There are many viewpoints on what it means for Christians to engage in healthy stewardship. Most basically, our stewardship is rooted in our thankfulness to God for the generous blessings that God has bestowed upon us. At Epworth Chapel, we believe that God is a God of extravagant blessing! God’s bountiful goodness is exemplified in each of our lives through the blessings of health, family and friends, and the spiritual and material gifts that have come our way. Thus, our stewardship is an act of faith as we respond to God’s goodness in offering ourselves and some of what we have in service to others. Each of our members at Epworth Chapel commits to supporting the church’s ministries through offering our time, talent, and treasures (money). The basic understanding of stewardship in the Bible is through the offering of the tithe. The concept of tithing originated in the Old Testament. The tithe was a requirement of the law in which all Israelites were to give 10 percent of everything they earned. (Leviticus 27:30; Numbers 81:26; Deuteronomy 14:24; 2 Chronicles 31:5) Tithing is based on the premise that God is the creator of everything that exists. In the book of Psalms, it is written that “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” (Psalm 24:1) God, in fact, has created and is the owner of all things, and we as humans are simply stewards of God’s gifts. The blessing of tithing is seen most clearly in the promises that God makes to the tither. In the book of Malachi, the prophet instructs the people of God to bring the tithe into the storehouse… and God will poor out a blessing that can’t be received. (Malachi 3:10) In Luke 6:38, we are instructed to “give and it shall be given unto (us)… pressed down, shaken together and running over…” At Epworth Chapel, we believe that every Christian should diligently pray and seek God’s wisdom in the matter of growing toward tithing and/or knowing how much to give. (James 1:5) Above all, our tithes and offerings should be given with pure motives and in an attitude of joy and worship to God and service to the body of Christ, for God indeed “loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7) Our prayer is that each of us will keep in mind that we are blessed to be a blessing, and that through offering ourselves to God, each of us will continue to experience the extravagant blessings of God in our lives! We invite you to prayerfully consider signing up for recurring giving online. For more information, visit our

online giving page.