Posts Tagged ‘tithing’

Posted on November 7, 2009 - by kelly

Introduction to Tithing for Kids

This Sunday in Valley Kids we introduced the concept of giving back to God what is rightfully his.  Not only are we commanded to share, but we are commanded to share the first portion of our gifts, not the left overs.  It is our hope that your family will use the following letter that was handed out in class to continue this practice at home.

 

Dear Parents,

It is our hope each Sunday here in Valley Kids to teach your children biblical truths that you as a parent can build upon at home.  This letter is an attempt to give you some practical ways that you can apply 2 Corinthians 9:7 to your child’s every day life. 

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”  2 Corinthians 9:7.

 Today your child heard about giving back to God.  Growing up in church myself, I was curious about why my parents put money into a bowl every Sunday.  In my desire to participate I would ask them for extra change to throw in the bowls when they were passed.  I can still remember the sound of the dimes and nickels bouncing around in the trays, the louder the better.  As I grew older and attended “children’s church” without my parents, there was a time each Sunday where children brought their offerings up to the front of the class.  I didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to walk proudly in front of my peers and teachers to put my offerings in the bucket.  So every Sunday I made sure to ask my mom or dad for a dollar because now paper money was much cooler than change.  Neither of these experiences taught me anything about the biblical principal of giving back to God what is already his. 

The earlier you can talk to your child about financial matters and putting God first in their lives, the better off they will be as adults.  In researching different approaches to teaching children healthy money saving and spending habits, the following approach is a simple strategy that can be easily implemented.  We have provided 3 labeled envelopes to help you get started.  

From the time your child begins earning money they need to know there are three categories for money management: giving, saving, and spending. 

The first envelope is for giving back to God.  Help your child take the first ten percent of their money and place it in their giving envelope.

The second envelope is for saving.  Help your child put at least ten percent of their money into their savings envelope (even when they are not saving for anything in particular). 

The third envelope is for spending.  This is for the money that remains after the first designations and is to be spent whenever you see fit.

How much and how often your child earns money is up to you.  For further ideas, and to share your thoughts about children and allowances, be sure to check out my blog (kellyclarkonline.com) and read more or share your ideas.

My desire is to give you the tools to lay a foundation of financial responsibility that will last throughout your child’s lifetime, but more importantly, to help your child learn to put God first in their lives.

Kelly Clark

I’d like to hear from you about how you handle chores or allowance in your home.  I’ll be posting more about this topic later in the week so be sure to follow up.