How much do you give at church?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I note that listing pledge amounts is gentle extortion btw.

It's really, really not. Pledges are a planning tool. Most non-Catholic churches do not get any diocesan support, and in fact usually have to donate (sometimes tithe) to the diocese.

Pledges allow churches to know whether they can hire in the upcoming year (or at least maintain current staff); whether they can tackle that big maintenance project they've probably been putting off for a few years; whether they can increase their missions work in their community or around the world. Our church estimates that, based on our current membership, that it costs about $4K per family to have the staff and buildings that we have. Some people can contribute more, offsetting the people who can contribute less. $4-5K annually is normal, and a small percentage of income in this area.

+1, people really need to understand that there's no one paying the bills but the congregation. And, since the church is member-run, both expenses and income should be made known to the members.

I agree that $20 in the plate is plenty if you're visiting, or going a couple times a year. But if you're a regular, and especially if your kid is in Sunday school, I think you have an obligation to both give and volunteer. The church does not run on $20 per week per family.

This.

We have families with very large incomes who come every week and have their children in Sunday School and youth group who give very little. They want all of the benefits while contributing nothing. A church is a community. The building, the bulletins, the maintenance on the historic organ that you like photographing and posting, that wonderful Sunday School program ... these things cost money. And at least in my church the people coming on Sunday are the only ones paying for it. Big surprise, those who are not pledging but expect every benefit (don't get me started on the mommies that show up to the summer party with their cameras, all set to post) are also the ones who have not volunteered a minute of their time. They think the flowers magically appear on the altar, and the organ magically gets fixed, and the finances are magically taken care of, and the Sunday School programing appears out of thin air...

People like you are why I don’t go to church. How “Christian” and judgmental of you.

Come on. That's not why you don't go to church. And if you don't go to church why are you so invested in this thread?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not all churches stress tithing.
Don't feel pressured.
Decide what the church attendance means to you and what portion of your charitable budget you want to allocate.
$20 is $1000 a year. That's not insubstantial.

Yes, it is, for a family that has an income of 160k per year. Many people in the DMV who have incomes of less than that spend that much on Starbucks.

For a casual churchgoer it's plenty. If the family commits to the community then they can pledge. I note that listing pledge amounts is gentle extortion btw. I give all our charitable contributions to be listed anonymously. Plus our HHI is about $250-300K and we give about 1% to charity. We are cheapasses in life leaving our estate to charity.

I can see why you do so anonymously. To say your are "cheapasses" is putting it lightly.

Yeah but we don't go to churches, use their schools or social functions or listen to those organs thst cost so much to maintain. We mail some checks off to bird sanctuaries, coral preservation groups, medical research. And cat shelters.

Then why are you cluttering this thread?

PP is not cluttering the thread. PP is responding, just as you and I are. This is not the religIOUS forum. It's the ReligION forum. You don't have to be religious to post here, just as you don't have to be a member of a political party to post on the politics forum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not all churches stress tithing.
Don't feel pressured.
Decide what the church attendance means to you and what portion of your charitable budget you want to allocate.
$20 is $1000 a year. That's not insubstantial.

Yes, it is, for a family that has an income of 160k per year. Many people in the DMV who have incomes of less than that spend that much on Starbucks.

For a casual churchgoer it's plenty. If the family commits to the community then they can pledge. I note that listing pledge amounts is gentle extortion btw. I give all our charitable contributions to be listed anonymously. Plus our HHI is about $250-300K and we give about 1% to charity. We are cheapasses in life leaving our estate to charity.

I can see why you do so anonymously. To say your are "cheapasses" is putting it lightly.

Yeah but we don't go to churches, use their schools or social functions or listen to those organs thst cost so much to maintain. We mail some checks off to bird sanctuaries, coral preservation groups, medical research. And cat shelters.

Then why are you cluttering this thread?

PP is not cluttering the thread. PP is responding, just as you and I are. This is not the religIOUS forum. It's the ReligION forum. You don't have to be religious to post here, just as you don't have to be a member of a political party to post on the politics forum.

DP, yes, they are cluttering the thread. I don't go on the car forum and post that I never change my oil [unstated: because I don't have a car] or go on the home forum and post that I never replace the carpet [because I rent].

You don't have to be anything to post anywhere, this site is free. But annoying posters can and should be told off, which is also free.

[Anonymous]

We’ll give $40,000 to the church and about $5-8,000 to other organizations. Household income around $400,000.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not all churches stress tithing.
Don't feel pressured.
Decide what the church attendance means to you and what portion of your charitable budget you want to allocate.
$20 is $1000 a year. That's not insubstantial.

Yes, it is, for a family that has an income of 160k per year. Many people in the DMV who have incomes of less than that spend that much on Starbucks.

For a casual churchgoer it's plenty. If the family commits to the community then they can pledge. I note that listing pledge amounts is gentle extortion btw. I give all our charitable contributions to be listed anonymously. Plus our HHI is about $250-300K and we give about 1% to charity. We are cheapasses in life leaving our estate to charity.

I can see why you do so anonymously. To say your are "cheapasses" is putting it lightly.

Yeah but we don't go to churches, use their schools or social functions or listen to those organs thst cost so much to maintain. We mail some checks off to bird sanctuaries, coral preservation groups, medical research. And cat shelters.

Then why are you cluttering this thread?

PP is not cluttering the thread. PP is responding, just as you and I are. This is not the religIOUS forum. It's the ReligION forum. You don't have to be religious to post here, just as you don't have to be a member of a political party to post on the politics forum.

DP, yes, they are cluttering the thread. I don't go on the car forum and post that I never change my oil [unstated: because I don't have a car] or go on the home forum and post that I never replace the carpet [because I rent].

You don't have to be anything to post anywhere, this site is free. But annoying posters can and should be told off, which is also free.

Judgemental Christians like you are the only ones who should be told off 😇 So much for WWJD...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not all churches stress tithing.
Don't feel pressured.
Decide what the church attendance means to you and what portion of your charitable budget you want to allocate.
$20 is $1000 a year. That's not insubstantial.

Yes, it is, for a family that has an income of 160k per year. Many people in the DMV who have incomes of less than that spend that much on Starbucks.

For a casual churchgoer it's plenty. If the family commits to the community then they can pledge. I note that listing pledge amounts is gentle extortion btw. I give all our charitable contributions to be listed anonymously. Plus our HHI is about $250-300K and we give about 1% to charity. We are cheapasses in life leaving our estate to charity.

I can see why you do so anonymously. To say your are "cheapasses" is putting it lightly.

Yeah but we don't go to churches, use their schools or social functions or listen to those organs thst cost so much to maintain. We mail some checks off to bird sanctuaries, coral preservation groups, medical research. And cat shelters.

Then why are you cluttering this thread?

PP is not cluttering the thread. PP is responding, just as you and I are. This is not the religIOUS forum. It's the ReligION forum. You don't have to be religious to post here, just as you don't have to be a member of a political party to post on the politics forum.

DP, yes, they are cluttering the thread. I don't go on the car forum and post that I never change my oil [unstated: because I don't have a car] or go on the home forum and post that I never replace the carpet [because I rent].

You don't have to be anything to post anywhere, this site is free. But annoying posters can and should be told off, which is also free.

Judgemental Christians like you are the only ones who should be told off 😇 So much for WWJD...

+1. although pp is likely to be Christian, since they are in the majority in the US, it applies to any religion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We give $100 a week via ACH. That's about standard at our Episcopal Church (I served on stewardship for many years and could see pledge amounts but not tied to any names). There are some giving less and some giving more. I don't see many pledges less than $2K a year.

Also Episcopal and also have insight into this. I also have not seen many pledges under 2k. I'll add that most of them at our church were between 2k and 5k. And this was a well off congregation so people are not pledging anywhere near 10 percent.

We are also members of an Episcopal church with a congregation that has diverse income levels (at least I think so-there are federal employees and nonprofit types in addition to white color professionals). We give around $7,000 annually and I donate my time. According to the annually published giving levels, we are in the top half of giving, but not by much. About half give more, and about half give less.

We also donate to other organizations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:10% is the standard

no it is not, ours suggests 2%.

Yes, it is. Read Leviticus 27:30. 10% is the minimum for a number of faiths. Mormonism, for example.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:10% is the standard

If you are LDS or certain brands of evangelical. It’s not an expectation at most churches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:10% is the standard

If you are LDS or certain brands of evangelical. It’s not an expectation at most churches.

IOW, that's not how much you give, right? and you feel OK about it.