Why should we give?

To express our love and commitment to Christ

Our giving of money is an offering of our love and gratitude in response to the generous giving of God through Jesus Christ. It is also a measure of our commitment to Christ. As someone famous once said, “It is possible to give without loving, but impossible to love without giving”.

To support the church in its ministry and mission

LBC’s fellowship is totally self-supporting. We don’t receive any denominational funding, nor do we look to the general public to finance our work. Giving money to God’s work should not be seen as a series of isolated acts of charity depending on how generous or prosperous we feel. Rather, it should be a matter for prayerful consideration, and of consistent responsibility, as we support the ministry of the church.

Where does the money go?

Our total expenditure as a church is circa £200,000 a year. We spend this money in six main areas:

Ministry

Our Pastors are entirely supported by our gifts. This frees them for the work of preaching and teaching, pastoring and leading.

Mission

Twenty percent of General Fund income goes to causes outside the LBC fellowship, so that we can support various mission projects and personnel, both overseas and in this country. You can learn more about our individual Mission Partners on the Our team page.

Premises

We have a large and well-used suite of buildings, together with housing for our Pastors and their families. All these buildings need to be constantly maintained, and occasionally improved, so that we’re not hindering the Lord’s work with poor facilities or equipment.

Outreach

Our extensive youth and children’s ministry is financed by LBC. We also support, to varying degrees, a wide range of other outreach activities. These include Alpha and Christianity Explored, Hullabaloo , Messy Church and external social activities that help us to share Jesus with others.

Helping those in need

We run a professionally-staffed Christians Against Poverty (CAP) centre, which offers money management advice and practical assistance for people who are dealing with debt. This ministry is fully-funded by the church and is available to anyone in Lymington and the surrounding area. It helps clients to become debt-free, and provides our staff and volunteers with the opportunity to share their faith in Jesus. We also operate a CAP Job Club  and a CAP Life Skills course.

Administration

A large fellowship needs good communication and administration. Publicity, pastoral resources, office services and other technical equipment and training are all needed to help ensure that the church is both effective and efficient in its ministry.

How should I give?

In his second letter to the church in Corinth, Paul gives us a number of principles to follow from the example of the Christians in Macedonia. He writes that, even in the midst of their suffering, they gave liberally and joyfully (2 Corinthians 8:2), generously and freely (8:3), and in proportion to their ability (8:12). As a result, they reaped according to the measure they had sown (9:6) and God richly blessed their cheerful willingness (9:7). Many others were blessed through their giving (9:12).

How much should I give?

This is something only you can decide with God. Prayerfully reflect on where God comes in your budgeting and spending. In the Old Testament, God called His people to give 10% of their income (a tithe). In the New Testament, He does not lay down any set figure; we live by grace, not under law. However, this should give us even greater motivation to give generously and sacrificially. Remember also that you should regularly review the amount you give in order to maintain its value.

How can I give?

There are several different ways to give to the work here at LBC:

With a Standing Order

Many people prefer to give regularly through their bank or building society directly into the church’s bank account. This also helps us to budget effectively by having a more predictable cashflow. The bank details for the church are:

Payee Name: Lymington Baptist Church
Account Number: 00022730
Sort Code: 40-52-40

With a weekly offering

At our Sunday morning services, there’s an opportunity to give using the box located in the foyer. This box is not for a collection but for an offering: an act of worship to offer our gifts and lives in God’s service. To encourage regular giving, we have some dated, unnamed weekly envelopes available. You’ll find these in the foyer too.

With Gift Aid

If you pay income tax, the church can reclaim the basic rate tax you have already paid on all your regular and one-off gifts (whatever the amount – there’s no minimum). This means that for every £1 you give, the church receives an additional 25p rebate from Inland Revenue. (Higher-rate taxpayers also receive an extra 15p reduction in their income tax for every £1 they give.) In the past, the government required people to commit to giving for a fixed or minimum period in order to reclaim tax, but this no longer applies. You can collect a Gift Aid Declaration sheet from a member of the Finance Team or from the foyer, next to the giving envelopes, or download one from here. You just need to fill in the details, sign the form and place in an envelope marked ” The treasurer” and post it into the church post box outside Lillington House, next to the church or hand to Jacky Tritten.

With a one-off donation or financial gift

Donations can be made electronically into the church’s bank account.

Payee: Lymington Baptist Church
Account No: 00022730
Sort Code: 40-52-40

With a legacy

Most of us try to provide for our financial needs in old age, never knowing what might be needed or for how long. Having joyfully supported God’s work during your lifetime, you might consider making a bequest to the church in your will. It’s a last opportunity to give – here on Earth at least! – and it means you’ll continue to make an important contribution to LBC’s mission even after your death.

Further information about legacy giving is available from the Finance Team.