Yes, definitely. There are many promises given regarding the benefits or blessings of generosity (Proverbs 3:9-10, Malachi 3:10, Luke 6:38). However, giving is a matter of the heart. We do not give in order to receive (we do not preach the prosperity gospel!) We give:

• To honour God
• Out of gratitude to God
• To provide the needs of the work of God in and through his church
• To provide for the poor and the oppressed

No! Jesus redeemed the curses of the Old Testament and we are free from the curse. However, when we do not give generously, we deprive ourselves of the blessing and the joy of seeing God's provision.

It is important to start somewhere! Perhaps start giving 2% of your income, and see how God provides. He promises that he will give seed to the sower (2 Corinthians 9:10-11), so start sowing! Gradually increase your giving. Some people even try to live from 80% of their income and give the rest to God.

Offerings are free will gifts, over and above the tithe, given for special purposes. They are either given through the church or directly to the place of need.

Our giving is guided by Scripture. So, we give:

• To ministries that work with orphans, the poor, and the oppressed (Deuteronomy 10:18)
• To ministries that are active and fruitful in spreading the Gospel in various lands (Philippians 4:14-20, 2 Corinthians 9-12)

We do not have a general missions fund. However, our giving is guided by the following principles:

• Apostolic Travel: we invest money into missions trips to support and strengthen various churches in the world. We believe that these churches are best equipped to preach the gospel in their context, and to make disciples. We see this as more fruitful than simple straightforward evangelism trips.
• We give to individuals or organisations who are committed to transparency and accountability with their finances.
• We give where we have real relationships with people who are active in their fields (Friendship before function)
• We give where we can see real meaningful work that is connected to the spreading of the Gospel.

We recognize that everything that we have belongs to God, and he entrusts it to us. Not only the tithe belongs to him: everything belongs to him, and he allows us to keep 90% of our income from which to live. When we are faithful with what he has given us, he gives us more, because he knows that he can trust us to manage his resources according to his ways. (Luke 16:10-13)

When we fail to be generous or live beyond our means or accumulate debt, we are not being good stewards of those resources and he will not entrust us with more. When we consistently bring our tithes, are generous, manage our finances according to a clear budget, and eliminate debt, God knows that we are good stewards: he rewards us with more resources to manage for his kingdom.

We see it as a priority to be a blessing to Israel, and are seeking a meaningful way to sow finances into the nation. We value the nation of Israel and we are overwhelmingly thankful for the culture and history of Israel into which Jesus was born. We urgently want to see the Children of Israel come to Jesus. We are simultaneously committed to seeing all nations, tribes, tongues and ethnic groups come to Jesus (including Palestinians) (Revelation 7:9-10)

However, we do not want to support Christian Zionism, nor do we want to see Rabbinical Legalism (e.g. prayer shawls, kippah, and oppression of women) and religious practices brought into the church.

We are currently seeking an opportunity to build a relationship with and support a ministry or church which is actively preaching the Gospel of Jesus to people of Jewish heritage in Israel and is making disciples of Jesus.

We use the income from your tithe in the following ways:

• Running costs of the church
• Giving to missions and ministries (see below)
• Apostolic ministry or mission trips to support churches in Germany and other nations

• ‍Rob Forbes, Lead Elder (Full-Time)‍
• Bridget Forbes, Eldership Team (Part-time)‍
• Rob Klarmann, Church Secretary (Part-time)‍
• Sarafina Sadiki, Cleaning (Mini Job)‍
• Alexander Gaa, Administration and bookkeeping (12 hours/month)