Why You Should Give - Part 1

In this Tom’s Take and the next, I want to share with you four reasons you should consider making a one-time gift or becoming a monthly donor to Rebuilt. The first two will be in this edition and the next two in the following one. Although you may be tempted to stop reading, I encourage you to keep going because there will be some good spiritual nuggets that will serve you even if you don’t decide to support our ministry.

The First Reason to consider financial support of Rebuilt is because of your identity and who you are in Christ. You are reading this because you are a Christ follower. You know you bear the image of God, and God is a giver.

One of the most famous verses in the Bible (John 3:16) says, “God so loved the world he gave his only beloved Son.” God loves, so God gives. We become more like God every time we give. When we grow in generosity, we become more like our heavenly Father. Giving to Rebuilt is an opportunity to grow in generosity and become more like Christ.

This time of year serves as a great opportunity to review our generosity plans and how God is calling us to use our finances to build his kingdom. My wife Mia and I have discussed our giving and have recognized a change we need to make. We tithe to Nativity because we believe giving to your place of worship as an act of worship should be the top priority for disciples. While I hope you decide to support Rebuilt, my encouragement to you would be to make your parish your highest priority in giving.

Mia and I, of course, give to Rebuilt. We are also supporting the Wonder Campaign at Nativity, which is being undertaken to expand and improve our space for kids and student ministry. In addition, we give to a crisis pregnancy center because of our love for the unborn and women who need material and emotional support in their pregnancy. We have a strong connection to those organizations. We currently support two charities that help people in poverty, but we don’t have a close relationship with those organizations. So, before the end of the year, we plan to reallocate those funds to another charity.

I share our giving plan because I hope it will encourage you to pray about your own giving plan at this time of year. Is God calling you to expand your giving? Is he calling you to reallocate funds you have set aside for giving to other kingdom purposes? The end of the year is a good season for us as Christ followers to review and pray about how we are growing in generosity.

The Second Reason to support Rebuilt is because your life has been changed by it, or you see the impact it has and want it for other parishes. We could call this paying it forward. If you have grown closer to Christ, if you know the Lord better as a result of the methods that have been employed at Nativity or Rebuilt, then give so that others can have the same experience.

All of us want others to experience the good we have experienced in life. We especially want others to experience God’s love and grace. We know that Jesus makes our lives better and makes us better at life. We know that Jesus is our only hope in this life and the next. Jesus is our only hope for peace, joy, and to have a life of meaning and purpose.

The Church is God’s chosen instrument for others to come to know Jesus. At Rebuilt, we strengthen and encourage parish churches. We help them create weekend experiences and environments where people know God’s love in the person of Jesus Christ.

If you want other people to hear quality preaching that opens up the Scriptures, if you want others to experience music that moves hearts to worship, if you want others to experience a welcoming church community, if you want others to know the support and strength that comes from a small group community, if you want others to know the joy and blessing of service, I invite you to support our work at Rebuilt.

If you feel God is calling you to make a gift to Rebuilt, you can do so at rebuiltparish.com/give.

Thanks for taking the time to read. I hope these thoughts are helpful for you in your own personal faith and in teaching others about generosity.

As always
Rooting for you,
Tom