Did you know that only 5% of Christians tithe? According to a Barna study that has been true since about 2000. And the average United Methodist gives under 2% of their income to the church. Tithing is giving 10% of your resources to God's work. So if all Christians tithed there would be a big difference in resources available for God's work.
Just within our medium sized church there would be a large increase in resources. The average net income in Williamsburg is around $45,000 a year. We have 200 families in our congregation. So if every family tithed on that average amount, we would have $900,000 a year for God's ministry. Our current general budget is $265,000.
Noticing the extra $600,000 I went to the United Methodist Advance webpage, which lists ministries around the world that need support to continue God's good work. You can check it out if you want at The Advance. You can look by ministry type or by region. We could support hospitals in foreign countries or clinics here in America. We could support orphanages in Haiti, teach farming in underdeveloped countries, and get fresh drinking water to people all over the world. We could work towards ending malaria or other diseases. The possibilities are endless.
However, I also know there is more to tithing than just the numbers. If all Christians tithed that would let me know that all Christians have a better understanding that everything we have actually belongs to God. 100% belongs to God and yet He gives it to us to use. We then make the decision on how God's resources are used. And when we tithe we can change the world. We can direct God's resources to His work. And we do this because we were created in the image of a generous God. God gave his Son for our salvation. God believes through giving the world will be changed and we can make that happen as well when we are generous and give.
Let me know if you have any questions on tithing, and imagine the possibilities. We could change the world if we all decided to tithe.