We give because God has been generous to us. Your generosity makes a difference and is helping change lives. Thank you for believing in the vision and mission of The Chapel!
Giving online is an easy and convenient way to give anywhere, anytime. Make a one-time gift with a debit or credit card (no login required), or set up a repeating gift with your checking account, debit or credit card (My Place login required). There is no charge to you to use this secure service.
Sundays & Giving Envelopes
Give on Sundays during either service by simply dropping cash or a check into the offering plate as it passes by. If you would prefer to use Giving Envelopes, order them by emailing Lori Clapp at lclapp@thechapel-efc.org.
By Mail
You can give from the comfort of your home by mailing a check or scheduling an online bill payment through your bank. Mail your gift to The Chapel, EFC: 4250 Washington Ave., St. Joseph, MI 49085.
Special Gifts
If you would like to give gifts of stock or other types of property, please contact the church office at 269-429-1041. Also, see FAQs below to learn about the different types of special gifts that may be given.
You can now support Chapel ministries when you shop online at AmazonSmile! Click here to designate The Chapel as your AmazonSmile charity of choice: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/
We are to give because God has been so generous to us! Our God is a giver at His core, since He “gave” His Son to die for our sins and demonstrate His love for all people (Jn. 3:16).
God’s Word declares that everything is the Lord’s (Ps. 24:1), and therefore He is the owner and we are His managers of our time, talent, and finances (Lk. 12:42-48, 1 Tim. 6:17-19).
We should never go into debt to give, but we should give cheerfully, regularly, and generously as an expression of our thanks for God’s provision, to advance His Kingdom, to help those in need, and to demonstrate our devotion to God rather than the things of this world. As Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matt. 6:24).
Gifts to the General Fund are used to support all of the ongoing ministries and operating costs of The Chapel, including: pastoral staff, adult/children/youth ministries, facility and administrative costs, budgeted missions costs, and debt service (interest and principal). The General Fund budget is approved by the congregation each year.
Gifts to the Building Fund are used to reduce debt related to our most recent building project, the Children’s Ministries Wing. These gifts are over and above debt reduction payments made from the General Fund.
Gifts to the Missions Fund are used to meet non-budgeted missions needs and are disbursed based on the recommendations of the Missions Committee.
Gifts to the Benevolent Fund are used to help meet the financial needs of people in distress, including those within The Chapel and our local community. Funds may be used for emergency food and shelter, transportation, medical or counseling expenses, childcare, or a variety of other needs. These funds are administered by the Elder Board.
If you would like a copy of the current year’s budget, please contact The Chapel office at 269-429-1041.
The Chapel has resources available to help you learn how to manage your money in a God-honoring way.
Financial Peace University
Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University is a 9-week class that teaches God's ways of handling money. You’ll learn how to get rid of debt, manage your money, spend and save wisely, and much more! The Chapel typically offers FPU every fall, but check out our Finances page for the latest class information.
Legacy Journey
This is the “follow up” class to Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. The Legacy Journey is a 7- week, biblically based class that teaches you how to truly live and leave a legacy for generations to come. This class will lead you deeper into investing, basic estate planning, purposeful living, safeguarding your legacy, and the discovering the keys to generational wealth and true generosity. The Chapel typically offers this class annually, but check out our Finances page for the latest class information.
Personal Financial Coaching
Do you need someone to sit down with you to talk through your personal financial situation? The Chapel has people available that can help you build a budget and answer basic questions on debt, spending, saving, investing, giving, insurance, and more. Please contact The Chapel office at info@thechapel-efc.org, or 269-429-1041 and we’ll get a coach for you.
Is my bank and card information secured?
Yes. The Chapel has chosen BluePay as its secure, encrypted gift processing service. BluePay is a third-party that clears the gift from a bank account or debit/credit card securely for Chapel attendees connecting through My Place or guests making one-time gifts. For more information, see BluePay’s website.
Does The Chapel or My Place store my bank or card information?
No. The Chapel and My Place does not store or know any of your personal bank or card information. BluePay is the secure payment processing service that executes all of the financial exchange between your account and The Chapel.
Is My Place secure?
Yes! While My Place is internet-based, access is only available to those with a username and password. This is given only to approved people (by administrators at The Chapel). Additionally, My Place is built on the Church Community Builder (CCB) platform, a widely-used web-based church database and interface service. CCB uses the latest security and encryption to keep data safe and allows users to restrict the amount of information shared with The Chapel church body.
Who can see my giving?
The only people (besides the giver) with access to your giving history are those in charge of entering gifts into the system, the church treasurer and the master administrator.
How much should I give?
Give as the Lord leads you. The tithe (10%) is an excellent guideline, but our giving is a matter of the heart (2 Cor. 9:7) and not just a specific percentage/amount. God instructs us in the New Testament to not be lovers of money (1 Tim. 6:10), and that our giving should be regular and proportionate (1 Cor. 16:2), generous, voluntary, cheerful and purposeful (2 Cor. 9:6-7). May it be our joy in giving to make an eternal investment for the glory of God!
How do I set up a repeating gift to The Chapel in My Place?
Repeating gifts can be set up using your My Place log in, where you will enter your checking account or card information. This is an easy set up and is the most effective way to set up repeating gifts electronically.
If you do not have or are unsure if you have a log in to My Place, please contact The Chapel office.
Follow these steps to set up a repeating gift: