First Fruits Initiative

Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.

– Proverbs 3:9-10

From the beginning, tithing has been an on-going spiritual practice for God’s people. We give a tithe (literally a “tenth” in Hebrew) of the “first fruits” of our finances to God. By offering our first fruits, we acknowledge God as our priority.

Jesus affirms the practice of tithing (Matthew 23:23) and the Apostle Paul encourages Christians to give generously to the needy and those ministering in the Gospel (2 Corinthians 9:6–15). When we tithe, we are investing into the Kingdom of God being made manifest on earth as it is in Heaven.

The Bible says, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:7–8). We give generously with the expectation that God will faithfully supply whatever we need so that we can abound in good works!

Why are we doing this now?

In February of 2023, Pastor Charles called together an ad hoc committee of pastors and deacons to determine how to best respond to our landlord’s offer to sell the building to our church. After prayerful consideration, the committee determined that a purchase at this time was unwise due to both financial and time constraints required by the landlord. Although the church leadership decided not to proceed with purchase of the building, through the consideration process, we had the opportunity to review our giving habits as a church community.

The ad hoc committee suggested this initiative as a way of strengthening our finances in the event the landlord sells our building to another party and we need to find another building for the church. Even this scenario would give us two years of planning and preparation. The committee felt that increasing the number of members who tithe regularly would not only strengthen the church’s overall finances but also deepen the discipleship and growth of our church members who choose to participate.

How does Tapestry define tithing?

We define tithing as giving 10 percent of your gross income on an annual basis to the church. We know that this may not be possible for all members due to a variety of factors. But this is the target we would like all members to aim for.

Tithing is ultimately an act of worship, honoring God as our provider. However, it is also a gift to us, a reminder that the whole of life is to be stewarded rather than possessed. Giving the first 10% of our income is a baseline practice that positions us to honor God, and live as citizens of the Kingdom. 

Goals of the First Fruit Initiative:

  1. Commitment: 30 percent of Tapestry LA members would complete a “commitment card” to give on a regular basis with a target of giving 10 percent of their annual income.

  2. Kingdom-centered: That more members of the church would experience freedom and blessing by having a more Kingdom-centered view of and relationship with money.

  3. Culture: To change Tapestry LA culture so that we are more comfortable talking about and encouraging financial giving within the church.