Ministry vs the Church

[NSMinistries]

How would you react if your church said you are robbing God by using your money in your ministry instead of titheing it to the church you have a membership at?

[Socrates]

NSMinistries asked:

"How would you react if your church said you are robbing God by using your money in your ministry instead of titheing it to the church you have a membership at?"

Tell them to go take a flying! :p

[Jaltus]

It depends on what they mean by robbing God. If my ministry is in fact for God, then they are wrong. However, if the church is floundering even though it is doing the work of God, then they would have a point.

My wife and I go to a church where it is currently in the black by a solid amount, so our money goes to some friends of ours who are missionaries. We do not "tithe" (which is not an NT doctrine anyway) to our church since it does not need it. Our money is better spent on a struggling couple in the Philippines who is expecting their first child.

Bottom line, it comes down to the motivation of the church saying such a thing and the motivation of your ministry (not that I am questioning yours, just setting down what I think is a solid guidline).

[NSMinistries]

Jaltus:
It depends on what they mean by robbing God. If my ministry is in fact for God, then they are wrong. However, if the church is floundering even though it is doing the work of God, then they would have a point.

My wife and I go to a church where it is currently in the black by a solid amount, so our money goes to some friends of ours who are missionaries. We do not "tithe" (which is not an NT doctrine anyway) to our church since it does not need it. Our money is better spent on a struggling couple in the Philippines who is expecting their first child.

Bottom line, it comes down to the motivation of the church saying such a thing and the motivation of your ministry (not that I am questioning yours, just setting down what I think is a solid guidline).

Thank you for your input. My church is currently and most definatly in the black. They are adding a 7 million dollar addition to the building and have no problems there. What they teach/feel is if you do not tithe you are robbing God of what is his. Even though the money is going to projects like food baskets and the like ( and yes I admit to pay for my site ) they look at it as stealing. I have had many disagreements with them on this and still have the feeling that since a ministry is not church sponcered it is not in the service of Christ.

Again Thank you for your thoughts. They have helped...

[Captain Ochre]

Theoretically, you could come right back at them & say that they are robbing God if they don't support your ministry.

:)

Soapbox time:
It's a problem when the organized church feels like it has dibs on your charity cash, when the organized church is flubbing its myriad responsibilities so sensationally that thousands of parachurch organizations spring up to take up the slack.
Oh? What's that?
Step down now?
Okay.