GIVING
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Luke 12:34)
Online Giving
At Culpeper United Methodist Church, we believe that God owns everything, and we are stewards of His World. God entrusts us with resources to fulfill our needs and to carry out his work in our church, community and greater world. “We receive God’s gifts as God’s stewards to enable our participation in God’s mission and not as the result of the success of our own strategic plans or material security.” (umcgiving.org)
We are so grateful for God's call on your heart to give and thank you for your generosity. To make giving as easy as possible, we have several options for you to pay online. Please note: Although we have enabled the use of credit cards on our site, the purpose is to allow the use of debit cards and we do not encourage the use of credit cards for giving.
1st Mile Giving
1st Mile Giving is about supporting your church. 1st Mile donations go to help maintain the building, pay salaries, pay for heating and air conditioning, bibles, paper, and all the things necessary to operate a church.
2nd Mile Giving
2nd Mile Giving is about giving to special projects, missions and to your community. 2nd Mile giving includes donations for Capital Improvements, financial assistance fund (Bucket Sisters), Missions, and more.
How Much Should I Give?
Your financial contribution to God and Culpeper United Methodist Church is a decision that should be answered only after prayerful consideration. We do offer some guidance to commonly asked questions:
How much should I give?
Giving to God and your church is a personal decision. Culpeper UMC does not dictate a set amount or percentage to give; although, we do believe strongly in the Biblical principles of tithing as presented in Malachi 3. Tithing, however, is not limited to 10 percent of giving. Some individuals and families begin with a smaller amount or percentage as they grow towards the 10 percent, while others feel blessed to give beyond 10 percent.
Will I be expected to tithe?
Every one of our members is in a varying stage of their faith journey. We believe that the spiritual discipline of tithing may take time to develop for those in the beginning stages of their faith journey. We encourage our members to grow in faith each year and to take another step in their road to tithing.
If I do not tithe, will I still be welcome?
You are most definitely welcome in our church and as a member of our congregation. Your financial contribution is kept confidential.
Where can I seek assistance with my finances and find ways to give back to God?
Culpeper UMC supports the teachings of Crown Financial Ministries and can connect you with a representative. Courses are also offered through Financial Peace University. For more information on these courses, please contact the church office.
In What Ways Can I Give?
Culpeper United Methodist Church offers a variety of giving methods, ranging from traditional to non-traditional. The following are ways in which your tithes and offerings can be given to the church.
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Offering Plate - We provide giving envelopes to our members on a quarterly basis. You may insert your tithes or offerings into the envelope and bring it with you to Sunday worship. You may also place loose money and change in the plate. This method allows you to be an active participant during the offering portion of our service.
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Online Giving - You may set up an online giving account through culpeperumc.com. The site allows the flexibility to alter the frequency of your tithes and offerings and set the amount. The amount is then withdrawn from your account according to your plan. In the age of direct deposit paychecks and online bill pay, this method allows you to give your first gifts to God each month.
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Online Bill Pay - Alternately to the online giving on our website, you may set up online bill pay through your banking account. A check will then be mailed from your bank to the church.
You may supplement your titles and offerings by giving back to the church through one of these methods as well:
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Restaurant Receipts - Our community partners at Country Cookin’, Peppers Grill, and Country Café offer us donations based upon receipts collected. For Country Cookin’ and Peppers, receipts are sent in once a month. With Country Café, just let your server know that you attend CUMC, and they will take care of tallying receipts and then send the church their donations.
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Amazon Smile - do your shopping on Amazon through Smile.Amazon.com and choose Culpeper United Methodist Church as the organization you are supporting.
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Online Shopping through UMC Shop2Donate - The United Methodist Church, in partnership with hundreds of online retailers, created UMCmarket.net. By using UMCmarket, CUMC will receive donations of 1-9% of your online purchases. Visit UMCmarket.net for a detailed explanation of how the system works and how easy it is to give to CUMC without any extra cost to you.
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Bucket Sisters - On the third Sunday of each month, a bucket is passed through pews at the Sunday worship services to collect loose change or money that you have saved over the month to contribute to the Pastor’s discretionary fund. This successful program helps those in immediate need within our church, community and beyond.