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Why

Should I Give

to My Church?

Jamie Dunlop

wheaton, illinois

Why Should I Give to My Church?

Published by Crossway

1300 Crescent Street

Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. Crossway® is a registered trademark in the United States of America.

Cover design: Jordan Singer

First printing 2021

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the author.

Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-7243-2

ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-7246-3

PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-7244-9

Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-7245-6

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Dunlop, Jamie, author.

Title: Why should I give to my church? / Jamie Dunlop.

Description: Wheaton, Illinois : Crossway, [2021] | Series: Church questions | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Subjects: LCSH: Christian giving.

Classification: LCC BV772 .D86 2021 (print) | LCC BV772 (ebook) | DDC 254/.8—dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020028969

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020028970

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Church Questions

Each one must give as he has decided in his

heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion,

for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is

able to make all grace abound to you, so

that having all sufficiency in all things at all

times, you may abound in every good work.

2 Corinthians 9:7–8

God Doesn’t Need Your Money (But He Cares That You Give)

The Question: Why Give?

Why should you give to your church? It’s an important question for two reasons. First, while giving seems as popular as ever in society, giving to a church is falling out of style. In the United States, at least, the portion of charitable giving going to churches dropped from 53 percent to 32 percent over the last thirty years.1 The average Christian today gives 2.5 percent of their income to their church, versus 3.3 percent during the Great Depression.2

But second, it’s an important question because the Bible’s answer is quite different from what we might expect. Answering this “why” question is critical if we’re going to answer other questions about giving, like how much you should give, to whom you should give, and how you should give.

Most of this book will focus on answering the “why” question. Then, with that foundation laid, we’ll ask what role your church ...

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About Why Should I Give to My Church?

Many new believers have questions about what it means to live as a Christian in the context of a local church, and pastors are looking for resources to pass along to their congregations to help them think biblically about the Christian life. Church Questions is a series by 9Marks that seeks to provide Christians with sound and accessible biblical teaching by answering common questions about church life. Each booklet offers biblical answers and practical applications with the goal of nurturing healthy church practice and commitment.

Statistics show that while charitable giving is as popular as ever in America, giving to the church has dropped significantly in the past several decades. However, the Bible stresses the importance of giving as Christians—specifically for the benefit of the local church. In this short booklet, Jamie Dunlop addresses the question Why should I give to my church?—stressing three primary reasons for Christians to consider: it is spiritually rewarding, it accomplishes God’s purposes, and it brings him glory.

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