There is nothing in this world that's truly ours, all is for God (Psalm 24:1 "The Earth's is the Lord's , and everything in it, and all who live in it"). As a church we believe that giving your tithes, offering and first fruit is an essential part of the lifestyle of every believer. These are three things that honor the heart of God.
A tithe is 10% of your weekly or monthly income that is offered to God (Leviticus 27:30 "And all the tithe (tenth part) of the land, whether the seed of the land or the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord."). It is calculated from what we already earned and is a reflection of our past productivity. It is given in faith for protection over what we have already earned. The tithe is a thanksgiving for what we already have.
A first fruit is an offer to the Lord, the first, weekly or monthly income you receive at the beginning of the year which is in January. (Proverbs 3:9-10 " Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your crops (income); Then your barns will be abundantly filled And your vats will overflow with new wine."). The first fruit is offered in relationship to what God wants us to have. It declares our future productivity, it is given in faith for protection over what we are going to earn and it looks forward to what we are going to receive. It is an investment into your future.
An offering is everything else you give beyond your tithes and first fruit. You are not compelled or forced to give, (2 Corinthians 9:7 "Let each one give [thoughtfully and with purpose] just as he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver [and delights in the one whose heart is in his gift].")
By obeying God's word and giving, you are worshipping Him. Every offer to the Lord is used for the maintenance of the church building, resources for education and training, missionary work and the spread of Christ's mission and commission to win souls and make disciples. At the end of the year, each giver upon request receives a statement of giving for tax purposes.
