Attitudes Towards Giving

Three Attitudes Toward Giving

Three wide-spread attitudes about giving need more careful attention from church leaders. Probably all three types are in every congregation. The job of the leader is to move people higher up the ladder, no matter where they start today. A good stewardship sermon will reach people in each category, and help all of them to move ahead.

The "Dues" Attitude. The first attitude is that of paying one's dues. The basic thought here is something like the following: "I am paying the equivalent of a membership fee, and in exchange for it I am receiving something from the church." The "something" could be a general warm feeling or it could be a deeply moving inspiration. It might be a sense of ensuring the availability of the pastoral offices, such as Baptism, Holy Matrimony, or Burial of the Dead. Or it could be that the "giver" wants to establish eligibility for other benefits, such as pastoral counseling. Another motivation might be to buy entrance into a beneficial moral environment, which will help in the upbringing of one's children. Of course, nothing is wrong with wanting any of these things from the church. However, if the attitude of the person who is making a so-called gift to the church is that the person is only paying the fair share for what they are getting, then they are not really giving, they are only engaging in a purchase. While paying one's fair share for services received is more responsible than being a free-loader, it does not really deserve to be called giving. Moreover, there is plenty of biblical precedent for believing that a 'fair share" is ten percent of one's income.

The Goal-Oriented Attitude. A second attitude is that of one whose giving is motivated principally by the desire to see some particular thing done, perhaps helping those who have a particular need. A giver whose motivation is, for instance, to support feeding of the poor, or to support activities of the Sunday school (especially when the giver has no children in the Sunday
school), etc., is clearly giving charitably. One could refer to such giving as mission-motivated or, where applicable, as outreach-motivated. Such giving to benefit others is in accordance with the second of Jesus's summary commandments: "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

Giving Out of Thankfulness and Love for God. A third attitude is that of the person who is giving to God in gratitude for what the person has received from God. Here, the attitude is one of thankfulness, and of returning out of plenteousness. In the ideal, this person is giving without attention to which of God's purposes the gift will be used for. The giver here is giving up any control over the gift, even indirect control. It is only when the giver totally releases control that the transfer can really be called a gift. Part of the giver's attitude may be that the giver never felt that they owned what they are giving away. Think of the idea that:

"All things come of Thee, O Lord; of Thine own have we given Thee."

Ted Mollegen
Stewardship Committee
The Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut

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