Our ministry to the Vale of Aylesbury is only possible because of the generosity of our church family.

If you would like to give to the work of the Vineyard church you can pick up a Giving Pack from the Information Desk on a Sunday. Alternatively the documents are available to download here - look in the document list on the right.

Why give?

God has called us to be a generous people with the resources He has given to us. The Bible talks about giving as being part of our worship and a clear demonstration of our real commitment to the work and life of Jesus' church. We want to be a generous church that not only has the resources to fulfil God's calling and do things well, but is also demonstrating God's generosity outside the church through what we give away.

What are the benefits of giving?

Financial stewardship is one of the true hallmarks of discipleship. It's our desire that everyone grows in their relationship with Jesus, and by committing to devote our time, energy and money to God, we recognise His lordship over all of our lives (Matthew 19:16-30). At the Vineyard, we are being called to committed community together.

In the Old Testament Psalms, we are reminded that 'the Earth is the Lord's and everything in it" (Psalm 24). Stewardship begins when we recognise that everything we have, whether that's a lot or a little; it all comes from God and has been entrusted to us to manage on His behalf (Matthew 25:14-30). We have a generous God who requires us to give away generously so that His Kingdom can be extended.

We believe that regularly giving away a proportion of our income, to finance the work and ministry of the local church that we attend is something the Bible clearly teaches and is an important part of Christian discipleship. Jesus said, 'where your treasure is, there your heart is also' (Matthew 6:21), referring to our values and our priorities.

The Bible also tells us that 'God loves a cheerful giver'. In 2 Corinthians 9:6-15, the apostle Paul explains the benefits of being cheerfully generous with the abundant provision God has given to us.

• Generous giving generates rich rewards
• We experience God's love and favour when we give
• God's grace is multiplied to us when we give
• People's needs are met when we give
• Giving creates in us 'an attitude of gratitude'

In this passage, Paul encourages the believers to 'each decide in their hearts how much to give' (verse 7). In another of his letters to the early church, Paul teaches that the believers 'should put aside a portion of the money they have earned' for the work of the church (1 Corinthians 16:1-2).

What does Aylesbury Vineyard teach about giving?

At the Vineyard, we believe the Bible clearly teaches the principle of tithing and giving. The word 'tithe' means 'a tenth'. The Bible instructs us to give a tenth (10%) of our 'first fruits' back to God (Proverbs 3:9); we give back to God the best and the first tenth of all that God has given to us (Malachi 3:8-12). Jesus also directly affirms the principle of tithing (Matthew 23:23).

What are the benefits of tithing?

• Tithing teaches us the value of putting God first in our lives, by giving Him the 'first fruits'
• Being faithful with a 10% tithe of our income reveals our heart for managing the other 90%
• Tithing requires calculation and causes us to count our blessings and be thankful
• Tithing brings equality among God's people. It's about the quality of the gift (first fruits) rather than the amount of the gift.

At Aylesbury Vineyard, we want to go beyond being cheerful givers; we want to be hilarious givers! As you read the Bible, you'll see that the first believers saw tithing as just the starting point for giving to God's work - it wasn't the ceiling of their giving, it was the floor!

God says 'test me in this and see if I will not open up the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great that you won't have enough room to take it in!' (Malachi 3:10). God's saying 'try it! And let me prove it to you!'