Everything you give goes to impacting real change right here in our backyard and around the world. It is transparently handled with integrity to operate SCC as you know and love it. We’re here to seek and save, and when someone gets baptized, or a child across the world is provided for physically and spiritually we’re able to say, “Because I give, I’m a part of that.”

WHO SHOULD TITHE?

• People who call SCC home. If you’re still trying to figure out if SCC is where you want to land, hold on to that card and let’s get to know each other more. We’d recommend attending Starting Point, to determine if SCC is right for you.

WHY SHOULD I TITHE?

• The Bible tells us that tithing is a way to show that we trust God with our lives and our finances. Ready for a truth bomb? Tithing isn’t for God’s benefit. He doesn’t need our money. Instead, tithing is meant for our benefit because sacrificing a portion of our income reminds us to rely on God to meet our needs. Plus it makes us more aware of the needs of others too.
• In fact, supporting the needs of pastors and the work of the local church is one of the main purposes of tithing. Tithing helps your local church actively be the church by helping others.
• Giving encourages a grateful and generous spirit and can help steer us away from being greedy or loving money too much. Plus, being outrageously generous is a blast!

WHAT IS TITHING?

• A tithe is a portion (10%) of your income given as an offering to your local church. (Fun fact: The word tithe literally means tenth in Hebrew.) Because the custom of tithing is biblical, Christians should practice it as part of their faith.
• Leviticus 27:30 (TLB) says, “A tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain or fruit, is the Lord’s, and is holy.” And Proverbs 3:9 (NIV) says, “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops.”
• Those gardening metaphors may have thrown you off, but what these verses are really saying is to give a portion (specifically a tenth) of whatever you make back to God. And firstfruits is just a biblical way of saying that you should give first—before you do anything else with your money.
• The Bible explains that tithing is an important part of faith for those who follow God and that your tithe should be money you set aside first. When you tithe before making a plan with the rest of your money, you’re making it a priority instead of an afterthought. You’re giving your first fruits instead of your leftovers.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TITHES AND OFFERINGS?

• Tithes and offerings are grouped together a lot, but they’re definitely not the same thing. A tithe is a specific amount (10% of your income) that you give first, and an offering is anything extra that you give beyond that.
• After you’ve tithed and paid all your bills and expenses for the month, you can use any extra money in your budget to give even more! This can look like giving a cash offering to your church above and beyond your normal tithe, giving money to a charity you support, giving to a friend in need, or giving your time and skills by volunteering.

PRAY

• We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Tithing is more of a heart issue than one with dollar signs attached to it. If you’re struggling with the idea of tithing or giving, spend some time with God, asking Him to give you wisdom and show you ways that you can help others—or even just be more generous. Even if giving doesn’t come naturally, prayer can help soften our hearts and refocus our intentions.

DO A MONTHLY BUDGET

• A monthly budget forces you to really pay attention to where your money is going. So before the month begins, create your own zero-based budget (where your income minus expenses equal zero) by giving every dollar a job to do (rent, groceries, saving, etc.).
• And while you’re at it, go ahead and make giving a priority for next month. By immediately putting aside 10% of your income for tithing, you can plan better. This also might be a good time to create a “random giving” category for those moments you want to help someone on the spur of the moment.

TRY ONLINE GIVING

• SCC has made tithing as easy as possible—especially after the craziness of last year. The easiest way to stay consistent is by giving online. You can easily set up automatic withdrawals each month, which is great—especially if you have a regular income.
• But these techy options definitely aren’t the only ways to give. Maybe you prefer writing a check or giving cash because it’s a physical reminder of the money you’re taking out of your wallet and giving away. As long as you’re giving, there’s really no wrong way to do it!

Q: Is it safe to give online?

Yes. In many ways giving online is safer than writing a check because an electronic gift cannot be lost or stolen. The security of the system is continually monitored and defended at professionally-managed data centers – which incorporates multiple levels of security, redundancy and backups to ensure your data is safe and secure.

Q: What types of bank accounts can I give from?

You can give online from your checking account, MasterCard, Visa, Discover, or American Express.

Q: Are there any fees involved with giving online?

Not to you. You will not pay any fees with an online gift. In addition, online gifts are a more cost efficient way for the church to process donations.

Q: Can I make a one-time contribution?

Yes. The system allows you the option of either making a one-time contribution or setting up a recurring contribution. For a one-time contribution, you can designate that the contribution should be made immediately or, for both one-time and recurring contributions, you can schedule the contributions to come out of your bank account on the date(s) specified by you.

Q: If I want to set-up a recurring gift, what are my options for frequency of my gift?

For recurring gifts, you have the option of giving weekly, twice a month, every two weeks or once a month.

Q: Can I change my personal information or the amount or the frequency of my gift once I have set it up?

Yes. You can change or cancel your contribution at any time before the date of your next contribution. Simply log in to the system using your user name and password and make the necessary changes in the system.

Q: Can I review my donation history online?

Yes. The site will allow you to view the complete history of your contributions, given either online or otherwise. Once you’ve created an account, you will able to contribute immediately. However, for security purposes, before you can see any past contributions, we must manually connect your online account with your previous information. This is a one-time process when you initially create your account. After that, you can view your history at any time.

Q: Will I still receive regular contribution statements from the church?

Yes. The church will continue to send year-end contribution statements to your address on file for tax purposes.

Q: When will contributions be taken from my account?

Contributions will be taken from your specified bank account within 48 business hours of the date you requested. This time frame allows time for the contribution to process through your bank and the church’s bank. If the date of your contribution falls on a weekend or a holiday, the transaction will be initiated on the next banking day.

Q: Can I designate my gift to a particular cause?

Yes, you can designate your gift to go toward specific causes available as indicated. A gift is not the same as your tithe. Gifts are what we refer to as "Love Offerings" and are above and beyond your tithe.

Q: How will I know that I set up my gift correctly?

Immediately after submitting your contribution, you will receive an e-mail verifying your contribution.

Q: Does it matter which Internet browser I use?

No. Any browser will work.

Q: I have additional questions about online giving that have not been addressed. Who can I talk to?

For any questions, concerns or comments about the online giving system, please Contact Us. You will receive a response from our staff as soon as possible.

Q: What types of bank accounts can I give from?

You can give online from your bank account via an ACH transaction. You can also give using MasterCard, Visa, Discover, or American Express.

Q. Can I use a debit card?

You can use a debit check card from Visa or MasterCard, but true debit cards are not accepted through the online system due to the sensitivity of securely requesting a Personal Identification Number (PIN). ACH bank drafts can be used instead for true debits.