Imagine moving a small group meeting in a construction worker’s living room to worship in a Boy’s Club gym where beads of sweat ran down your forehead in the summer and you could see your breath inside in the winter, but yet people kept coming back week after week because something extraordinary was happening there. That’s what our founding members did when Ray Davis began Desert Breeze Community Church back in 1991. Here we are today almost 15 years later with some one thousand members growing in ways only God could make happen.

DO WE DARE to imagine what will happen as we build for the next 20 years?

DARE to impact our society that is becoming increasingly skeptical about church by being both culturally relevant and biblically sound.

DARE to pursue the over a half million people in a 10-mile radius that don’t know Jesus and the fullness of life that He offers.

DARE to build bridges from where many of those 500,000 find themselves today by connecting them to a healthy growing church family where a relationship with Christ motivates our relationships and service to each other.

DARE to cultivate a new generation of kingdom servants and history makers to lead the future through our children’s and youth ministries.

DARE to make such an impact on our community, that it’s leaders are so amazed that they ask for our help in solving current issues our culture is facing.

DARE to empower our Outreach Team and LIFE Group ministries so that they are energized by an external need that drives them to ask, “How can we build a bridge and be Jesus to those who don’t know Him?”

DARE to do for our current culture what no other organization is capable of or equipped for – and that is, to offer eternal hope and help them to realize life to the fullest.

DARE to live like all of the above were true and the harvest were only a season away.

Is this a big challenge? >>> Of course it is!

Will it stretch us? >>> You bet!

Can we see everything clearly?

No, but God calls us to walk by faith not by sight. In Hebrews 11:6, the writer says without faith it is impossible to please God. The root meaning for the word “please” means – to prosper from His pleasure. When we take what we see as big steps for God, He will take great pleasure in showing up and showing off. The great theologian Charles Spurgeon wrote “God’s promises were never meant to be thrown aside as waste paper; He intended that they should be used. God’s gold is not miser’s money, but is minted to be traded with. Nothing pleases our Lord better than to see His promises put into circulation; He loves to see his children bring them up to him, and say, “Lord, do as You have said.” We glorify God when we plead His promises. Our heavenly Banker delights to cash his own notes. Never let the promise rust. Draw the word of promise out of its scabbard, and use it with holy violence. God will not be troubled by persistently reminding Him of His promises. He loves to hear the loud cries of needy souls. It is His delight to bestow favors. He is more ready to hear than you are to ask. The sun is not weary of shining, nor the fountain of flowing. It is God’s nature to keep His promises; therefore go at once to the throne with “Do as you have said.”

So, let’s reflect on all that God has done in and through us during the last 15 years of ministry. Then let’s dare to believe what God is going to do during the next three years in this first phase of the campaign as we position ourselves to make an eternal difference in the lives of individuals, their families, their neighborhoods, this city, this state, this country and this world. We’re going where God leads. Are you coming along?

Dare You to Move!

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For the next twenty years of ministry >>>

Our mission as a church is to create a safe place where un-churched people can become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. That means that as a church, strangers are welcomed people into God’s family, helped in connecting to a life-changing community, and equipped to be sent out to build more bridges to God’s love. What does that mean for us as we are designing our new facility? Well, the design of our facilities and buildings will focus around four important concepts: Community, Fellowship, Development and Celebration. During Phase One, we’ll continue to meet at O’Connor High School where we will continue to move people through the process of becoming Christians who are genuine, growing, giving and going all to the glory of God.  At the same time we will endeavor to develop ministries that build bridges within the facilities and resources we have.

As we move forward we encourage everyone in the DBCC family to spread the vision of our Dare You to Move campaign with excitement and enthusiasm and to share what we hope to accomplish in our community. We want to empower our LIFE Groups and other global ministries to facilitate activities and events that will attract newcomers and encourage them to join the party and pursuit.

Bridging people to “…life to the fullest” (John 10:10) also means that we continue to build bridges inside the church from person to person, ministry to ministry and LIFE Group to LIFE Group. We must grow stronger as a team. In a sense, grow smaller as we grow larger – with the feel of a small church or town where everyone knows everyone. We share life together in purpose and power, celebration and trial, pursuit and passion.  

1 Corinthians 1:10 says “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.”

Jesus said that we are to do good works in our world in such a way that they glorify God our Father. The bridges we build must not only reflect the integrity of the foundation – Christ – but the unity of the builders – the church. Our new campus will give us a great home base from which to fulfill our vision of bridging the community around us to the fullness of life that Christ promises -- for the next twenty years and beyond!

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We will all want to be a part of the exciting things that God is doing here at DBCC. Here are some concrete steps that you can take with us to get involved right now:

Pray >>>  First and foremost, pray daily for His leading during this significant time in the life of our church. Pray for guidance and direction for our Staff, Elders and Campaign Team in all of the critical decisions ahead. Pray specifically for what God would have each of us contribute toward the Dare You to Move campaign that is over and above our regular tithe and offerings. Journal your prayers in an effort to be consistent and also in anticipation of some day looking back and seeing how God moved and answered those prayers. Pray for our campaign partners who will be looking for prospective properties and/or land that will suit our needs. Pray that God will move on the hearts of people out there whom He can use to accelerate the process to realize our goals.

Participate >>>   Secondly, make worship a priority, especially during the Dare You to Move sermon series as Ray and the staff will be sharing the God-sized vision for DBCC. Discuss these important messages with others in LIFE groups. Look for a building or land you think God could provide for us for a future home. If you have any of the skills listed below and would be willing to be a part of our campaign team contact Scott Fameli at the church office to find out how you can help. List of Skills: administration, fund raising, property or land development, real estate, major construction estimating or financing, grant writing, newsletter editing and distribution, prayer team leader or participant. Participate by praying for God to use our church in a mighty way in our community, our nation and around the world.

Prioritize >>>   Thirdly, consider what can be given up so that something greater in the kingdom of God can be accomplished. Respond to God’s call to build on behalf of future generations, as others have done before us. Make a faith pledge, believing that God will provide as we step out in faith. Many have sacrificed here at DBCC before in extraordinary ways so that we could enjoy what we have today. Now it’s our turn to join with them to make an investment with eternal rewards . . . one that will pay dividends forever!

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Things to Consider

Equal Sacrifice, Not Equal Gifts >>>                                                                     

Obviously, everyone doesn’t have the ability to give the same amount.  However, God does want all of us to make a genuine sacrifice for Him.  “I will not sacrifice to the Lord an offering that cost me nothing.”  (2 Samuel 24:24). Our effort is more about “faith raising” than “fund raising”.

Making a “Dare You to Move” commitment can include one or a combination of alternative methods and scheduled giving. There are one time gifts, weekly, bi-monthly, monthly and yearly gifts given in cash or check. Some have also given assets like investment securities, real estate and other assets. Most of us can give far more than we initially think by giving it over a period of time. Included in our campaign support material there is a chart to help estimate what you could give over a period of time.

Giving with Reason or by Revelation >>>  

1.  I can give based on REASON.  This means I look at what I have, figure out what is “reasonable,” and commit that amount.  It takes no faith to give by reason.  Reason simply asks, “What can I afford?”

2.  I can give based on REVELATION.  This means I determine my gift by praying, “Lord, what do you want to give through me?”  This kind of giving requires faith.  The Bible says “Without faith it is impossible to please God.”  (Hebrews 11:6)  That’s why God honored the Macedonians:  “They gave not only what they could afford, they gave even more than they could afford?”  (2 Corinthians 7:3)  God promises to bless us when we give in faith.  2 Corinthians 9:8 says “God is able to make it up to you by giving you everything you need and more so there will not only be enough for your own needs but plenty left over to give joyfully to others.”

The Cause >>>

There are a number of gaps in our society – relational gaps with each other and obviously with God – generational gaps, moral gaps, social gaps, economic gaps and many others. However those identified by each gap have the same hurts, habits and hang ups – fear, depression, addiction, broken marriages and families, lost kids and confused adults... In common is a gaping hole in the soul that yearns to be filled and a ravenous hunger unquenchable by anything the secular world has to offer. The un-churched are who we want to reach - those that, for the most part, don’t see the church as an option to heal their hurt or as a place to fill their hole in the soul. They grasp for a fix of inadequate and unhealthy people, positions, possessions and pleasure only to find disillusion and disappointment. We must build bridges over these social gaps – in and around the world where the lost live their lives. A dynamic group of believers in the hands of an almighty God can bring hope to the hopeless and healing to the multitudes blinded by life in a fallen world. The Dare You to Move campaign purposes to do just that.

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Many Christians have been amazed at their ability to give “over and above” to their church. The  eight steps (see “Making An Over and Above Gift”) are offered to help you in this regard.

These lessons are individual meditations aimed at inspiring and challenging us to see God's plan for giving. Each lesson challenges us to re-evaluate our beliefs on giving by reminding us how significant giving is to the worship of God. By highlighting biblical characters that chose to give sacrificially, we learn that giving is an important act of obedience. More importantly, these lessons show us that as we give, we are participating in His work.

Lesson One: >>> Our Gifts to God

Of all that we do in church today, presenting our gifts to God is as much an act of worship as anything else we do. What is the significance of an offering? Why has the act of giving always been deemed an appropriate and necessary human response to God? All religions have practiced some sort of offering. Even the sacrifice of human life as an expression of religious devotion has not passed away, but offerings of every imaginable kind are still presented on a daily basis around the world. Within the Jewish and Christian traditions, the offering has always held a central role. Throughout the Bible, we find people giving offerings to God and God welcoming the offering. The gifts we bring to God are important because of the needs they meet and because of their positive impact on the giver. The most important aspect of giving, however, lies in its symbolism. Only limited satisfaction is derived when we give in order to pay the church’s bills. To experience the genuine joy of giving, we must know the powerful symbolic significance of the gift. It is for that very reason we do not pass the plate here at Desert Breeze. We want people to give for the right reasons. The statement is true that “the Gospel is free, but someone has to pay the bills”, however this attitude in giving falls far short in many areas in contrast to giving with pure motives. One that stands above the rest is the attitude of gratitude towards God for what He has done in our lives and the lives of those we love. Maybe you are one who can testify to God’s miraculous intervention in a hopeless situation. Maybe you can even testify to the ongoing changes in your life that can only be explained by His grace. Even outside those special circumstances, if you think about it, His common grace offers us all so many things we take for granted; the air in our lungs, the heartbeat in our chest, the sun rising faithfully each day, our senses, food, clothing, friends and family. The list is incomprehensible. All these things mentioned and more are offered to even those who don’t know Him or acknowledge Him. There are no conditions.

So if God can give unconditionally, and we are to become more and more like Him, let’s not prioritize things like our standard of living over standard of giving.

The gratitude we have as a church family, shown through our unconditional giving will be evidenced by our ability to increase our capacity to build lives and not just a structure – to not just pay the bills, but pay honor to God for who He is and what He promises to continue to do in His church. And to think, God invites us to join Him and be a part of His work and as it says in

2 Peter 1: 4 – “participate in His divine nature”. As you think about this, continue to pray and meditate on all God has done and is doing in your life. Thank Him in word and in deed. It is not about “have to”; it is about “want to”. Come to think of it, that was His attitude in giving Christ on the cross.

Lesson Two: >>> the giver is in the gift

Have you ever known someone who decided to really straighten things up and clean out the clutter? They want to be responsible, a good steward of the things God had blessed them with. With the best of intentions in mind they purge the closets, the storage shed and garage. The things they just can’t live without always find a spot. If there’s no room, we’ll make room. What is left is old and broken, useless and obsolete. “Why, we can’t just throw it away, that would be wasteful, at one time that junk was very useful and valuable, let’s give it to the church”. Sounds funny, but it is true and it happens more often that you might think and in ways you may not have considered. That is not to say that people haven’t benefited from donations given to the church. Our aim, to make a point, is not at the receiver here, we’re focusing on the heart of the giver. Let’s look at God’s word in one such instance:
 

2 Samuel 24:18-25  On that day Gad went to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” So David went up, as the LORD had commanded through Gad. When Araunah looked and saw the king and his men coming toward him, he went out and bowed down with his face to the ground. Araunah said, “Why has my LORD the king come to his servant?”  “To buy your threshing floor,” David answered, “so I can build an altar to the LORD, that the plague on the people may be stopped.” Araunah said to David, “Let my LORD the king take what ever pleases him and offer it up. Here are oxen for a burnt offering, and here are threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood. O king, Araunah gives all this to the king.” Araunah also said to him, “May the LORD your God accept you.” But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them. David built an altar to the LORD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the LORD answered prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.

It is often said, “the gift represents the giver.” However, the gift is more than just a “representation” of the worshipper. As we present our gift, we present ourselves. In fact, the value of the gift is determined by how much of ourselves is actually “in” the gift.

2 Samuel 24:18-25 tells an unusual story. King David could have obeyed God without any personal costs. Araunah had generously offered to David everything that was needed to fulfill God’s command–the land, the wood of the altar, and even the animal to sacrifice. David could have made this offering to God without it costing him one cent. David, however, refused Araunah’s offer. Why? What did David know that may escape us? David understood the symbolic identification that exists between the giver and the gift. David could not offer anything to God that did not personally cost him. The gift that does not touch the giver does not touch God. Through prayer and discussion with whomever you decide, explore this relationship between you, the giver, and your gifts to God. If you’ve decided to be a sacrificial giver, don’t mourn the pain of your offering. Do as David did and celebrate the challenge of it.

Lesson Three: >>> my money and me                                                                           Paraphrase: The relationship between purse and person is intimate. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

That’s intimacy! Find the treasure and you find the heart. There is a sense in which money is me. Why? Most people receive their income from employment. Suppose you work for a company forty hours per week. You give your time, energy, physical and mental abilities and yourself during those forty hours. At the end of the week, your company gives you a paycheck. Analyze what has occurred. You have given forty hours of your life. In return, you received a paycheck. That paycheck in very real terms is you or at least a part of you! Every dollar you make has you “in” it! My money is me! Consider the implications this has on how we spend our money. To spend money is to spend life! Where I put my money is where I put my life! We are in everything we purchase because we are “in” our money.

When Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” He was speaking on several levels. Jesus’ statement refers to the intimate relationship that exists between our lives and money. We spend a great deal of our lives thinking about money: earning it, saving it, investing it, spending it, and worrying about it. The word “heart” refers to the emotional aspects of our lives; who we are inside. Money stirs emotions, touches our hopes, fears, insecurities, plans, ambitions, and more. It is no wonder that a high percentage of divorced couples identify money as a major contributor to their failed marriages. Money is a hot topic.

Luke 22:19-20 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body given for you, do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.”

At the Last Supper, Jesus presented a beautiful symbolic message in which He identified His life with the wine and the bread. As we eat the bread and drink the cup, we remember Him. In a similar fashion, we are in our gifts. As Christ gives Himself to us in the bread and cup, we give ourselves to Him in the offering. In giving His life it was not lost. His life was given in sacrifice so that we could all benefit from it. In much the same way, we can give of ourselves, through our money, so that many others can benefit from our sacrifice, and the benefits are eternal for both the giver and the receiver. Take time to pray and dream about some ways your gifts will benefit others.

Lesson Four: >>> the value of a gift      

Mark 12:41-44  Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw money in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling His disciples to Him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on.”

What determines the value of the gift to God? Is one gift better than another? Is God more receptive to some gifts than others? When we consider the acceptance of Abel’s gift and the rejection of Cain’s, then the answer must be “yes.”  What makes a gift more valuable? American culture would dictate, “The more you spend on it, the more valuable the gift!” Jesus, however, never equated a person’s contribution with a financial amount. One day Jesus stood at the temple treasury to see what people gave. Jesus saw the rich give huge sums. He made an interesting comment about the gifts of the rich.

He didn’t condemn the gifts of the wealthy, but recognized that the gifts were given out of abundance. The giving from the overflow and their gifts didn’t cost them anything personally. Jesus watched the widow give two copper coins, a very real amount. In practical terms, the widow contributed nothing of real value to the Temple. However, the widow gave “all she had to live on.” Those two coins represented the totality of her life. She didn’t just put two worthless coins into the treasury; she put herself in! The value of the widow is not found in the coins, but rather the value of the coins is found in the widow. As we have stated before, it is not about equal gifts, it is about equal sacrifice.

THE VALUE OF THE GIFT IS DETERMINED BY ITS VALUE TO THE GIVER.      

Mark 14:3-9  While He was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on His head. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly. “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to Me. The

poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have Me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on My body beforehand to prepare for My burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

The greater a gift’s value to its giver, the greater its value to God. The gift that touches the heart of God must first touch the life of the giver. The disciples didn’t understand the actions of this woman. They condemned her generosity by suggesting the money should have been given to the poor. The value of the perfume was equal to a laborer’s annual income. In today’s economy, the vial of precious ointment would have been worth tens of thousands of dollars. This was indeed a valuable gift. Unlike the widow’s gift, the perfume had great financial value.

Jesus was so impressed with the gift that He said the story would be told as a memorial to her. What made this gift so special? Scholars have long wondered what the woman was doing with a possession of such enormous value.

We know that she was Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. We know she deeply loved the Lord and her actions showed that she was willing to give anything and everything to Him. Scholars suggest that the alabaster jar was Mary’s dowry. Eastern customs demanded that each bride bring to the marriage a dowry of great value in relation to the bride’s station in society. No dowry meant no marriage. If scholars are correct, Mary gave away her right to marriage when she poured out her dowry on Jesus. Mary’s gift was of immense personal value; Mary’s future life was in her gift. Her husband-to-be and her children-to-be were in her gift. Like the widow, Mary gave everything she had. This gift was special to Jesus because He recognized its special meaning to Mary. Discuss the eternal and temporal value of gift giving and giving to God’s work in the church.

Lesson Five: >>> giving as a gift

1 Chronicles 29:10-16  David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, “Praise be to You, O LORD, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the majesty, and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is Yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; You are exalted as head overall. Wealth and honor come from You; You are the ruler of all things. In Your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give You thanks, and praise Your glorious name. But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your hand. We are aliens and strangers in Your sight, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. O LORD our God, as for all this abundance that we have provided for building You a temple for Your Holy Name, it comes from Your hand, and all of it belongs to You.”

1 Chronicles 29 tells of King David’s efforts to raise money for the construction of what would become Solomon’s Temple. David expresses his heartfelt commitment for the project, pledges his own financial commitment, and challenges the leaders of Israel to consecrate themselves too. This chapter documents how the leaders willfully and joyfully made their financial commitments and how the people of Israel joined their leaders with joy and great enthusiasm.

Overcome with emotion by the people’s overwhelmingly positive response, David seems to struggle in an effort to understand and explain the magnitude and meaning of what has occurred.

Consider the following paraphrase of David’s reaction:
Lord, everything is Yours! You have all the greatness, power, glory, victory, and majesty. Everything that is in heaven and earth is Yours. You are above all. All riches, honor, and power come from You. But, Lord God, I just don’t understand it. Who am I and who are these people that we are able to give so willingly to You? Everything comes from You. Everything we have has come from You. The only things we have given to You are those things that were Yours in the first place. God, we are just sojourners in this world. We don’t own anything. We are just passing through. Not one of us will last long in this world. And now, God, somehow we have given all these resources to build a house for You. And everything we have given has come from You and belongs to You.

David was overcome with the realization that he and his people were given a high honor and rare privilege. God provided a way for them to participate with Him even though God didn’t need David or his people. God created a world with a word; He could build the Temple with a thought. Yet, God invited David and the Israelites to join Him in this work.

David saw this experience for what it was. God had given them a wonderful gift, the Gift of Giving. Likewise, God has favored us by giving us the opportunity and ability to give to His work. His invitation to join in His work is, in itself, a gift.

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Capital stewardship campaigns rely on church members making gifts “over and above” their current level of giving. The best path to increased giving is the spiritual path, where you set your heart on things above. Financial priorities then take shape from spiritual priorities. One way of defining this is, “Lifestyle Stewardship,” a term used to describe a level of giving that affects one’s living. The challenge of Lifestyle Stewardship is to find ways to boldly and prayerfully let your giving touch your living!  Here are eight ways you may consider when determining your commitment.

1. Practice Priority Budgeting >>> 
Many families will choose to rearrange their priorities and give up something in their current budget in order to give more to a capital campaign. Priority budgeting may mean postponing a planned expenditure such as a new car, vacation, home remodeling or other major purchase. Many Christians giving to capital stewardship campaigns find a way to give through sacrificial commitments made in faith, coupled with priority budgeting.

2. Redirect Present Expenditures >>> 
Often, families have significant short-term expenditures for special needs. One example is the large expenditure a family incurs for a child to attend college. A family realized that their daughters would be graduating from college during the three years of a capital campaign and, as a result, they were able to increase their commitment to the second and third years of the campaign by thousands of dollars by giving what they had been spending on their daughters’ tuition. Another example would be cash flow that is freed up when a loan is paid.

3. Increase Giving with Increased Income >>> 
Some people receive periodic increases in salary or bonuses from their employers. The temptation for many of us is to increase our lifestyle to fit the higher income. In many instances, families have decided that they will commit the full amount of salary increases for the term of the campaign.

4. Give from Your Excess >>> 
A young man decided that two collectors’ baseball cards worth over $20,000 he had been holding for a number of years would be the most appropriate means of sacrifice for his family. Some families save money over a period of years for a special project. A couple had saved $80,000 to build a lake cabin. When their church entered a capital stewardship campaign, they decided the needs of the church were greater than their need for a second home.
 

5. Commit Unexpected Cash >>> 
Often, people pray for God to show them a way they can give beyond what they can presently see or afford. Sometimes, the answers come unexpectedly. A couple had been praying for weeks about their commitment to the church capital campaign. Much to their surprise, they received an inheritance of several thousand dollars. They gave the entire amount to their church as part of their three-year commitment, in addition to a commitment from their regular income.

6. Sacrifice Your Extra Time >>> 
Some family members have extra time they would be willing to use in a part-time job to be able to give more to the church. This is particularly true for families whose children are grown and away from home and for semi-retired or retired couples. A man was in the process of retiring when his church entered a campaign. He and his wife secured new jobs and gave the first three years of their retirement income to the capital campaign.

7. Give the Pennies that Add up to Dollars >>>
We can all identify small daily expenses we make without thinking that could be saved with relative ease.  A 75 cent soda each day at work (5 days a week)  added to two $3.50 coffee drinks a week, one fast food meal ($5.50) and an outing at the movies ($25.00) adds up.  Over a three year period that is over $3,100.00.  Get creative and make your own calculations.  You may be surprised at what it adds up to.

8. Donate Appreciated Assets >>>
Many people own stocks that are worth significantly more than the original purchase price. That is good news. The bad news is that if these stocks are sold, a significant portion of the gain would be lost to taxation. Gifts of appreciated assets – typically investment securities or real estate – can be very advantageous to both the donor and to the church. By transferring ownership of the asset to the church, the donor avoids capital gains taxes on the sale of the asset. In addition, the donor receives an income tax charitable deduction for the full market value of the asset.  That in effect makes these gifts less costly to make.                                                                                        

Though it is important to invest your giving to further the mission of the ministry God has laid on your heart, it is also important to consider the tax implications of making a gift to the church. Before making a commitment of this type, consult your CPA, tax attorney or other financial advisor.
 

A Final Word
Giving does not have to be in equal increments over the three-year period of the campaign. You might be able to give more in the third year than the first two. As you think about your financial commitment to the campaign, think not of just your potential to give right now, but also of your potential to give in the future. It might be that you can make a three-year commitment in which 20 percent is given in the first year, 30 percent in the second year and 50 percent in the third.

As we mentioned earlier,... 2 Samuel 24:24 King David declared,
“I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” (NIV)
David understood a gift that would touch the heart of God must first touch the heart of the giver! This is the spirit of Lifestyle Stewardship: If it is for my God, my gift must have value and meaning to me. Often, Lifestyle Stewardship means giving up something in one area so that you can give more of yourself in another. The three keys to effective Lifestyle Stewardship are:   

Reassess lifestyle                 Rearrange priorities                    Reallocate resources

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