Giving

    Being the Stewards of His Resources.

     

    The purpose of Naperville Presbyterian Church is accomplished through the development of a generous, sacrificial, and disciplined approach to personal finance for all ages. This is both a privilege and a responsibility for those that call Naperville Presbyterian Church home. Stewardship is nothing more and nothing less than seeing how the gospel affects every area of our lives, including how we use our resources (time, talents and possessions). 

     

        •    The goal of stewardship is not to get us to “give something.”    

    •    The goal of stewardship is to get us to think correctly about ourselves, and our God.

     

    The biblical view of stewardship is that God created the entire world, that everything in it (including “our” resources) is his. We are only given temporary management privileges, that is, we are stewards of His resources.

       

     

    Give Online Now

    Ways to Give

    On Sundays

    Most people give to Naperville Presbyterian Church through the collection of tithes and offerings during our Sunday service. If you choose to give cash instead of a check and you want to have your gift recorded, please put the cash in an envelope with your name on it. If you would like a set of personalized giving envelopes, please contact us.

     

     

    Any Time

    We are pleased to offer online giving and donations. This provides an easy and secure way to setup either one-time or recurring donations through your checking account or by credit/debit card. We recognize the use of a credit card can be a beneficial financial tool when used responsibly but please know we are in no way condoning unsecured debt and we certainly do not want anyone going into debt for the sake of funding our ministries.

     

     

    Text-to-give >>> This is a convienent way to donate right from your smartphone. Text the amount of your donation to 84321 and follow the simple prompts.

     

    Do you make purchases from Amazon? You can support NPC through AmazonSmile. When you shop at smile.amazon.com you can select Naperville Presbyterian Church and the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of eligible purchases to us. It is easy and quick to set up. Click here to get started.

     

    If you are interested in non-cash contributions (stocks, mutual funds, AMEX points, etc) please contact us. You can download and complete the stock transfer form here.

     

    You are always welcome to set up EFT payments through your own financial institution and we are happy to help you if necessary. If you use electronic banking you can simply have your bank send the check directly to the church. If you would like to mail your check to us, please mark the envelope "Attention Financial Secretary" and address it to:

     Naperville Presbyterian Church

     943 Sanctuary Lane

     Naperville, IL 60540

    All About Giving

    Where do my donations to NPC go?

     

    General Operating Fund: The ongoing, day-to-day ministry of Naperville Presbyterian Church is funded through contributions to the General Fund. It is overseen by the Session and also supports our missions partners. Basically, that means everything from the Sunday services to the staff salaries, Children's Ministries to the mortgage payments, Bibles to lightbulbs -- it all comes out of the General Fund.

     

    Missions Outreach: During the year there are also opportunities for designated over and above giving to Missions Outreach in order to fund unique mission opportunities. These include one-time gifts to support short-term NPC mission trips, funding a church planting effort in one of our designated mission areas, or adding funds to what has already been budgeted for one of our supported missionaries/ministries.

     

    Benevolence: Our deacons oversee the disbursement of benevolence moneys to families in need both within and outside NPC. They also work with local agencies and non-profit organizations to extend out into the community.

     

     

    What should I know about stewardship?

     

    A steward is a manager. A Christian understands that everything and everyone belongs ultimately to God. Our responsibility is to manage what God has given us, including our life, our relationships, our time, our abilities, and our possessions in a way that reflects God’s character, priorities, and instructions. Jesus Christ is the ultimate model of stewardship as reported in 2 Corinthians 8:9, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.”

     

     

    Where in the Bible can I go to learn more about stewardship?

     

    The truth of God’s ownership of everything is found in passages such as:

     

    "Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it."  - Deuteronomy 10:14 

     

    "The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein."  - Psalm 24:1 

     

    "Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all."  - 1 Chronicles 29:11-12 

     

     

    The motivation for generosity is found in 2 Corinthians 8:7-9:

     

    "But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also."

     

    "I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich."

     

     

    The attitude encouraged in generosity is seen in 2 Corinthians 9:6-8:

     

    "The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work."

     

                

    The principle of regularly offering to God a portion of what He has given is taught in passages such as:

     

    “Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the LORD's; it is holy to the LORD."  - Leviticus 27:30 (a tithe is a “tenth part” – 10%)

            

    "Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine."     Proverbs 3:9-10

     

    "Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need."  - Malachi 3:8-10

     

    "Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”  - Luke 6:38

     

    "On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come." - 1 Corinthians 16:2

     
     

     

    The correct usage of abundant resources is wonderfully illustrated in 1 Timothy 6:17-19:

     

    "As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life."

     

     

    The emptiness and danger of wrong attitudes about possessions are illustrated in passages such as:

     

    "He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep." -Ecclesiastes 5:10-12 

     

    And [Jesus] said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”  - Luke 12:15

     

    “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and  money.”  - Luke 16:10-13

     

    "But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs."  - 1 Timothy 6:9-10

     

     

     The reward for faithfulness as a steward is seen in passages such as:

     

      "Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”  - Luke 6:38 

     

    "His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’"  - Matthew 25:21

     

     

     

    How can I give of my Time and Talents?

     

    "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace."  - 1 Peter 4:10

                                                                                                                    

    Check out our Share Your Passion section to learn about all the areas you can get involved with at NPC. Our NPC Want Ads are also a place to see where we need help.

     

     

     

    How does NPC uphold financial accountability?

     

    "We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of others." - 2 Corinthians 8:20–21



    NPC is committed to honoring God’s provision by exercising wise and faithful stewardship, ethical business practices, and full accountability to ensure the financial integrity of our church remains above reproach. We accomplish this through a system of internal controls and financial oversight.

      

    • A Finance team comprised of business professionals with financial management and accounting experience ensure that the financial, property, and legal affairs of the church are handled responsibly and with integrity.
    • NPC's finances are audited on an annual basis by an independent certified public accounting firm.

     

     

    We are always available to discuss our finances. Feel free to contact us  to ask general questions about our financial practices or to set up a time to talk.

     

     

     

    Additional Resources

     

    For further study, Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York developed this 20-day Stewardship Devotional as a resource to those wishing to deepen their understanding about giving. 

     

    • Need a copy of your giving statement? 
    • Want personalized giving envelopes? 
    • Interested in non-cash contributions?

     

    Contact us and we would be happy to help.