And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea. And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders. Acts 11:29-30

There are at least two categories of giving. The first is giving to support ministries. The second is to assist those in need.

Giving to support ministries. The first place to do this is one’s local church. This not only supports the ministry of the local church, but it also assists those in need. Local churches are not only supported through the giving of its members and family, local churches should also support missions, outreach, and those in need in the church. Twenty percent of everything given to GBC goes for these express purposes. (It has been as high as 33% at times.) I believe that one of the reasons God blesses our church financially is that as a church we give so much outside our church family. Giving to our church not only supports our church, but supports outside missionaries and assists those in need.

I encourage those who can, to give above and beyond their tithe to their local church to at least one additional missionary enterprise. Giving money (even a small amount on a regular basis) to a specific mission helps us to remember, care, and pray for that missionary.

Giving to assist those in need. I encourage all believers to give something regularly to assist those in need—in addition to giving to their local church and missions. Ephesians 4:28 specifically says we work to support ourselves and our families, AND to have something “to give him who has need.” Giving money to strangers on the street is almost certainly not the wisest way to do this, since many of those who solicit such donations are irresponsible people whom we would be encouraging to remain irresponsible. A better way is to give through a respected ministry that assists the poor—while also giving the gospel! Giving extra to one’s local church designating it for “benevolence” is one way. Giving to the Ventura County Rescue Mission, or Joni and Friends is another. Another is to give extra to one of the healthcare sharing ministries to help people weighed down by medical expenses.

These are two categories of giving. Next time I’ll share one motive for giving…