The $2 and 2% Solution
Macey Oh really wanted a Glow-Stick. Our youth were selling them for $5 at the Plano Balloon Festival to raise money for Crossfire Youth Ministry. Macey only had $4, and she told our Youth Minister, Sarah Henson, that $2 of that had to go in the offering plate the next day at church. Sarah, of course, chose grace and let Macey buy a Glow-Stick with the $2 she actually had to spend.
I know the Oh family and can imagine that Macey’s $2 for the offering plate was a tenth, or a tithe, of perhaps a $20 allowance she is given by her parents. Macey already has an understanding and practice of gratefulness that few Christians have, despite “what the Bible says” plentifully on this topic of gratitude and praise. I know this to be true because the national average for giving to all charitable causes is 2.1% of income; the average percentage rate given by Christians in our country is only slightly higher: 2.3% of income. Yet even at that rate, if every church member of most churches gave that to God through their church, few churches would be struggling financially. A first step in this spiritual practice is to move beyond tipping God toward tithing for God and God’s purposes through Christ’s body, the church.
We are putting into our people’s hands a new FAQ that explains the accomplishments and the challenge ahead of us in the last three months of 2025 as we gear up for 2026. We need to discuss and pray together in our families and small groups about our roles in what is currently a $291,000 deficit in general ministry giving for 2025, and our collective giving/funding for ministry in 2026. The solutions for both will require participation of all 1,300 people who consider FUMC Plano their church. To this successful end, I want to commend to you three things:
Like Macey, what would a 10% of income gift to God look like for you? What would 2% look like?
What percentage of giving is God calling you to give back to God for the remainder of 2025?
What percentage of giving is God calling you to give back to God in 2026? We will have Estimate of Giving cards for everyone to use as we work to fund the 2026 Ministry Goals.
Macey’s $2 (tithe) solution plus everyone else’s 2%+ solution will result in the funding we all want to see for the ministries of FUMC Plano in 2025 and 2026.
After all, we all want to see our church “glow.”
Lead Pastor
FUMC Plano
