At Ebe, our vision is to be ‘continually reproducing the life of Jesus’, and to do this we need to be people who are willing to devote time, energy and money to this exciting purpose.

We believe that giving a proportion of our personal income to the church is an important part of Christian commitment and something the Bible clearly teaches. The Biblical principle of tithing, or giving the first 10% of your income to God, is first mentioned in Genesis. Many Christians still take this as their starting point for their giving and have found that God cares extravagantly for those who give in this way.

2 Corinthians 9:6-13 gives some good reasons to give:

• Generous giving generates many resources (v6)
• We experience God’s love and favour (v7)
• We experience more of God’s grace (v8)
• It results in thanksgiving to God (v11)
• People’s needs are met (v12)
• The Gospel can be widely shared (v13)

How to give

The Bible encourages us to be systematic in our giving. The guidelines in 1 Corinthians 16:2 encourage us to give

• Regularly: choose a set time interval for your giving, eg weekly or monthly, perhaps according to how you are paid.
• Proportionately: the proportion we give is far more significant than the amount.

What happens to the money?

Stewarding God’s money well is a high priority. The finance team, Andrew Tett (treasurer) and John Payton, make every effort to ensure money is used responsibly and wisely. Checks are in place to ensure money is used well and copies of the accounts are made available to the church.

How to give at Ebe

• By Standing Order: Systematic giving by monthly standing order is the most helpful way for us as a church, as this enables us to budget and plan ahead more effectively, knowing the regular amounts coming in. Please fill in a Standing Order form, which you can get by contacting the Church Office
• Gift Aid Declaration: If you are a UK taxpayer, signing a Gift Aid Declaration enables us to claim back tax worth 28% on top of your gift. This provides a significant increase in the church’s income at no extra cost to you. If your tax position changes, please advise the Treasurer.
• Giving envelopes: If you have signed a Gift Aid Declaration, you will have chosen a unique number. If you want to give by either cash or cheque, please use an envelope with your number written on it. Envelopes can be placed in the offering bags or sent to the church office.
• Cash or cheque: These can be placed in the offering bags or sent to the church office. Cheques payable to ‘Ebenezer Evangelical Church’.