By Briana Bass, Christian Romance Author, Devotional Writer & Certified Professional Coach

Passing the plate is ubiquitous on Sunday mornings. Parents give children dollar bills to drop in while elderly congregants quickly sign checks before the plate passes them by.

There’s an expectation that everyone will give money every week to cover the expenses and outreach of the church. This expectation is unrealistic. Not every parishioner has the financial resources to tithe and not everyone can tithe up to ten percent of their income.
Yet the church is not always so understanding of this reality. Those who don’t drop something into the plate receive the stink eye. Even if you give money electronically, if you’re not putting physical items into the offering plate you somehow don’t measure up to the congregants around you.

Yes, the church needs money to function. The church also needs volunteers to keep it running. You can throw all the money in the world at the church but without the hands and feet of Jesus to use that money, it’s just a waste of resources.

Acts of Service

“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10 KJV). Did you read that? Stewards of grace, not stewards of finances. There’s so much more to serving our churches, communities, and the Lord than tithing money.

This is not to discourage you from giving money to the church. If you are financially able to do so, and you feel so compelled by the Lord, please donate towards your congregation’s general budget. But if financial tithing is not an option for you, there are many other ways to give back. You could teach a Sunday School class, or volunteer in the nursery, or serve as worship leader. If you’re unsure where your gifts could be used, ask your pastor or other church leaders.

Your time and energy are worth as much, if not more, than your money. There’s always the potential that you could make more money; there’s no way to make more time. Time is our greatest luxury. To use it to serve and worship God is one of its best uses. Yet humans undervalue time. In our minds, money always tops the list.

Faith and Works

We must adjust our way of thinking. Giving of our time and energy should carry more weight. Logically, we understand that our time on this earth is finite. We recognize that God has given each of us gifts to use for His good. And still we prioritize money over our time and spiritual gifts.

Remember, as James 2:17 says, it is faith and works, not faith and money, that go hand in hand. John 9:4 reinforces the importance of completing the work that God sets before us: “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work” (KJV). Why do we still emphasize financial tithing over works? Because the world puts so much importance on money.

If we are called to be of the world but not in it, to live separately and in a manner that delineates us as Christians, then money cannot be how we weigh our giving to the church. Again, the church needs money to keep the lights on, but it’s a moot point if there are no volunteers to lead programs.

Judgement Free Zone

It is not our place to judge others based on what they do or do not put in the offering plate. Nor is it our place to judge others based on the amount of time and energy they volunteer towards various church activities. Give and serve in whatever ways are best for you. Keep in mind that there’s no one way to do so.

God loves whatever you have to offer. We should strive to do the same, to love what we ourselves can give and to appreciate what others can give. Putting stipulations on or prioritizing what we tithe isn’t the way. Time, energy, and money are equally required to keep the church moving forward.