to church

Barna ResearchMay 2011

Hillside Christian Church

FY2010 budget = $7,255,143

FY2010 income = $7,389,647

FY 2011 budget = $7.16M

FY 2012 budget ~ $8M

HCC Missions

FY2010 – Actual Income = $7,389,647

Actual Missions giving = $553,844

7.5%

Fy2011 – Budget = $7,164,214

Missions budget = 561,205

7.8%

HCC Giving

If HCC members are giving the average of 2.38% & our FY2012 budget ~ $8M

Then – if ALL members tithed – our income would be about…

HCC Giving

If HCC members are giving the average of 2.38% & our FY2012 budget ~ $8M

Then – if ALL members tithed – our income would be about…

$32,000,000?

HCC Giving

$32,000,000

Debt at HCC (Soncy) - $4.1M

Missions - $3.2M (or much more!!)

In God We DisTrust

“As goes culture, so goes the church.”

“I Never Thought I’d See the DayDavid Jeremiah10/19/11

In God We DisTrust

“Churches on the whole are continuing to spend more on current members and less on the larger mission of the church and cutting back on missionaries,” Sylvia Ronsvalle, Empty Tomb’s executive vice president, told the [Christian] Post.

The State of Church Giving Through 2009 Empty Tomb Inc.

In God We DisTrustBy increasing tithing to 10 percent, parishioners could help

provide much needed relief efforts around the world and contribute to the end of many of the world’s greatest problems, while still maintaining their own church activities.

But the “lukewarmness” of the church in the United States and not a lack of resources or methods posed serious consequences to both global evangelization and the end of physical suffering.

If a church is turning inward and valuing the happiness of its members over service to others, it is moving on a spectrum toward pagan values, the vice president also stated.

The State of Church Giving Through 2009 Empty Tomb Inc.

In God We Trust

• We own nothing, He owns everything

• We become % givers

• We avoid excess debt

• Spending decisions become spiritual decisions

• We can’t ever give enough

In God We DisTrust

• We own our stuff

• We’re tippers (giving God what’s left)

• We use debt excessively

• Spending decisions are my decisions

• We can’t ever get enough

In God We Trust

You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.”

In God We Trust

You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.”

But remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth…

Deuteronomy 8: 17-18

In God We Trust

Who has a claim against Methat I must pay?Everything under heavenbelongs to Me.

Job 41: 11

In God We Trust

The earth is the LORD’S

and everything in it,the world,and all who live in it…

Psalm 24: 1

The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth;You founded the world and all that is in it.

Psalm 89: 11

In God We Trust

Everything in heaven and earth is yours

I Chronicles 29: 10-13

Wealth and honor come from you

In God We Trust

But who am I, and who are my people,that we should be able to giveas generously as this? Everything comes from you,and we have given you onlywhat has come from your hand.

I Chronicles 29: 14-20

In God We Trust

King David – with all my resources &my personal gifts over & above

The leaders gave willingly

The people gave generously

I Chronicles 29: 1-9

Naked I came from my mother’s wombAnd naked will I depart.The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;May the name of the LORD be praised. Job 1: 21

In God We Trust

King David – with all my resources &my personal gifts over & above

The leaders gave willingly

The people gave generouslyI Chronicles 29: 1-9

We can only give that which God has first given us

In God We Trust

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouseMalachi 3: 8-10

• Tithing isn’t commanded for the NT churchTithing isn’t commanded for the NT church• The word ‘storehouse’ is not in the NTThe word ‘storehouse’ is not in the NT

Therefore….

In God We Trust

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices — you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices — mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law — the more important matters of the law — justice, mercy and faithfulness. justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.without neglecting the former.

Matthew 23:23

In God We Trust

Luke 11:42

Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.without leaving the former undone.

In God We Trust

Storehouses in several citiesStorehouse = tabernacle/temple treasury

• Honor GodHonor God• Pay the priestsPay the priests• Help the needyHelp the needy

God commands the tithe from the Israelites

In God We TrustNew Testament examples

Now about the collection for God's people: … On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem.

1 Corinthians 16

In God We Trust

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.

New Testament examples

2 Corinthians 9

In God We Trust

If we have sown spiritual seed among you, If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?a material harvest from you?

New Testament examples

1 Corinthians 9:11

Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.

Galatians 6:6

In God We Trust

All the believers were together All the believers were together and had everything in common. and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.they gave to anyone as he had need.

New Testament examples

Acts 2: 41-47

3,000 members & growing!

In God We Trust

Mark 12: 41-44

Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said,Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury has put more into the treasury than all the others. than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, but she, out of her poverty, put in everything — all she had to live on."put in everything — all she had to live on."

In God We Trust

Matthew 5 & 6

You have heard that it was said, DO NOT…You have heard that it was said, DO NOT…(physical, outward observance)(physical, outward observance)

But I tell you…But I tell you…(heart, inward observance (heart, inward observance resulting in outward actions)resulting in outward actions)

In God We Trust

So – do I give to my church? Why? How much?

Do you depend on a regular income?Should your church do the same?

Missions, benevolence & light bulbs

In God We Trust“In the passage where the New Testament says In the passage where the New Testament says that every one must work, it gives as a reason that every one must work, it gives as a reason ““in order that he may have something to give in order that he may have something to give to those in need.” [Ephesians 4:28]to those in need.” [Ephesians 4:28]Charity—giving to the poor—is an essential part Charity—giving to the poor—is an essential part of Christian morality…of Christian morality…I do not believe one can settle how much I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare.”is to give more than we can spare.”

In God We Trust““In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, with the same income as our own, we are probably giving way too little. we are probably giving way too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charities expenditure and cannot do because our charities expenditure excludes themexcludes them.”

C.S. LewisMere Christianity

In God We Trust

Command those who are rich Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth…nor to put their hope in wealth…

Command them to do good, Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.and to be generous and willing to share.

I Timothy 6: 17-19

In God We Trust

Why do I always seem to ‘grow into’ Why do I always seem to ‘grow into’ my pay increases?my pay increases?

I can’t afford to give right nowI can’t afford to give right nowI’ll start to give when I get a little moreI’ll start to give when I get a little more

In God We Trust

Giving isn’t what you do Giving isn’t what you do once you once you areare generous – generous –

Giving is what you do Giving is what you do that that makesmakes you generous you generous

For where your treasure is, For where your treasure is, there your heart will be alsothere your heart will be also

Matthew 6: 21

In God We Trust

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

II Peter 1:3-4

In God We Trust

“Do not waste time bothering whether you “love” Do not waste time bothering whether you “love” your neighbour; act as if you did. your neighbour; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets. one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him.you will presently come to love him.

C.S. LewisMere Christianity