A word from Pastor Lourey on what Mission shares is to us as a church family and what tithing could mean to you:
Mission Share Giving: What’s in it for our Church?
Trains lay speakers, subsidizes seminary education for your clergy, provides youth ministry, provides health benefits for retired and disabled clergy and families, helps start new churches, helps identify grant money for churches, provides consultants for churches, stewardship training, develops curriculum for Sunday schools, provides scholarship, develops Disciple Bible Study, trains and develops missionaries, provides counsel for treasurers and trustees, maintains resource library, appoints a pastor to your church, administers pension and health benefits and local church insurance programs, works for an inclusive denomination, provides equitable and strategic compensation to pastors, supports 4 camps and a conference center, holds annual conference sessions, and much , much more!
Mission Share Giving: What’s in it for others?
Undergirds UMCOR so that disaster relief can be delivered, funds Health Clinics, sends out 1,812 missionaries around the world, supports urban ministry in Boston, Lynn, Lawrence, Portland, Worcester, Providence and more, supports rural ministries throughout New England, helps send Volunteers in Mission throughout the US and abroad, supports covenants with the West Angola Conference and la Inglesia de Cristo en Nicaragua, supports Africa University, advocates for a living wage, helps women experiencing crises, opposes use of landmines, works to eradicate racism, feeds hungry children and families in our Conference and beyond, supports economic ministries in Western Maine, supports ministries to college students, advocates for our environment, opposes the death penalty, opposes legalized gambling, provides scholarships for students around the world, funds 225 retirement homes, 70 hospitals, 8 two year colleges, 82 four-year colleges, and 13 seminaries, and much, much more!
10% Tithing Prayers, Presence, Gifts, Service, and Witness!
Tithing is the practice of giving away 10% of your wealth. In the Israelite communities, this was a portion of your livelihood—crop, animals, etc., that would provide for the Levites, who spent their lives studying and looking after the temple. Over the years, tithers have found that extravagant generosity has radically increased their joy, freedom, and sense of abundance. As our communities have grown larger, farther apart, and more diverse, we have also expanded our sense of “wealth” and “livelihood.” Methodists make a commitment to support God’s work in the world with Prayers, Presence, Gifts, Service, and Witness. Some of us will dare to tithe our material wealth. Others, our precious time. Others, our abilities and knowledge. Others, our talk through evangelism and advocacy. Others will tithe prayers by dedicating devotional time to envisioning the future of our ministry… WHAT WILL YOU DARE TO TITHE?!