Our Gifts
Moving. Growing. Doin
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We give because we’ve been given to…
We give in response to what has been given us.
Christian stewardship is a spiritual discipline, both individually and collectively within the membership of a congregation. At Mayflower, we believe we are stewards of the resources that have been given to us, and take seriously our responsibility to use those resources for the good of all. Mayflower’s Stewardship Ministry encourages all congregants to consider their need to invest in the church and our wider community, and encourages spiritual discernment in budgeting.
Our Church Council, our Finance Committee, and other leaders continue to make giving outside our church community an important priority. Our recent capital campaign allocated 20% of the resulting funds for benevolence, and enabled us to donate our land for the building of Creekside Commons. We also take in special offerings during the church year for benevolence, including our Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter offerings.
Why Give?
All persons in a faith community are called to serve together as a ministry team—in a spirit of mutuality—striving to identify, develop, utilize and support the gifts of each person. This work together allows us to participate in God’s ongoing activity in our congregation, local community, our nation and the wider world.
Christian stewardship is a spiritual discipline, both individually and collectively within the membership of a congregation. Members of a faith community are invited to share the struggle of conscience of what it means to be a faithful steward in a culture where unbridled materialism is the norm.
How do you know how much to give?
Proportional Giving: As Christians, we are called to give in proportion to our income and the demands upon it, in proportion to our awareness of those who suffer, and in proportion to our sense of justice and of God’s ownership of all wealth. When we commit to give to God’s work through Mayflower, we renew our covenant with one another and with God.
Tithing: If we truly understand that everything we have comes from God, then we are simply giving back to God part of what we have been given. A tithe of 10% of one’s income has traditionally been the amount Christians have been encouraged to give back to God. The Stewardship Ministry suggests you give according to the “modern” tithe, which means you share approximately 5% with the church and 5% with other charities of your choice.
For a Giving Worksheet, click here.
For Giving Worksheet instructions, click here.
For a Giving Worksheet sample, click here.
