If you’re a teenager there may seem like there’s a lot of reasons why you shouldn’t give money to church. You probably don’t earn a full time wage, you may not think the cash you can give will make a difference, and you might think you should be able to enjoy life without being burdened by responsibility. But we should give money and here’s why.
There’s no doubt that God wants us to proclaim the gospel and the money that we might give in most churches goes to proclaiming the gospel. Whether it’s paying the pastor’s salary, contributing to missionaries or paying for the pencils to fill in the response cards! The collection goes to the work of gospel. God calls us to be partners in the gospel, which involves giving financially, and tells us to support those who minister among us, whether it’s in our local church or someone in a different country.
But at what age should we start giving? When we turn 18? When we get our first full-time job? When we start going to a ‘church service.?’ I want to suggest something simpler – we should start giving as soon as we want to help proclaim the gospel.Whether that’s age 12, 15 or 17.
I know some parents that give pocket money to their 3 year old son and encourage him to give some to the work of the gospel. And he does! Giving when you’re young gets you into a good habit for when you get older. You may think ‘I’ll wait until I get a full-time job.’ But if you find it hard to give a dollar now, imagine how hard it will be to give $50 or $100 when you’re 25. So get into a good habit now of giving money that goes toward proclaiming the gospel.
That may actually be easier said than done because although there’s a collection in most church services, often youth groups don’t have one. So, ask your youth group leader to start one, so your group can be partners financially in the gospel.