What Is Tithing?

"The concept of Tithing – of giving 10% of your ‘income or ‘increase to the Source of your Spiritual Good - relates back to a teaching in the Old Testament from the Book of Numbers 18:21.   When the original twelve Hebrew tribes were formed, one of the tribes was designated as a Tribe of Holy Men – the Levites - descendent's of Moses through his brother Aaron.  The Levites, or Rabbis, were charged with the duties of preparing the way and the time for Worship services.   Since the Levites could not perform their Spiritual duties effectively and also work to support themselves, the members of the other eleven tribes were instructed to tithe 10% of the increase in their crops or herds each year to provide for the support of their Spiritual Leaders.

The custom of Tithing remains active today for the same purpose.   By Tithing to your Church, you are serving as a channel of financial support to the Church and its Spiritual Leaders in the same way that the 11 Tribes served as financial support for the Levites.   God, of course, is the true Source of all supply for you and your Church, however God uses people as channels of supply.   When you tithe, you are acting as God’s banker, so to speak, helping to provide the needed money to operate the Church and to free its Spiritual Leaders to devote their time to helping others.

The act of Tithing is not actually about money – although money is involved.  Tithing is an outer action symbolizing an inner conviction that God is your Source of Infinite Good and that through God, you understand that you will always receive your Daily Bread: enough money to meet your needs – plus – more.   God always has enough. God never runs short.  Tithing is also an acknowledgment that you are willing to accept God’s unlimited good in your life.   Finally, Tithing is an act of faith in your Church as your source of Spiritual Food.   When you automatically give the first 10% of your harvest – (Your harvest is your salary, your pension, your social security check, your disability check, your dividends, your earned interest, your inheritances, your profit, your lottery winnings, your found money, your unexpected gifts, etc.) to your Church, you are expressing gratitude for the Church and its true importance in your life.  Tithing is first an act of Faith and further it is an act of Gratitude to God for the substance that you have already received.

The only place in the whole Bible where God offers an outright challenge to man is recounted in the Book of Malachi, Chapter 3:10 – and it concerns Tithing.

"Bring your whole 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 an overflowing blessing."

A true Tithe is always given to a Spiritual Organization (or Leader, Teacher, or Author) who serves or has served as a channel of your Spiritual Enlighten.   A Tithe is different from a charitable gift.   Gifts to charitable organizations are important also – we must accept our responsibility as citizens of our communities to circulate supply.  But charitable organizations do not serve the same purpose for us as our Spiritual Centers of Learning do.   In the Biblical teaching in the Book of Numbers, the Tithe was given specifically for the support of Spiritual Leaders making it possible for them to do their work without interruption.   In the teaching in the Book of Malachi – God’s instructions are to: "Bring the whole Tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in My House."   In an incident in the New Testament where the Disciples thought money was being wasted that could have been given to the needy instead, Jesus reminded them that, "The poor will always be with you, but you will not always have me."

True Tithers discover that their Tithe check – the first check they write each time they receive new money - is the most joyous check they write.   Giving a Tithe in love and trust to your channel of Spiritual Upliftment, creates the “Attitude of Gratitude” that allows God to give you, the giver, even more of the things you love most.   Your Tithe check serves as a reminder from you to you that, through God, you are indeed bountifully blessed – always.

What is a Love Offering?

"Love that fulfills the Law is the great sense of Unity that prompts the soul to seek the understanding and practice of that which is for the welfare, not only of the beloved, but of all humanity” - Myrtle Fillmore

Rather than UnityNow deciding what the value of a specific service that we offer is to you, the practice of the Love Offering makes it possible for you to reach into your own heart and decide for yourself the amount of your "treasure" that most closely reflects the value of a Spiritual Teaching - to you.   Your Love Offering also insures that the Ministers and Teachers of UnityNow will be able to continue their work - to teach others in the future, as you were taught - and/or to teach you again in new ways. The "Spirit" behind the Love Offering is gratitude to God for providing the Learning Center that supports your Spiritual Growth.

What is a Gift?

"There must be an equal conscious receiving from the Father and giving to the world, a perfect equilibrium between the inflowing and the outgiving, to keep perfect harmony." - H. Emilie Cady

Gifts come in many forms.   Gifts can be given, for example, in volunteer time or "in kind" - or in lump sums of money that are neither a "tithe" nor a "love offering."   ("In kind" means that the gift is something other than money, such as a professional service or a product

Your Tithes, Love Offerings and Gifts help to sustain this Ministry physically and to sustain you Spiritually. They are part of the natural flow of giving and receiving that blesses both the giver and the receiver.

"Your prosperity consciousness is not dependent on money- your flow of money is dependent on your prosperity consciousness." – Louise Hay

How Much Should I Give and When? "Send out your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will get it back." -- Ecclesiastes – 11:1 Tithes:  For your greatest good - your Tithe, the first 10% of all of your increase - is always given as soon as you receive it.   It serves as an instant statement of Faith that you know that God's supply is unlimited and that you are always financially secure because God is taking care of you as God has taken care of you before.   Perhaps that is weekly when you get your salary check, or monthly when you receive your Social Security or Retirement Income, or Quarterly or Annually if it is a Dividend or interest payment.   Unexpected Income, which can come any time, warrants an "unexpected" Tithe. For your greatest good - mark your check "Tithe--Thank You God!" and mail it as soon after receiving your money as possible. Love Offerings:   Love Offerings are usually given at the time that you receive real benefit from Sunday Service or a class, or a counseling session or from reading a book or surfing a Web site.  A Love Offering is your gift of love and appreciation, given specifically for a Spiritual benefit that you have received.  Love Offerings can be given in any amount, but it is always wise to give on the side of prosperity. Gifts:  Gifts, "in kind" or "in service," may be lovingly given at any time in any amount that feels good to you..

Tax-Advantaged Giving

"As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." --1Peter 4:10

Gifts to UnityNow are tax deductible. Tax-advantaged giving makes it comfortable for you to be generous with this ministry, as you also remain a “good steward” of the gifts God has given you.   As you give to this ministry, you also qualify for a deduction when you pay your taxes.   If are considering giving UnityNow a gift of stocks, bonds, property or annuities, please contact the Reverend John McLaughlin at (727) 531-8516.   Reverend John will help you with the questions you will need to ask your own Financial Adviser, Trust Officer or Attorney so that they may assist you in framing your tax-advantaged gifts in the way that is most beneficial to you and to UnityNow.

Wills and Bequests

"Deep within us there are four fundamental needs-- to live, love, learn and leave a legacy." --
Stephen Covey

You may wish to leave a legacy to support UnityNow after you make your transition.   Your Attorney can help you write a will (or add to your current will) to provide for UnityNow to receive your gift after the expenses of your estate have been settled.   If you have a chosen heir or heirs, you may still want to name UnityNow in your will in the remainder position – just in case your named heirs pre-decease you.   Please know that if you die without a will, or have not designated your choices in some legal way, distribution of your property will be made by a court of law that has no knowledge of your true wishes.   Your children and grandchildren may not be aware of your intention to support UnityNow.   Everyone, of every age, needs to have a will or some form designating the way they wish to have their worldly goods disbursed after their death.

We are a Tithing Ministry! "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back." Luke 6:38 UnityNow is a Tithing ministry. All Tithes, Gifts and Love Offerings received by UnityNow, including legacies, will be Tithed on to a source of our Spiritual Growth and Development. Tithing is UnityNow’s absolute expression of Trust in God as our ultimate and infinite Source of all supply. We Appreciate those who lovingly support our Ministry Your Tithes, Love Offerings and Gifts to UnityNow bless both the giver and the receiver! UnityNow is entirely supported by the free-will tithes, love offerings and gifts of our Spiritual Awakening Students, their families, and others who elect to help support the work that we do. If you choose to support the work of this Internet Ministry, you may do so by mailing your Tithe, Love Offering or Gift to: UnityNow PO Box # 5256 Clearwater, Florida  33758 (If you prefer, you may make a donation now by using a major credit card.)

For another perspective on Giving and Receiving, Click Here to read Reverend John's message - "Open to Receive"

To practice Tithing without actually spending any money - play the Millionaire Dollar Game - Click Here