Trinity Methodist Church is a congregation with a great vision to serve God in our suburb, city, nation and world. We aim to attract people to Jesus and his Kingdom. We have many practical ways in which we care for our members and for the poor. The life of our congregation is a full programme that supports each member in their journey as a child of God. We seek to be good stewards of the facilities and resources we have received from the generations before us. Our heart’s desire is to be loyal to God at a time when many are losing the faith. We try to be brave and adventurous in these difficult days. We seek to be a community that honours the vision of a ‘rainbow nation’.

Please read this prayerfully and carefully, asking God to lead you in your level of financial commitment to the work of Trinity Methodist Church.

You are probably quite shocked at that heading – but there is a deep truth here that you will experience as lifegiving. John Wesley, the great leader of renewal in the church in England in the 18^th Century and founder of the Methodist Church, has a teaching on money that is both surprising and profound.

Wesley regarded money as a gift from God, part of God’s provision for our needs, and so there is a way in which it has to be used both in the ‘secular’ and ‘religious’ aspects of life. We are called to be good stewards in both the ‘secular’ and ‘religious’ realms. We are called to honour God with all of our money.

John Wesley encourages Christians to earn as much as we possibly can! Provided, that is, that we don’t damage our health, conscience or neighbour in the process. “Gain all you can,” he said, “by honest industry…all possible diligence… and common sense”. Wesley wrote: “You should be continually learning, from the experience of others, or from your own experience, reading and reflection, to do everything you have to do better today than you did yesterday. And see that you practise whatever you learn, that you may make the best of all that is in your hands” (In 44 Sermons: The Use of Money, John Wesley).

Jesus was the first to teach this as we can read in ‘The Parable of the Talents’ in Matthew 25:14-30 and ‘The Parable of the Dishonest Manager’ (admittedly a strange story!) in Luke 16:1-13. Notice that, in both stories, the money involved didn’t belong to those who managed it – underlining the disciples’ understanding that we are stewards of what ultimately belongs to God.

“Do not throw the precious talent into the sea,” said John Wesley. Having gained all we can, Wesley advises us not to waste it. Specifically, Wesley refers to wasteful spending on fine food and drink, what he calls “elegant epicurism”; ostentatious home decoration, “curiously adorning your houses” and status symbols in clothing and entertaining, “do not buy …applause” he says. Don’t waste it on your children either. Make ample provision for them, but don’t “purchase for them more pride or lust, more vanity, or foolish and hurtful desires… to increase their temptations and snares”. “Give each child what would keep him above want”.

Wesley does not intend us to be mean and miserly, but he does intend us to be modest in what we spend. On self-reflection we can sometimes see that our spending is a substitute for an abundant life. We are invited to remember that getting and buying is not to be confused with life itself. The things we buy are meant to support a healthy, full and fruitful life.

John Wesley is drawing on biblical principles. St Paul wrote to Timothy: Of course there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these (1 Timothy 6:6-8).

If we apply the principles of:

gaining all we can by “honest industry”, “diligence” and “common sense”, doing no harm to ourselves or others in process,

saving all we can by supplying for ourselves and those who depend on us only that which is necessary for a healthy, full and fruitful life,

we will have more than enough and plenty left over. Wesley gave important direction to us in what we should do with the surplus.

“When the Possessor of heaven and earth brought you into being, and placed you in this world, He placed you here, not as a proprietor (owner), but a steward: as such He entrusted you, for a season, with goods of various kinds; but the sole property of these still rests with Him, nor can ever be alienated from Him”, wrote John Wesley, repeating the principle of stewardship.

Whatever is left over once you have supplied the necessities of life for yourself and your dependents, therefore, belongs to God. Wesley suggests the following as our spending priorities:

Yourself (modestly and responsibly supplying your needs)

Your ‘household’ (modestly and responsibly supplying the needs of those who depend on you)

The household of faith (The Church – in your case Trinity Methodist Church)

All humanity (especially the poor).

In this way, says Wesley, you “give to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21).

John Wesley then adds, “If at any time you have a doubt about any particular expenditure, ask yourself honestly:

Will I be acting, not as an owner, but as a steward of the Lord’s goods?

Am I acting in obedience to the word of God?

Do I believe that this expense will bring reward at the day of resurrection?

Remember where much is given, much will be expected. If you are still in doubt, put these questions as statements to God in prayer: ‘Lord, you see that I am going to spend this money on … and you know that I am acting as your trusted steward according to your design’. If you can make this prayer with a good conscience, then you will know that your expense is right and good”.

John Wesley points out that, following these principles, we “Render unto God, not a tenth, not a third, not half, but all that is God’s… in such a manner, that whatever ye do may be ‘a sacrifice of a sweet-smelling savour to God’”.  This is why we can say that Christians in the Methodist tradition give all our money to God!

Wesley understood that the Bible’s teaching on giving includes the practice of tithing – but also goes further to encourage gracious and sacrificial giving. Tithing refers to the Christian practice of giving 10% of your income to the work of God. This is a practice taught in the Bible and is the simplest and most practical way of supporting the church. Biblical References to tithing are Leviticus 27:30-34; Num. 18:21-32; Deut. 14:22-29; Gen. 28:22.

The heart of the Bible’s teaching on ‘giving’ is a concept of gracious sacrificial giving, which may mean giving more than 10% (or may mean less than 10% if your income is very small eg, state pensioners). The Bible’s teaching on giving also refers to more than just giving money. Gracious sacrificial giving is a form of giving that flows from the heart without any prescription or demand. It relates to the gratitude of heart one feels towards God, and is entirely voluntary. It is sustained by a desire to be faithful and generous with your money in support of the local church. It is a gracious response to a gracious God. Gracious sacrificial giving is taught throughout the Bible. We encourage you to at least note following passages,

• Genesis 4:1-7 (Abel gives generously and this pleases the LORD)
• Exodus 25:1-8 and Exodus 35:4-29 (The LORD tells the people to give costly goods for the sanctuary according to the prompting of their heart)
• Luke 19:1-10 (Zacchaeus happily gives half of his possessions away when his friendship with Jesus started)
• 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 (Paul applauds the Macedonian church for the genuineness of their faith shown in compassionate giving)