Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Hebrews 11:1, 6
The Faith Promise approach to giving is often credited to A.B. Simpson, a 19th-century Canadian preacher and the founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance. Simpson based the model on 2 Corinthians 10:15–16: “Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand, so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else’s territory.”
Some churches base their faith promise giving on 2 Corinthians 8–9 and the way churches in the New Testament gave money to help other churches. The following are some FAITH PROMISE PRINCIPLES from that text.
- Before we give our money we must first give ourselves to the Lord (8:5).
- We are to give out of our need rather than out of our excess. (8:2).
- Our willingness to give demonstrates our desire to further the work of God (8:4; 9:12-13).
- Our giving demonstrates our debt of gratitude for all that Christ has done for us (8:8-9; 9:15).
- Faith giving allows believers to give “beyond their power”. God promises the power to abound in giving just as He promises the power to abound in other Christian graces. (8:2-3, 7).
- Everyone, regardless of age or financial resources, is able to participate. No one is exempt. (8:7; 9:7).
- The attitude of our giving must be cheerful (9:5, 7).
- Generous giving produces greater blessings in our lives. (9:6,8,10).
- Faith giving trusts God to supply the gift from His limitless resources (2 Corinthians 9:8).
- Faith giving results in God’s kingdom being expanded and God Himself being glorified. (2 Corinthians 9:11-3).
The Faith Promise Offering is above and beyond your tithe. There is a difference between tithes and offerings. Tithes are God’s method for believers to provide financial support for their local church. Faith Promise Offering is a freewill offering above and beyond your tithes.
The Faith Promise offering is not a pledge. Some churches raise money for the church budget through “pledges” that are usually expected and sometimes required. (At times, church members were visited in their homes to ensure that these pledges were collected!)
A pledge is between the individual and the church. The Faith Promise Offering is between the individual and the Lord. The individual is never asked what they promised to give or to give what they promised. A Faith Promise Offering is totally voluntary and is based upon what the believer purposes in his heart to give and is dependent upon the Lord’s supply.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
- First, prayerfully consider the Faith Promise amount that you can trust God to provide for the year to come. Put your faith in God’s power to provide, not your own power or resources. Also, remember that the Faith Promise offering is to be above and beyond your regular giving to the church (tithe). Please do not rob Peter to pay Paul.
- Once the amount is clear in your heart, fill out your Faith Promise card.
- Every member of the family is encouraged to complete their own Faith Promise card, including a separate card for children and youth.
- The Faith Promise Offering is a one-year commitment.
- Individuals are encouraged to give a weekly gift. (Smaller gifts given every week can add up to a significant amount. For example, a child giving $10 each week will end up giving $520 dollars to the Lord’s work in a year.)
- Keep track of your giving using the Faith Promise card provided by the church.