What about Online Giving:
In an effort to make it easier for you to honor God financially, and to support New Life Fellowship, we've made a safe and secure way to give when you can't make it to the church personally. First and foremost, this option is to promote financial stewardship for those who have decided to follow Jesus; that is why the default setting is "Tithe." There are many books written on the principle of tithing; to try and explain it and compel you to honor God in this manner through this article wouldn't do it justice. However, we have many free resources at the church that you can take home with you. We encourage you to search the scriptures, consider the principles presented, and pray about the condition of your heart when it comes to God and your finances. For any of these resources, please see Pastor Joel, or Contact Us through the website. Some people in our church family are house-bound or shift-workers, and don't feel very comfortable sending their money through the mail. This is the second reason we've set up online giving. We've chosen to use PayPal as our provider because they are the most recognized, utilized, and the safest online payment service. Thirdly, we've chosen to provide online giving as a convenient and flexible means to pay for events; learning materials; and promotional materials for the church, such as: t-shirts, bracelets, bumper stickers, etc.How To Give Online
Pay online with a debit/credit card!
To the right, you’ll see a box titled “Online Giving.” Enter the amount and select the appropriate category from the drop-down menu (set to “Tithe” by default). Click “Donate” and you’ll be taken to PayPal’s secure transaction page where you can use your checking account, debit, or credit card to give!Not sure which category to choose? Scroll down for an explanation of each category.
Why Is There A Transaction Fee?
There’s a small transaction fee (2.2% + 0.30 per transaction) that is assessed for the convenience of receiving online payments through PayPal. This fee is automatically figured in and reflected when you enter the amount. Seeing as the primary use for online giving is for those that Tithe, we add the transaction fee (instead of incorporating it) to the amount designated for integrity purposes.You can play with the numbers to get an even amount. Let's use $100 as an example because it's easy to work with mathematically. $100 tithe means you got paid $1,000 (before taxes). When you enter $100 to the right though, you see that your total comes to $102.56 because of the transaction fee. You decide that you want an even $100 total though, so you enter $97.50. By reading this, you're aware now that you're not truly giving 10% of your Gross income to the local church, you're giving 9.75%... the rest goes to PayPal.
The word "tithe" literally means "ten percent," not 9.75% By adding the fee - we maintain a clear conscience, knowing that we're not "cheating God."No, you're not "tithing" 12.2% in the end... with a $1,000 paycheck, 12.2% would equal $122. You're not the only one that's asked. 😉
Understanding the Categories
Tithe
10% of your Gross Income. The reality of taxpayers in the USA is that Uncle Sam takes "his cut" off the top and doesn't trust you to pay your fair share. His cut pays for all kinds of stuff you may not even agree with, or find totally offensive (like abortion). God is not an arm twister or a "trickle-down" God; He really believes His people will want to give out of a thankful heart because they have been blessed. How much is the government skimming off the top of your paycheck? With God, we get to give 10%. With the government, we have to give 20% or more! You still have a choice - honor God first.Offering
Above and beyond the Tithe. This money goes to where it is needed most; be it the electric bill, supporting a missionary, or resources for one of our outreaches. Think of it as giving someone a gift, "Just because..."Missions
We desire to give more in Missions every year! Money given toward "Missions" goes toward any and all outreaches we do at New Life Fellowship. From giving out free Hot Cocoa in the annual Christmas parade; to supporting a Christian Camp that we send our kids/teens to in the summer; to providing necessities and an education to Robert and Erica in Africa... these monies are designated for events/people that spread the good news of Jesus Christ in practical, tangible ways. We like to refer to this category as an investment opportunity; after all, we're looking for a return on our efforts!Benevolence
Many in the church have expressed their desire to be able to give toward something during the week, when it's most needed, instead of having to wait for the weekend when they can give during church. Here's an example:John Doe, a faithful member and dear friend to many in the church, is in need of assistance due to a horrible storm that damaged much of his roof Monday night. John is not in a place to handle such expensive repairs so suddenly, and asks the church for help. Pastor makes some phone calls, someone puts out a notice on The City and Facebook, and in short order we assemble a work crew to fix John's roof. Those that can't do the physical labor, arrange to make meals and/or house John's family until the work is done. Others recognize that, though the labor is free, the materials for such a project are not; and they feel compelled to give to cover the costs. (This would be under the category" Benevolence" in this instance, because the money goes toward helping those in need.) Seeing as the church is overseeing the project, multiple people give to the church, and the church then pays the bills and gives a single check to John's family to help cover other expenses they may have incurred.
In this example, John's house was damaged on Monday night. People were on the roof, trying to prevent further damage by Tuesday afternoon. It could take 3-4 days to complete such a project; and the expenses are immediate. Being able to give online makes it more affordable and flexible for the church to help those in need, as the need arises, without getting upside down financially. (New Life is listed as a non-profit organization with the IRS for a reason: we don't make a profit.) This example isn't just wishful thinking, by the way; New Life has been able to help multiple families in such a manner due to the generous people that attend. This is just one benefit of having a church family: receiving support when you can't support yourself.