Ronald Sider in his recent book, The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience, makes the following observation based on statistical analysis of the giving patterns of American Christians by a couple named John and Sylvia Ronsvalle:
“American Christians live in the richest nation on earth and enjoy an average household income of $42,409. The World Bank reports that 1.2 billion of the world’s poorest people try to survive on just one dollar a day. At least one billion people have never heard the gospel. The Ronsvalles point out that if American Christians just tithed, they would have another $143 billion available to empower the poor and spread the gospel. Studies by the United Nations suggest that just an additional $70 - $80 billion a year would be enough to provide access to essential services like basic health care and education for all the poor of the earth. If they did no more than tithe, American Christians would have the private dollars to foot this entire bill and still have $60 - $70 billion more to do evangelism around the world.”
But the reality is that American Christians do not even tithe their income to their local church. According to recent surveys by George Barna, the average evangelical Christian in America gives less than 3% of their income on an annual basis to their church. And less than 9% of all evangelical Christians actually give 10% or more on an annual basis to their church. With statistics like that it is obvious why the average church in America cannot meet the basic needs of its own operating budget, let alone the needs of missions causes outside the local church.
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But another issue is, it Americans did tithe would the church use that money for healthcare and education or would the church get a bigger building, better sounds system,and a latte bar?
God's desire is that our cups overflow. That means that the original vessel is full and through it's overflowing, others around are also taken care of. Picture a waterfall with many tiers and you will see that one tier cannot fill another until it is filled. If a church with a great sound system and a latte bar still can reach out to its community, then I would say that it comes from overflow and abundance. But a small religious mind would be upset seeing these items in a church. I believe that with our giving and God multiplying it, that there is no reason that we should not be living in abundance and overflowing. A church that is 'poor' and gives from it's LACK is not necessarily a holier church than the one who has a great sound system and a latte bar and gives from it's ABUNDANCE.
One of the elder religious leaders in Spokane said something quite similar to me about our endeavor to provide a coffee shop atmosphere in our building in East Central.
He informed me that such things have been tried and more enlightened men have come to the conclusion that we should be going to the coffee shops that are already full of people than trying to create new ones. We should go to them instead of expecting them to come to us.
The smugness was pungent. I simply reminded him that for the rich (who drive and can afford such prices) that's fine but for the poor it simply isnt a reality. He paused..."Oh yah, the poor"...
he mumbled some face saving religious somehting or other...I just left.
Wow...back down...lol. I'm not saying don't have a latte bar as long as the church is also giving money back to the community. Churches have become a money pit instead of taking the money and putting it back into the community. How many churches have a tutoring program or scholarships? How many churches have a health clinic or give money to one? I really don't think if everyone started to tithe that much would change besides the church building would be bigger, high tech, and pretty to look at.
Interesting subject and responses.
It is sadening to me that some of our churches today have caused a cynical attitude. I won't deny the accusations, but, lucky me, I have been around lots of Christian leaders who know precisly what to do with money and have brought much glory to God in the community and world wide. Take heart, there are still devoted Pastors and lay people out there laboring for Christ and sacrificing as well.
I'm proud of the work my church does and pretty darn proud of this little light in East Central Spokane.
I know good Christians beating their brains out trying to find ways to help others, some are my blood and some are like blood. People that live in ways I couldn't, and they do it for God. And if they can provide a place of refuge and love God's knows they are trying. This is the way I see Jacob's Well, even I have never been there. I hear people talk a lot about better ways to do things, that's for college kids, we're in the world and it's up to us, not someone who thinks they have a better way they won't bother putting into action. Talk is cheap... I'm in the middle of people fighting a war, some are in Spokane, some in old-folks homes, and some are in Karen State, fire is fire, love is love. God bless them all. Keep on. ~Matt
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