Giving

How do I give to Countryside?

Since we don’t pass an offering plate or talk a lot about giving, this is one of the most common question we hear. There are several ways you can give here at CBC.

1. In-person on Sunday

Near each exit door in the Worship Center, you will find a small mail slot in the wall marked Offering. You can drop your check in the slot with or without an envelope. You can also include cash, but if you want your gift attributed to you for tax purposes, please be sure to first put the cash into an envelope with your name.

2. Online through SubSplash

You can give by your debit card, credit card, or e-check via our online giving portal. Recurring gifts can be set up on the Give page in your online account.

3. Online through your bank

Many of our members and regular attenders have found it convenient to set up automatic electronic checks through their online banking. If you prefer this method, please check with your bank’s website for details.

4. In-person during business hours, or by mail.

The church office is open Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 am–5:00 pm. Feel free to drop your gift by during those hours. You can also mail your check to the church's address.

5. Donate stock or other assets.

If you wish to donate stock or other assets to Countryside Bible Church, you can transfer investments directly to our account. Please contact our church's Accounting Administrator at (817) 488-5381 for instructions.

What does the Bible say about giving?

Although NT believers are not commanded to tithe, we are commanded to give to the Lord from our hearts in keeping with God’s prescribed plan. The NT teaching on giving occurs primarily in three passages: 1 Cor. 16:1–4, 2 Cor. 8–9, and Phil. 4:14–19. But 1 Cor. 16:1–4 provides an especially helpful summary of the basic principles of NT giving…

1. Our Lord commands every Christian to give.

In 1 Cor. 16:1, Paul directed the churches of Galatia, Macedonia, and Greece to give. In verse 2, he requires that everyone in the Corinth church put aside and save in order to give: “each one of you.” No one was exempt. So giving, then, is a universal command for all Christians. Although the NT doesn't tell us how much to give—that's between you and the Lord—it does demand that every Christian systematically and regularly give from what God has given to him. This is an issue of obedience. We must choose to obey our Lord. As Paul told the Philippians, it’s not that as the elders we desire your gift itself. God will supply the needs of His church with or without you and me. But we seek the spiritual benefit that increases to your account.

2. Our giving must be consistent and systematic.

Paul taught in verse 2 that we are to give “on the first day of every week.” That implies that 1) our giving is to be part of the regular corporate worship of the church; and 2) that it is to be consistent and systematic. That doesn’t mean we have to divide our monthly giving into 4 equal parts, so we can give each week. But our giving must not be occasional or haphazard.

3. Our giving should primarily flow through the church.

In 1 Cor. 16:1 Paul says that the collection is to take place in the church in Corinth, just “as [he] directed the churches of Galatia.” These were common instructions Paul gave each church under his charge. In fact, in verse 3, Paul refers to the collections taken at Corinth as “your gift” (singular). This doesn’t mean that we can never give outside of the church. There are examples of that in the NT (e.g., Matt. 6:2; Jam. 2:15–16; 1 John 3:17). Still, our giving should be primarily to and through the church.

4. Our giving should be a reflection of our financial ability and a free decision.

As NT believers, how do we determine how much to give? In verse 2, Paul taught that our giving is to be “as [we] may prosper.” The amount we choose to give should reflect our current financial circumstances. Although every Christian must give regularly, some may only be able to give a small amount because of their current income. Others, whom God has significantly prospered, are to give generously in keeping with God’s generosity toward them. In 2 Cor. 9:7, Paul adds a second criterion for deciding how much we give: “as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” So we are to give in keeping with our income and whatever we decide before the Lord to give.

5. As a church, we should direct our corporate giving toward God’s established priorities.

There are three primary priorities for how the church is to invest its resources:

1. Supporting the ministry of the local church. This begins with providing for those who minister the Word (1 Tim. 5:17; cf. 1 Cor. 9:3–14; Gal. 6:6). But it also includes everything necessary for the functioning of the church.
2. Supporting missionary work. In Phil. 4:15, the Philippian church gave toward Paul’s missionary needs. In Acts 13:3, the church in Antioch partially underwrote the expenses for Paul’s first missionary journey. In 3 John 7–8, we learn that as the church and as individuals, we are to support faithful evangelists and missionaries.
3. Helping those in physical need. The primary purpose of the collection in 1 Cor. 16 was to help the poor and needy in the Jerusalem church, which had been suffering through a famine (16:3). Many other NT texts prescribe giving to help individuals in need.

If you want to learn more about this crucial area of giving, we recommend a couple resources:

Listen to Tom's 2-part sermon: For His Eyes Only: Giving to the Glory of God.

Read John MacArthur’s helpful book entitled Whose Money Is It Anyway? The book is available in the kindle format from Amazon. This same material is available as an audio series from Grace to You.

What ministries can I give toward?

1. The Ongoing Expenses of the Church

We call this “the general fund.” It includes all the key functions of our church such as paying our staff, maintaining our facilities, and providing for our missionaries. The general fund includes most of our ongoing expenses as a church family, so we encourage us all to give regularly toward these needs. When you give without specifying a particular need, it is always attributed toward the general fund. If you have questions about our church’s budget and what your giving goes toward specifically, you can ask the church office to see our church’s current budget.

2. The Worship Center Project

We thank God for the growth our church continues to enjoy. In 2017, we completed the construction of a new Worship Center, additional parking and other campus remodeling projects to accommodate our growing congregation. You can contribute to help us retire the debt from that project.

3. Benevolence

Our Lord commands that we seek to meet the physical needs of people—beginning with our brothers and sisters in Christ (1 John 3:17–18). In addition to the funds collected in the foyer after each communion service, all the gifts that are given to the benevolence fund go directly to meet the pressing physical needs of people. The elders decide how and to whom the benevolence funds will be distributed based on specific criteria.

4. Other Giving Opportunities

• The Word Unleashed: The Word Unleashed is the online media ministry of our pastor, Tom Pennington. It is distinct from the sermons that appear on our church’s website. On the TWU website the messages are grouped in series and professionally produced.
• Countryside Conference: Each February our church sponsors an annual conference, for our own members and other believers and pastors. Although we are glad to provide the conference free of charge, we invite you to help us serve our church and others by underwriting some of the conference expenses.
• A Short-term Missions Trip: You can make designated, tax-deductible contributions toward the short-term mission trip expenses of an individual—but at this time, you can do so by check only. Be sure to make the check out to Countryside Bible Church and include the name of the trip and the team member’s name on the memo line. You can place your check in the offering slots or mail it to us Attn: Short Term Missions.