Give

Child inquisitive

We don’t require anyone to give to be part of Above Bar Church! But we do think that God calls Christians to support each other and to give financially to support the work of his church.

Because we are an independent church, members and other supporters provide the bulk of our finances, often through sacrificial giving. They don’t do this because they feel pressured by the church, but because they want to thank God for all he has done for them. They want to support the work he is doing in Above Bar Church and they believe that the Bible calls us to give all we have to God.

Where giving goes

The money the church receives goes towards the whole range of our ministry activities. For instance: it provides materials for the children’s and youth work, it pays the salaries of the staff, it keeps the lights on (and much more!) in the church building, it helps support church members in difficult situations. We also support a number of church members in mission and organisations in Southampton which provide for people in need. You can contact the church treasurer if you’d like to find out more about where money given is spent.

How to give

Please pray and consider carefully the contribution you would like to make. Deciding how much you give isn’t decreed by the leadership team; it is between you and God.

We welcome gifts made to Above Bar Church:

• In the offering in Sunday services (in a Gift Aid envelope, if that is appropriate).
• By standing order (please contact the church office and ask them to send you a standing order form and a Gift Aid form).

If you would like to consider setting aside a legacy to Above Bar Church, please speak to the church treasurer.

Why regular giving isn’t a burden

Here are 7 principles from 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, explained in John Stott’s The Grace of Giving:

1. It is an expression of the grace of God: our giving shows that God’s grace has worked within us.
2. It can be a gift of the Spirit: some Christians have a specific gift of being generous givers.
3. It is inspired by the cross of Christ: our giving reflects Christ’s giving of himself.
4. It contributes to equality: our giving reduces how much we have but increases the amount those in need have.
5. It resembles a harvest: if we sow generously, we reap generously.
6. It has symbolic significance: our giving shows that we look beyond racial, class, nationalistic preconceptions (in the case of the Corinthians it was symbolic that Gentiles gave to Jews).
7. It promotes thanksgiving to God: people praise God when Christians meet their needs.

If you’d like to think more about giving, why not read The Grace of Giving (available from our book shop, or from 10ofthose.com), or listen to David Abernethie’s helpful talk from September 2011.