Tithes

Think with me for a moment about the financial potential we have here at Trinity. I asked Cindy Funk, who has worked in the financial offices of Ashland county for years, what the median household income is. For Ashland County - $45,641. For Ashland City - $40,503. I asked Dan Scott, our Financial Secretary, how many giving units we have at Trinity, minus high school and college students. He said 716. 

Let's suppose that we at Trinity make only the median income. (Although from the number of persons with excellent jobs in our congregation we probably do much better than that. But let's suppose!)  Let's suppose that all of us live in Ashland City (Although we don't! But that makes the number smaller by over $5,000 per household unit. So let's use the smaller number.) 

So let's multiply 716 (number of households) by the median household income, using City rather than County. What financial potential is there in our congregation to do good works? What income do we have.....together as a congregation? $29,000,148. That's a little over 29 million dollars. Amazing!

If we all tithed to Trinity (...and none of us do. All of us, I hope, give money to other worthy causes.), Trinity would have received $2.9 million last year. That's a lot of money. 

Think with me for a moment what percentage of your income you gave last year to the work that the Lord does through Trinity Lutheran Church. As you can see from the above, we have room to grow before we bump into that 10% mark. As we fill out our income tax returns perhaps now is a good time to calculate the percentage we gave. Can we grow a percent next year? To what is God calling us?

In Christ,

Pastor Mitchell