Why should we attend church and TITHE?

 I'm not sure how many people need to hear this, but churches are struggling to meet their financial needs.  

Approximately 5% of all American adults and 10–25% of regular churchgoers tithe a full 10% of their income. 

When Church attendance goes down so does....

Multiple sources, incluing reports from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy (Indiana University), Giving USA (annual benchmark), Philanthropy Roundtable, and others, show consistent patterns:

Religious people give more overall:

Households with religious affiliation donate significantly more annually (e.g., averages around $1,590 vs. $695 for non-religious, per Lilly School data).

Practicing Christians (those attending services monthly and viewing faith as very important) are 40% more likely to donate than non-Christians, and churchgoers are 75% more likely than non-attendees (American Bible Society / State of the Bible studies).

Regular worship attenders give about 4x more annually ($2,935 vs. $704 for non-attenders) and donate more frequently.

Religious individuals are also more likely to give to secular causes (e.g., 65-67% of frequent attenders give to non-religious charities vs. under 50% for non-attenders, with larger average secular gifts).

Decline in Christianity correlates with reduced giving:

U.S. Christian identification and church membership have dropped sharply (e.g., from ~70% congregational membership in 1999 to 45% in 2023, per Gallup; religiously unaffiliated rose from 21% to 26% in recent years, per PRRI).

Giving to religion (congregations, etc.) fell as a share of total U.S. philanthropy from 34% in 2011 to 23-24% in 2024 (Giving USA 2025), even as total giving hit records ($592 billion in 2024). Religion was the only sector to decline inflation-adjusted in some recent years.

Overall donor participation has declined (e.g., fewer households giving), linked partly to falling religiosity. Evangelical giving to churches dropped from 74% to 61% of donors between 2021-2024.

States/counties with higher religiosity show higher charitable giving rates (e.g., Bible Belt areas like Arkansas lead at ~6.7% of income donated).

Broader impact on philanthropy:

Organized religion cultivates habits of generosity (e.g., tithing teachings, community appeals, emphasis on stewardship). As participation fades, secular nonprofits lose a key source of broad-based support—religious donors "spill over" to non-faith causes more than non-religious people do.

Experts describe this as a potential "generosity crisis" or "pretty scary" ripple effect, with declining faith linked to lower volunteering, smaller average gifts, and less support for causes like poverty relief or community services.

Approximately 11% of U.S. congregations reported being in "some" or "serious" financial difficulty in 2023, down from a high of 20% in 2020, according to data from Faith Communities Today. While most are stable, about 28% describe their finances as "tight, but manageable," and 50% of pastors report that the economy is negatively impacting their churches. 

Tithing explained by God

Malachi 3:8-10

“Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.

“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’

“In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”

The story of **Sapphira lying to the Holy Spirit** comes from the New Testament in the **Book of Acts, chapter 5** (Acts 5:1-11). It's a dramatic and sobering account involving her and her husband Ananias in the early Christian church in Jerusalem.

### The Biblical Account 

Here's the key passage:

> **Acts 5:1-11**  

> Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.  

> Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.

> When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. Young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.  

> About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?”  

> “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”  

> Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”  

> At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

What Happened and Why It Matters

- **The Context**: This occurs right after a description of the early believers sharing everything generously (Acts 4:32-37). People like Barnabas sold property and gave the full proceeds to support the community—no one was forced to do this.

- **Their Sin**: Ananias and Sapphira sold land but secretly kept part of the money while pretending (by their actions and words) to give **all** of it. They weren't required to give everything, but they lied to create the appearance of greater generosity, likely seeking praise or status in the church.

- **Lying to the Holy Spirit**: Peter confronts Ananias first, saying the lie was to the **Holy Spirit** (v. 3), then clarifies it was to **God** (v. 4). This shows the Holy Spirit is fully God (a key point in Christian theology about the Trinity). When Sapphira arrives and repeats the same lie (claiming the partial amount was the full price), Peter calls it conspiring to **test** the Spirit of the Lord (v. 9).

- **The Outcome**: Both drop dead instantly upon exposure—Ananias first, then Sapphira about three hours later. This wasn't just about a "white lie"; it was hypocrisy, deception in the presence of the Spirit-filled community, and allowing Satan to influence their hearts (v. 3). It threatened the purity and unity of the newborn church.

- **The Result**: "Great fear" came upon the church (v. 11), serving as a warning about the seriousness of sin, especially hypocrisy and trying to deceive God (who knows all hearts).

 Key Takeaways and Interpretations

Many see this as a unique judgment in the early church to protect its integrity during a time of rapid growth and purity (similar to Old Testament examples like Achan in Joshua 7). It highlights:

- God hates hypocrisy and lying, especially when it involves pretending to be more spiritual than one is.

- The Holy Spirit is personal and divine—lying to Him is lying to God.

- Integrity in giving and community matters; cheerful, honest generosity is what God desires (contrast with 2 Corinthians 9:7).

Debates exist on whether they were true believers (some say yes, and this was judgment leading to physical death but possible salvation; others see it as a warning against false profession). Either way, the story underscores that God takes sin seriously and cannot be mocked or deceived.

It might serve you right to have your heart right and.