I've been attending the church here for some time and each time they pass the "red bag" around (see video), I tend to feel a little uncomfortable. It could be because when my friend brought me there some time back, she told me that normally, everyone gives something, no matter how small. Since she has gone back to China, I have been going to church on my own... and I am kind of at a lost as to how much to give.
Usually I give two dollars or so but today I realized that I did not have any small change and I gave a five dollar note. While the giving has never been an issue for me, five dollars is quite a big sum for me. Some friends tell me they normally give about 10% of their salary. This means about SGD95 for me each month and this can be quite painful on my wallet.... especially when every month, my finance is so tight and I am sending almost every dollar I earn back home.
Some people tell me that the more you give, the more you are blessed! Is this true?
Is giving a norm in church? Is 10% too much, too little? I really have a lot of questions and I hope some readers can enlighten me.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
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you should use two guide lines when giving to a church. one, how much can you afford without hurting yourself and your family, two how much good do you think that particular church does with the money you contribute? a dollar will all way's do more good if given directly to a need than if you filter it through a middle man like a church or other charity. but if like most people you dont know anyone in need to give directly then you use a charity to do your good. so you need to assess according to how well you think your church does. the church uses the contribution to pay expenses first then it "should" use whats left over to meet the needs of the community. this can be a guide as to how much to give. i have not given any sometimes, either because i was too poor or i did not agree with what the particular church did with the money.
ReplyDeleteHi Li Jing, 我同意peter的说法和提议。在你的能力范围给吧，一、两块是可以接受的，不要觉得不好意思。你知道吗，最近有一个教会把3亿（可想象它多富有！）投资在新达城， 正在被商业事务局调查。所以，我觉得把几块钱捐给路边的卖纸巾老人或残疾人士也是件很有意义的事，不一定要给教会才算是积福。
ReplyDelete谢谢, Peter and Bee Yong for your comments! I always learn from the wisdom of my readers!
ReplyDeleteLi Jing
ReplyDeleteWould suggest giving some amount which makes you cheerful and not burdensome.
the verse is God loves a cheerful giver.
God blesses based on what is your heart and not amount. Take care.
God bless
Hi 李静... There is a chinese saying '舍得', meaning 有'舍'才有'得'. Your returns are multifolds of what you give. Give within your means and with your heart. What they do with your donation is not within your control so do do not worry about it. For example if a mere 10% of your donation is used to help the needy but if you do not give for whatever reason, the needy will not even receive that mere 10%... Just my two cents' worth... Have a good weekend ahead!
ReplyDeleteThank you "Instant Fotos"... wise indeed!
ReplyDelete