Giving to St. Anthony on the Desert

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
II Corinthians 9:6-7

Giving is one of the central themes in the Bible. Jesus talked more about this subject than heaven, hell or prayer. To understand what it means to be a Christ-follower, we must also understand what it means to be a giver.

We understand that the money we have is not our own. It belongs to God, and he has entrusted it to us to manage. A good money manager will responsibly do four things with the money God has given him: worship God, meet our own needs, meet the needs of others and even have a little fun.

The Bible tells us that ten percent of all our income belongs to God, is to be immediately set aside for him and is to be brought to the storehouse. Today, that storehouse is the local church, and God wants us to give to the church for the same reason he instructed the people of Israel to give to the temple storehouse, that there may be food in my house. The responsibility of the church is to meet the needs of people, and this job requires funds.

Worship is anything we do whose purpose is to praise and glorify God. We worship God with our mouths when we pray, when we tell others of his love or when we sing to him. We worship God with our bodies by eating right, bowing in prayer or even dancing. We worship God with our money when we give. By giving God a percentage of our income, we are showing him that he is the most important person in our lives. As faithful Christians, giving should be as natural as bowing our heads during prayer.

Giving to St. Anthony is the easiest by cash or check. Simply make your check payable to St. Anthony on the Desert. You will receive giving envelopes automatically after making a financial commitment, or pledge, for the year. You may request envelopes without making a pledge by calling the church office at 480.451.0860. To ensure that your contribution record accurately reflects your gifts, please use these envelopes when giving.

Gifts of appreciated stock offer additional tax savings: you avoid capital gains taxes and receive a tax deduction for the full value of the stock on the date of transfer. To qualify for these tax advantages, you must have owned the stock for at least one year. To facilitate a stock transfer, please contact the church office.

Please contact the Church Accountant at the above number with any questions or concerns.

Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:21