our survey says...

too young to give?

Whilst 51% of us were under the age of 25 when we committed to giving regularly, by comparison far fewer of us were spiritually youthful! Just 7% were encouraged to give regularly as part of the process of becoming a Christian, with only a further 9% making the decision within their first 6 months of Christian life.

how long had you been a christian when you first gave regularly?

In fact, almost half of us (48%) left it until being a Christian for more than 5 years before starting to give regularly. However, this decision seems to be more about personal choice than prompting from the church.

With the bible so clear on the subject (“we want you to excel in this grace of giving” 2 Cor 8:7), why is it taking so long into our Christian lives to experience the joy of giving?

what was the trigger?

For most of those surveyed, the decision to start giving in a planned and regular way was not as the result of an instantaneous trigger. As can be seen from the table below, 55% started giving as part of ongoing Christian development and/or in response to church teaching on giving.

When viewed against the other data from the survey, the nature of this church teaching also appears to be gradual over time rather than from more direct challenges.

It was also surprising to see that just 6% of us felt our parents, either by direct teaching or as role models, had a significant impact on our decision to give regularly. For those of us who are parents, should we be taking the time to talk to our children more about money and the biblical principles of giving?

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what was the trigger for giving regularly?

Only 4% said that when they first became a Christian they felt prompted to give regularly, suggesting that we should consider paying more attention to giving and finance issues in our new believers courses.

Are we paying close attention to financial education in our churches?

With church teaching on giving such an important trigger, and an implied lack of instruction given to new believers, what more can be done to equip the UK church to educate us more effectively in issues of finance and giving?

Nearly 10% started giving regularly as a result of a change in their personal finances, which could be read in one of two ways. Should we be encouraged that giving is a first thought when people come into money, or should we be challenged if people are reluctant to give until their financial needs are met?

Certainly it would appear that for the majority of regular givers the decision to give was more considered and informed than we might first imagine. Only 4% began giving regularly after being presented with a clear and specific need, either through a personal encounter or a challenge from a third party.

Are we giving in faith, waiting until we can afford to, or until we see a need?

Of even greater interest is learning that only 1% of those surveyed believed the trigger was a direct revelation from God or a prompting of the Holy Spirit, posing the question - should we be listening more for the voice of God when it comes to our financial decision making?

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what prompts us to give?

For 58% of us the decision to give regularly was intuitive, as a natural step in our following of Jesus, while only 6% received clear instruction and direction which stirred us to consider giving regularly. Specific giving initiatives in our churches account for prompting just 3% to give regularly.

what impact does our teaching on giving currently have?

This again prompts questions over our teaching of giving and stewardship as an integral part of Christian life. Are our discipleship courses effective in their teaching on the subject, or is financial giving simply being overlooked by the modern church?

The survey results suggest there may even be some churches missing out on regular gifts from its own members, possibly because of the absence of clear instruction and teaching on the importance and mechanics of Christian giving.

Currently, 31% of us give solely to our local church, with the majority preferring to identify other Christian ministries to either split their giving to, or to support wholly. Clearly, without prompting from our church, once we make our decision to give, many of us feel compelled to look beyond just the church collection box.

how do we view our giving?

Although for many of us the decision to give regularly is a gradual process, once we experience that joy of giving it becomes a significant part of our expenditure. For over two thirds of us, regular giving is now a significant part of our regular spending, whilst a further 10% deem their giving as sacrificial.

Should we discuss our giving with friends, or should it be kept private? 

What example do we set with our giving?

The role of another individual has also been very influential in our decision to give regularly (62% stated that another individual was part of the initial trigger to give). 36% of these people provided clear teaching on giving, whilst 33% led by example, provoking others to give through their own attitude to giving and lifestyle choices.

This not only illustrates the effectiveness of clear teaching on the subject of stewardship, but also reminds us of the importance of discipleship and leading by example. For many reading this will, no doubt, be a fantastic encouragement that their good deeds have not gone unnoticed; for others, perhaps, this is a challenge – am I setting an example through my giving?

Do we give, conscious of the example we are setting to other Christians?

If you would like to know more about how Stewardship can help resource your church to educate members in financial matters please take a look at the Stewardship Money pages.

Please read on to learn more about our Sovereign Account for individuals wishing to give regularly and tax effectively.