Giving Opportunities
Thanks for visiting the online giving portion of our website. Before you scroll down to check out the giving options, we’d like to chat with you a bit about the American church’s all-they-ever-talk-about-is-money reputation. The last thing we want to do is reinforce that perception – because it’s simply not true of our church.
At the same time, it’s also not true that we actively avoid conversations about money. And we don’t apologize for teaching about or asking for money because:
- we acknowledge that everything we have ultimately belongs to God, and scripture teaches us that it’s right and good to give back a portion of “our” stuff to Him. In our context, that means giving a planned portion (“tithe”) of our income toward the general ministry budget here at Kearney FUMC. People also make pledges to “above and beyond” the tithe giving by supporting our capital campaigns that help us build and pay for the facilities that house our ministries.
- we believe that following Christ requires that we swim upstream against the flow of our materialistic culture. We can only do this by centering our lives…our giving and our spending…around our love for God and our commitment to Christ.
- along with reading the Bible, praying, serving others, and attending worship regularly, financial giving is a spiritual discipline – one that allows us to trust and experience God’s care for even the smallest details of our lives.
- practically speaking, ministry gets a bit tricky without funding. Apart from the financial support of our church family, we couldn’t offer our many life-changing ministries (worship experiences, Sunday School, VBS, Youth Ministry, hands-on service and mission opportunities). To be honest, without your financial faithfulness, we couldn’t even keep the lights on in the place, much less support a pastor in Mozambique, assist a church in Belize, or serve the needy people in Mokkatam “Garbage City” Egypt.
So, if you’re ready to give this giving thing a go, keep on reading.
Ways To Give At Kearney First UMC
During Worship Services - All of our worship services include an offering time, so if you’re not at all interested in online giving, no worries…you can always personally drop your offering in the plates as an act of devotion to Christ.
ACH (for automatically recurring donations)
– If you consistently leave your checkbook on the kitchen counter as you walk out the door for church, you’re a great candidate for automatic bank withdrawals. Some in our church have already taken advantage of this simple, hassle-free way to fulfill their pledges and be consistent givers. You may elect to have your donation debited semi-monthly or monthly. Please
download the ACH Form. Attach a voided check to your completed form, and bring it to the church office during the week or drop it by the office or in the offering plate (in an envelope) while you’re here for weekend worship.
Online Giving (for one-time or non-recurring donations)
– Please click to make an
online donation.
Straight Talk About Stewardship and Generosity
One of the core practices that we embrace at Kearney First United Methodist Church is “Extravagant Generosity”. We believe that God set the ultimate example of how to give by the sacrificial offering of His very own Son for us (Ephesians 5:2). We also believe that the primary purpose of financial stewardship is not to raise money for the church, but to change our lives. How we deal with our money and possessions is an essential part of our conversion into a way of living as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
For many of us, becoming faithful trustees of the resources God has committed to us can be hindered by the pull of our materialistic culture, a lack of knowledge about wise financial practices, and the need for effective tools to implement. We’d like to offer a few helpful suggestions for growing in the life-changing grace and joy of giving.
Getting Started
- Thank God for the many ways that He provides for your needs.
- Budget a specific amount of money each week or month to give to God’s work as a response to God’s love and generosity in your own life.
- Consider participating in the Financial Peace University group offered here at Kearney FUMC.
Going Deeper
- Make a commitment to move toward tithing 10% of your income to God’s work. Set a percentage to begin with, such as 5%, and begin to make regular gifts in that amount. Identify when you plan to take your next step in moving toward a full tithe.
- Consider how the remainder of your income is spent. Your giving, your savings and your spending should be centered around your commitment to Christ. John Wesley, the founder of the early Methodist movement said, “Earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can.” He personally modeled modest living and sacrificial giving…a worthy example for us all.
Centering on Christ
- Give the first 10% of all your income to God’s work. Be responsive to God’s voice to give beyond the tithe when prompted to do so.
- Consider how all of your financial assets and personal talents, not just a portion of your income, could be used by God to further His kingdom.
- Make a provision in your estate plan for a portion of your assets to be given to God’s work after your death as a lasting legacy and testimony to your investment in the treasures of heaven and the ongoing work of Christ in the world.
- Ask God to show you how your life could be defined by generosity. Begin to live into that vision.
