“It is an anomaly of modern life that many find giving to be a
burden. Such persons have omitted a preliminary giving. If
one first gives himself to the Lord, all other giving is easy.”
— John S. Bonnell (1893-1992), pastor and author
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Total Christian [including nominal] income in the United
States is $5.2 trillion annually, nearly half of the world’s total
Christian income.
— David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, “World Christian
Trends AD 30-AD 2000: Interpreting the Annual Christian
Megacensus” (Pasadena, Calif.: William Carey Library, 2001),
551 .
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Remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the
ability to produce wealth.
— Deuteronomy 8:18
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Evangelical Christians comprise an estimated 35 percent of
the U.S. population, or about 100 million people.
— Larry Eskridge, “Defining Evangelicalism” (Wheaton, Ill.:
Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals, n.d.).
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The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all
who live in it.
— Psalm 24:1
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“You hear a lot of strange things about tithing. Some say it is
a church tax, and they expect me to pay it and that is the end
of it. Others say that when I give God one-tenth of my
income, He blesses the nine-tenths that is left to the extent
that the nine-tenths now goes as far as the whole thing used to
go. This isn’t really true, is it? Suppose a farmer had 100
bushels of corn in the barn and he decides to plant 10 bushels
in the ground. What multiplies? Is it the 90 bushels that he
has left in the barn? Oh, no. All of us ‘farmers’ know it is the
10 bushels you put in the ground that multiplies. Similarly, it
is the 10 percent you give to God that multiplies.”
— Stanley Tam (1915-), American businessman and
philanthropist
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For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat … each of us
will give an account of himself to God.
— Romans 14:10-12
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From 1968 to 2000, members of U.S. evangelical Protestant
denominations gave larger dollar amounts and larger portions
of income to their churches than did members of mainline
Protestant denominations.
— John L. Ronsvalle and Sylvia Ronsvalle, “The State of
Church Giving through 2000” (Champaign, Ill.: Empty Tomb,
2002), 23.
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Eighty percent of the world’s evangelical wealth is in North
America—and the total represents way more than enough to
fund the fulfillment of the Great Commission.
— Ron Blue, “Generous Living: Finding Contentment
through Giving” (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan
Publishing House, 1997), 201.
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“One of the greatest missing teachings in the American
church today is the reminder to men and women that nothing
we have belongs to us.”
— Gordon MacDonald, American pastor and teacher
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“Wealth shines in giving rather than in hoarding: for the miser
is hateful, whereas the generous man is applauded.”
— [Anicius Manlius Severinus] Boethius (480-524?), Roman
statesman and philosopher and Christian martyr
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“I will place no value on anything I have or possess except in
relation to the Kingdom of Christ. If anything I have will
advance that Kingdom, it shall be given or kept whichever will
best promote the glory of Him to whom I owe all my hopes,
both for time and eternity.”
— David Livingstone (1813-73), Scottish missionary and
explorer of Africa
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“Be charitable before wealth makes thee covetous.”
— Sir Thomas Browne (1605-82), English writer
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[Moses] chose to be mistreated along with the people of God
rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He
regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value
than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to
his reward.
— Hebrews 11:25-26
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The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty, if we have
the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they
quickly pass, and we fly away.
— Psalm 90:10
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People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap
and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men
into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of
all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have
wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many
griefs.
— 1 Timothy 6:9-10
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“Liberality in giving is a good sign of a genuine revival.”
— Thomas E. Peck (1822-93), American preacher and writer
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God loves a cheerful giver.
— 2 Corinthians 9:7
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Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed
down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into
your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to
you.
— Luke 6:38
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“I never would have been able to tithe the first million dollars
I ever made if I had not tithed my first salary, which was $1.50
per week.”
— John D. Rockefeller, Sr. (1839-1937), American industrialist
and philanthropist
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“The world asks, ‘What does a man own?’ Christ asks, ‘How
does he use it?’ ”
— Andrew Murray (1828-1917), South African evangelist and
writer
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“We are rich only through what we give: and poor only
through what we refuse and keep.”
— Anne Swetchine (1782-1857), Russian-French writer
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Now it is required that those who have been given a trust
must prove faithful.
— 1 Corinthians 4:2
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Thirty-three percent of U.S. born-again Christians say it is
impossible for them to get ahead in life because of the
financial debt they have incurred.
— George Barna, “Barna Research Archives: Money” (Barna
Research Group)
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Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food
will also supply and increase your store of seed and will
enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made
rich in every way so that you can be generous on every
occasion, and through us your generosity will result in
thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only
supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in
many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by
which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the
obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of
Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with
everyone else.
— 2 Corinthians 9:10-13
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“I was happier when I was doing a mechanic’s job.”
— Henry Ford (1863-1947), American industrialist
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“I believe with all of my heart that God’s people possess
God’s provision to accomplish and fulfill God’s purposes in
the world.”
— Joel Vestal, founder of ServLife International
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“I was once young and now I am old, but not once have I
been witness to God’s failure to supply my need when first I
had given for the furtherance of His work. He has never failed
in His promise, so I cannot fail in my service to Him.”
— William Carey (1761-1834), Baptist missionary to India
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“The principal hindrance to the advancement of the kingdom
of God is greed. It is the chief obstacle to heaven-sent revival.
It seems that when the back of greed is broken, the human
spirit soars into regions of unselfishness. I believe that it is
safe to say there can be no continuous revival without
‘hilarious’ giving. And I fear no contradiction: wherever there
is ‘hilarious’ giving there will soon be revival!”
— O.S. Hawkins, U.S. Baptist pastor
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“If we believe heaven to be our country, it is better for us to
transmit our wealth thither, than to retain it here, where we
may lose it by a sudden removal.”
— John Calvin (1509-64), French theologian and reformer
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“I judge all things only by the price they shall gain in
eternity.”
— John Wesley (1703-91), English evangelist and founder of
Methodism
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The average donation by adults who attend U.S. Protestant
churches is about $17 a week.
— George Barna, “How to Increase Giving in Your Church: A
Practical Guide to the Sensitive Task of Raising Money for
Your Church or Ministry” (Ventura, Calif.: Regal Books, 1997),
20.
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A majority of people alive today do not know the Savior.
This includes:
1.19 billion Muslims,
811 million Hindus,
360 million Buddhists,
228 million ethnoreligionists,
23 million Sikhs,
14 million Jews,
768 million agnostics,
and 150 million atheists.
— David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, “World Christian Trends AD
30-AD 2000: Interpreting the Annual Christian Megacensus” (Pasadena,
Calif.: William Carey Library, 2001), 551.
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The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much,
but the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep.
— Ecclesiastes 5:12
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“Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will
not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so
much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”
— Malachi 3:10b
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Of all the people who have ever lived, it is believed that half
of them are living today.
— Bill Bright, quoted in Ron Blue with Jodie Berndt,
“Generous Living: Finding Contentment through Giving”
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Publishing House, 1997),
201.
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About 1.6 billion people have never heard the life-saving good
news in this sentence: “For God so loved the world that he
gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall
not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
— David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, “World Christian
Trends AD 30-AD 2000: Interpreting the Annual Christian
Megacensus” (Pasadena, Calif.: William Carey Library, 2001),
52.
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Overall, only 3 to 5 percent of Americans who donate money
to a church tithe (give a tenth of) their incomes though many
more claim to do so.
— George Barna, “How to Increase Giving in Your Church: A
Practical Guide to the Sensitive Task of Raising Money for
Your Church or Ministry” (Ventura, Calif.: Regal Books, 1997),
20.
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Each man’s life is but a breath.
— Psalm 39:5b
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More than 1 billion people live in absolute poverty.
This includes:
700 million people living in slums,
500 million people on the verge of starvation,
93 million beggars,
and 200 million children exploited for labor.
— David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, “World Christian
Trends AD 30-AD 2000: Interpreting the Annual Christian
Megacensus (Pasadena, Calif.: William Carey Library, 2001),
34.
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Every year, 27 million people profess faith in Christ as Savior
for the first time.
— David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, “World Christian
Trends AD 30-AD 2000: Interpreting the Annual Christian
Megacensus” (Pasadena, Calif.: William Carey Library, 2001),
52.
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Command those who are rich in this present world not to be
arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so
uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us
with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do
good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing
to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as
a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take
hold of the life that is truly life.
— 1 Timothy 6:17-18
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Over the next 50 years, between $41 trillion and $136 trillion
will pass from older Americans to younger generations,
suggesting that roughly $1 trillion to $3 trillion in wealth will
change hands every year.
— John J. Havens and Paul G. Schervish, “Why the $41
Trillion Wealth Transfer Estimate Is Still Valid: A Review of
Challenges and Questions,” The Journal of Gift Planning 7,
no. 1 (January 2003), 11-15, 47-50.
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The church has grown more in the 20th century than in all the
previous 19 centuries since the time of Christ combined, with
almost 2 billion adherents worldwide.
— David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, “World Christian
Trends AD 30-AD 2000: Interpreting the Annual Christian
Megacensus” (Pasadena, Calif.: William Carey Library, 2001),
19 and 551.
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The current ranks of 81 million believers in China are
expected to swell to 135 million by 2025. The 50 million
faithful in India could mushroom to 125 million by 2050. And
today’s census of 90 million Christians in Africa is likely to
explode to 1 billion in 2050.
— David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, “World Christian
Trends AD 30-AD 2000: Interpreting the Annual Christian
Megacensus” (Pasadena, Calif.: William Carey Library, 2001),
405ff .
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In 2000, American evangelicals collectively made $2.66 trillion
in income.
— David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, “World Christian
Trends AD 30-AD 2000: Interpreting the Annual Christian
Megacensus” (Pasadena, Calif.: William Carey Library, 2001),
657.
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Among evangelicals, almost 90 cents of every donated dollar
goes to their churches. The proportion drops, however, as
people’s spiritual intensity and commitment to Christ decline.
— George Barna, quoted in “Survey Finds Americans More
Generous Last Year,” press release by World Vision, July 22,
2002.
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It is more blessed to give than to receive.
— Acts 20:35
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His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You
have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge
of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”
— Matthew 25:21
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Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth
and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But
store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and
rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and
steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
— Matthew 6:19-21
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The land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants.
— Leviticus 25:23
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Worldwide, Great Commission Christians have personal
income totaling $6.8 trillion a year.
— David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, “World Christian
Trends AD 30-AD 2000: Interpreting the Annual Christian
Megacensus” (Pasadena, Calif.: William Carey Library, 2001),
659.
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“The silver is mine and the gold is mine,” declares the Lord
Almighty.
— Haggai 2:8
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If members of historically Christian churches in the United
States had raised their giving to the Old Testament’s
minimum standard of giving (10 percent of income) in 2000,
an additional $139 billion a year would become available.
— John L. Ronsvalle and Sylvia Ronsvalle, “The State of
Church Giving through 2000” (Champaign, Ill.: Empty Tomb,
2002), 51.
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Our citizenship is in heaven.
— Philippians 3:20
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In 2000, nearly 97 percent of the entire income of all Christian
organizations was spent on, and primarily benefited, other
Christians at home or abroad:
$261 billion spent on ministering to Christians,
$7.8 billion on already-evangelized non-Christians,
and $0.81 billion on unevangelized non-Christians.
— David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, “World Christian
Trends AD 30-AD 2000: Interpreting the Annual Christian
Megacensus” (Pasadena, Calif.: William Carey Library, 2001),
661.
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“Watch lest prosperity destroy generosity.”
— Henry Ward Beecher (1813-87), American abolitionist and
clergyman
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“Things themselves do not remain, but their effects do.
Therefore we should not be mean and calculating with what
we have but give with a generous hand. Look at how much
people give to players and dancers—why not give just as
much to Christ?”
— John Chrysostom (347-407), early church father
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Among church members of 11 primary Protestant
denominations (or their historical antecedents) in the United
States and Canada, per-member giving as a percentage of
income was lower in 2000 than in either 1921 or 1933. In 1921,
per-member giving as a percentage of income was 2.9
percent. In 1933, at the depth of the Great Depression, permember giving grew to 3.3 percent. By 2000, after a halfcentury of unprecedented prosperity, giving had fallen to 2.6
percent.
— John L. Ronsvalle and Sylvia Ronsvalle, “The State of
Church Giving through 2000” (Champaign, Ill.: Empty Tomb,
2002), 40.
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“The gratification of wealth is not found in mere possession
or in lavish expenditure, but in its wise application.”
— Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616), Spanish writer
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Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves
wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is
meaningless … I have seen a grievous evil under the sun:
wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner, or wealth lost
through some misfortune, so that when he has a son there is
nothing left for him.
— Ecclesiastes 5:10, 13-14
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In 2001 American evangelicals gave a mean of $3,601 per
capita to nonprofit organizations, which is high when
compared to other demographic groups.
— George Barna, “Americans Were More Generous in 2001
Than in 2000,” news release by Barna Research Group, April
9, 2002.
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Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for
yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will
not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth
destroys.
— Luke 12:33
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In 2001, American evangelicals gave four times as much, per
person, to churches as did all other church donors in 2001.
Eighty-eight percent of evangelicals and 73 percent of all
Protestants donated to churches.
— George Barna, “Americans Were More Generous in 2001
Than in 2000,” news release by Barna Research Group, April
9, 2002.
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But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in
knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—
see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
— 2 Corinthians 8:7
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For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal
life.
— John 3:16
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You are not your own; you were bought at a price.
— 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
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“I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I
am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare.
In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries,
amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those
with the same income as our own, we are probably giving
away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper
us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things
we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable
expenditures excludes them.”
— C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), English author and scholar
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Every day 166,000 people hear the good news of Jesus Christ
for the first time.
— David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, “World Christian
Trends AD 30-AD 2000: Interpreting the Annual Christian
Megacensus” (Pasadena, Calif.: William Carey Library, 2001),
52.
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