House Church Baltimore

Do people tithe in the typical house church? 

Tithe was instituted in a theocracy where the money given would support the regular expenses of the house of God.  God dwelt in the temple but now he dwells in every believer. Tithing is an old testament principle whereas sacrificial giving is a new testament principle.  Tithing is not commanded or encouraged in the new testament but giving cheerfully and sacrificially is encouraged.  However, we also believe that giving 10% is a great place to start and every believer is encouraged to give beyond 10%.

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How are the people in the house church encouraged to give?

It is the responsibility of every believer to give joyously and sacrificially, 2 Corinthians 9:7. This will look differently for every believer, but we see giving as a reflection of living a life of faith in Christ. Giving is to provide for the needs of believers, Acts 2:45, provide for the poor, Matthew 25:35-40, and support the spread of the gospel, Matthew 28:18-20 and Acts 13:2 and 3. We do not take an offering or collect money but believe that how we use our time, energy, and financial resources is a direct reflection of our commitment to Christ. If we did have a specific financial need we would ask those in our church to give to take care of it and immediately give those funds to the person they are collected for.

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How does the typical house church spend the money?

Although some house churches may operate with a budget, it is not customary.  A budget is generally designed for a business with regular operating expenses.  A house church does not have regular operating expenses.  Supporting a missionary together as a house church is probably the closest we would get to regular spending.