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:

1. Log into My Place.
2. Click “Give” on the left-hand menu.
3. Select the “Repeating gift” button.
4. Select the fund to which you want the gift to go to in the drop down box. If you want to give to more than one fund regularly, click the “Add another” link.
5. Choose the frequency of the gift amount in the drop down box.
6. Provide a date in which the gift(s) will start (today or any day in the future).
7. Choose when the automatic gift(s) will stop, either when you stop them or after a set number of gifts are given.
8. Click the “Continue” button.
9. On the next page, click the drop down box for “Payment type” and select either “Checking account” or “Debit/Credit Card.”
10. Complete the form, then click the checkbox confirming the statement that you authorize the deductions from your bank account (if you chose “Checking account” for “Payment type”). The Chapel does not know, store or will receive your bank information.
11. Click the “Continue” button.
12. On the pop up box, review one last time before clicking “confirm.” Click “Confirm” to complete the repeating gift.

How can I view my giving history?
You can view all of your giving history, and even print statements of your giving from the “Give” section in My Place. Log into My Place, click “Give” on the left hand menu, then click “Schedules/History.”

In this section, you can view giving history (gifts given online or by other means) for you as an individual or for your family. You can also view repeating gift schedules you have set up.

Additionally, you can instantly print a statement of your giving simply by clicking the black button in the upper right hand corner labeled “Giving Statement.” You can then customize your statement by type (individual or family), date range, and tax deductibility (gifts that are tax-deductible or non-deductible). Click “Run Report” to generate the statement, and then you can print or download it as a PDF.


Is there a cost to The Chapel when I give online?
Yes, The Chapel pays processing fees on gifts made using debit or credit cards (about 2%-3%) or via ACH withdrawals from checking accounts (about $.50 per transaction). Of course, there are no fees related to gifts made by check or cash.


What are the different types of special gifts that may be given?
Each family’s financial situation is different. While some people give cash out of current earnings, others are in a position to give from different types of property or assets. Here are some examples:

 

• Gifts of stock that has appreciated in value can provide significant tax benefits to the giver if they are handled correctly. Contact the church office for more information.
• Donor advised charitable funds allow participants to direct gifts from funds that they have specifically established for charitable purposes. Contact the church office if you have questions.
• A special benefit available to those who are at least 70½ years old is the ability to give directly from an IRA to charities such as The Chapel without the distribution being treated as taxable income. This distribution must be handled correctly in order to receive this benefit, so contact your tax advisor or IRA administrator to learn more.
• Please remember The Chapel as you do your estate planning or prepare your will. Your attorney can advise you on how best to leave a financial legacy that will help advance the Kingdom of God through the ministries of The Chapel.