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What is Conscious Giving? • Expand Your Consciousness of Abundance • Pledge Your Support |
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| Click on a Link Below to Expand Your Consciousness of Abundance: | |
| I Accept Good and More Good | Annual Pledge Program: How It Supports Your Growth and Ours |
| The Wonder of Giving | Facts About Our 2007-08 Pledge/New Home Campaign |
| New Thoughts About Tithing | Top 10 Reasons to Pledge to the Golden Gate Center |
| I Accept Good and More Good | |
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“I know I am now at the threshold of all good, wisdom and Truth. All the good I can embody is now mine. I have only to open the portals of my soul and accept that which is ready to express through me. I expect, fully and emphatically, the answer to my prayer today. Right now do I possess this thing I so greatly desire. I remove my fear of lack and negation, for it is the only barrier which stands I the way of my experience of good. I alone can remove it, and I do remove it now. In this moment my good comes to me, enough and to spare, to give and to share. I can never be exhausted, my good can never be depleted, because that Source from which my good comes is inexhaustible. Today, in this moment, the Law responds to my thought. My word is one of affirmation, rising from the knowledge that the Good, the Enduring and the True are Eternalities in my experience. I cannot be apart from that which is my good. My good is assured me by God, the Indwelling Essence of my life.” - Ernest Holmes, Science of Mind |
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| The Wonder of Giving | |
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When you discover the wonder of giving, you will wonder how you could have lived so long in any other way. It is the key that makes Truth work, that opens the door to the good you have been seeking, and that gives life that added glow. It can be one of the great discoveries of your life. When you become a committed giver, you can no more go back to the old way of living than you can go back to life in prehistoric times. There is a new world awaiting you, a new level of life that can open to you, and a new experience of the dynamism of Truth which you have been studying. Discover the wonder of giving. It is the better way. And the day will come when you will insist that it is the only way.” - Eric Butterworth, Spiritual Economics, p. 178 |
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| New Thoughts About Tithing ©Francine Huss, RScP |
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Tithing is not about money. And money is not about money. Tithing is literally a disciplined tool for participating in the Law of Divine Flow. Being in the constant flow of Good starts with giving. Tithing is a method of regular giving that demonstrates faith in this flow from God–tithing keeps our attention on God as our Source.
Again, tithing is a method to keep our attention on our Source. It is a daily practice of recognizing the Source from which everything in life originates. Tithing is also a demonstration of complete faith that our Source provides for our needs and desires so that we might live life richly and fully. Money is not different from anything else. Money is not separate from God. As money is literally a currency for the divine flow of God’s energy in the world, any issues about money are really not about money. Money is a representation of that which flows through all of life and every part of our lives. Most people treat money as something different from everything else. We put money into a different category. We especially separate money from everything spiritual, and herein lies a problem. Money is a “condition,” like any other condition, that reflects the consciousness from which it manifests. Money is not different from anything else. Like everything else, our financial state of affairs can be allowed to reflect the divine flow of life, or money (the lack of it) can reflect our obscuring and blocking of Truth.
When you separate anything from God you at once remove it from yourself and remove yourself from your Source, the Source of all Good. Try substituting the word “Good” for the word “money.” Money is simply a representative form of God’s energy in the world, of God’s Good. See how this substitution reveals whether you create separation with how you talk about and treat money. See also how you might move into a new relationship with “money” as you talk about your “Good.” Once you have accepted that money is a currency for Good, you will be able to claim, “I accept more and more money,” with the same feeling as, “I accept more and more Good.” If you can at least say these two phrases without any negative feelings, you have made a great step toward seeing money as contained within all Good, and not separate from it. When money is not separate from anything else for you, your experience with money will change. Tithing is not the goal – It’s the training wheels. “If we can accept the early practice [of tithing] as a form of ‘mandatory contribution,’ then, as with the Commandments, it was intended as a trellis by which we might be strengthened in our early period of spiritual growth. But the time must come when we let go of the rigid obligation so that we can spontaneously give in love and freedom and have the satisfaction that our giving equals or even exceeds the tithe.” (Eric Butterworth). Tithing is an Old Testament term that refers to a form of giving that was coerced by the government and/or church. It was really an early form of taxation and/or mandatory church support, at the specific rate of 10%. Jesus did not talk about tithing, but he did talk about having a giving consciousness. This is not to say Jesus did not believe in tithing but rather that Jesus’ focus was on the ultimate goal of cultivating a consciousness of living in divine flow. “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” (Luke 6:38) Tithing to satisfy church requirements or expectations is tithing for the wrong reason. Tithing to get rich is tithing for the wrong reason. Tithing is the not an end but a means by which we can develop within ourselves a Ultimately a life lived from a giving consciousness doesn’t need to apply the discipline of tithing. Giving financially becomes part of a constant and daily practice of giving in every part of life. Generous giving is part of our life when we are completely living our faith in God as our unlimited Source of the divine flow of all that is Good. “It is like a child learning to ride a bike with training wheels and then continuing to use the trainers throughout life. It is unlikely that he or she will ever know if he or she could ride steadily without them.” (Eric Butterworth) A tithing practice based on decimal-point-giving is an excellent way to achieve a giving consciousness; however tithing is not the goal but the training wheels. The goal is to completely embody a giving consciousness such that we are always thinking of giving and, indeed, we cannot not give and give freely. Ongoing Debates about Tithing There are several ongoing debates about tithing. One is whether one should tithe on gross income or net income. Another issue is whether a church can require its practitioners or members to tithe. Regarding the first debate, the question itself contradicts the concept of tithing as a practice toward developing a giving consciousness, because a precise figure is irrelevant once we move from the training wheels of 10% into a complete giving consciousness. Furthermore, this issue involves a focus on what we consider as our money and not their money. Net income reflects what we really get after expenses and taxes. Gross income is temporarily “theirs” but becomes less, or at least it appears to. Focusing on what is “mine” from which to tithe and “not mine” (but the government’s) is off-target in a consciousness that recognizes that giving demonstrates the Law of Circulation of God’s Good. The second issue, a topic among Religious Science spiritual communities, is whether a community should expect or even require its practitioners to tithe, or possibly even make tithing a requirement for all members. Some feel people should not be required to give a set portion of their money, but should be free to give according to their consciousness, since growth in consciousness cannot be mandated by conditions. Others feel that a tithing requirement might act as a spiritual practice to encourage the growth into giving consciousness. Again, the issue of whether tithing should be required can be considered irrelevant to one living in a giving consciousness, which is the real goal. To those who are living joyfully in the spiritual principles to which we adhere, tithing off the gross or the net is irrelevant and the issue of whether they are required by their church to tithe is also irrelevant. Consciousness o |
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| Annual Pledge Program: How It Supports Your Growth and Ours | |
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The Law of Divine Circulation refers to the flow of all things in the Universe. This Law describes the constant flow of giving and receiving that is the state of all Life, and it can be stimulated by our giving: we always begin with giving. As we give, we take the first step in entering into and aligning with the flow of the Law of Divine Circulation that is always in motion. When we give consciously, we are giving in recognition of God as our source. When we give this way, we are saying that we are grateful for all the good in our lives, and for the spiritual nourishment that gives us peace and increases our gratitude–and this is the attitude of living in and from abundance. Dr. Ernest Holmes, the founder of the Science of Mind philosophy, believed that prosperity consciousness included the activity of giving to and receiving from the specific human source of our spiritual nourishment. Believing in a totally abundant universe, he said, “We do not give because God needs the gift but because the giving increases, broadens and deepens the life of the giver. Nor shall we give from the standpoint of duty. The Universe refuses to bargain with us. It already has given us all that it has.” Think about your giving and how it can demonstrate and build your faith in God as your source, the source of all that you are and all that you have. Think of all that God has given to you. Give, and trust in the Law of Divine Circulation and the Law of Attraction to draw abundance and prosperity into your experience. Make giving not just a practice, but a way of life. Why do we have a pledge program? A vibrant spiritual community is the result of excellent stewardship, responsible management, active planning, and vision. Our pledge program lets us vision and plan our annual activities and growth with care and responsibility. We believe good stewardship of our members’ financial support is not only beneficial to the daily operations of our center, but also supports the expansion of each individual member’s abundance consciousness. How does the pledge program work? Each year, during the Pledge Program, we ask members (and non-members who participate in our programs and services) to prayerfully consider and commit to a planned regular giving program to the Golden Gate Center for Spiritual Living for the year. Your level of giving reflects your commitment to your faith in God as your source, the source of all that you receive, and represents your financial commitment toward the support of the operations and growth of the Golden Gate Center. We ask you to complete and submit a pledge card that tells us the amount of your financial support for the year and your proposed schedule and method of payment. You may contribute weekly, monthly or annually. You may pay by cash, check or credit card. Automatic debit (from your credit or debit card) is also available for your convenience. We encourage you to submit your gifts via debit or credit card because it better ensures our financial projections each month. If you’re on vacation, you know your gift is supporting us and we appreciate the timeliness of your gift. Where do I get a pledge card? We hand them out each Sunday during our Pledge Program. At other times, they are available at our church offices. The pledge card is also available on our website. Use this card to start pledging, to change your pledge, to increase your pledge anytime during the year. What are the blessing cards? The Blessing Cards were created for those who give via credit/debit to remind them of their gift by putting a blessing in the offering basket. Later, these cards will be recycled to allow those who need or want a gift to receive them. The Blessing Cards themselves represent the reciprocal giving and receiving nature of the Universe. Everyone can use the Blessing Cards. Even if you aren’t able to pledge at this time, please know that you always have something to give. Fill out a blessing card and place it the offering basket to demonstrate that there is an inherent and infinite well of Good within you from which you may always give. This simple action may start you on your way toward financial giving and pledging at some time. Does the money committed to the pledge program pay for all of the Golden Gate Center’s operating expenses? Money received as a result of our annual Pledge Program generally provides 70-80% of all of our income. The balance of funds needed for our operations comes from classes, workshops, events, and non-pledged gifts. We hold an annual Pledge Program in order to allow our leadership to forecast income and to create an annual budget. Can I direct my gift for special events or purchases? Pledging is intended to direct financial resources to our general operations fund, so your regular giving will be deposited to this general fund. However, additional directed gifts are welcome at any time throughout the year. We ask that directed gifts be in addition to your regular pledged giving, so that you can help us meet our planned budget. What are pledging and tithing and how are they different? Giving allows us to direct our financial resources toward our highest commitments; giving allows us to state our beliefs about life. Aligning our resources with our values provides a great opening for expansion in our lives. A pledge is a commitment to do something with a clear intention. Pledges can be called tithes or financial gifts. A pledge is the amount of money you are telling us it is your intention to give for the year. A tithe is a specific amount, 10% of one’s annual income, given in gratitude to the source of your spiritual nourishment. Tithing is a structured practice of giving. Its purpose is to bring our attention to giving as a conscious practice to demonstrate our faith in God as the source of all that we are given. How are pledging and tithing related to our Universal Principles? Conscious giving, in any amount, can expand your experience of the Law of Circulation, because it sets an intention to participate in that flow. Since the intention behind a pledge is to give, making a pledge can stimulate the Law of Attraction to bring more good into your life. Tithing is practiced to achieve a “tithing consciousness,” that is, a consciousness wherein constant and regular giving is irresistible—it becomes our very nature to give. Tithing consciousness doesn't stop at 10%, but entices us to continue to grow our abundance consciousness by giving increasing amounts, by giving whatever stretches us. Tithing might be described as a method of learning to immerse ourselves in the natural flow of Divine Circulation. Those who tithe to the Golden Gate Center are acknowledging the Center as their source of spiritual inspiration, and in so doing so are demonstrating and potentially expanding their abundance consciousness. If my circumstances change during the year, can I change my pledge? Certainly. You may decrease or increase your pledge at any time. For your own financial records, you will receive a statement of your giving each quarter. Please know that your pledge should not be considered a bill that you owe, but rather an opportunity to transform your life. Should you decrease your pledge due to financial difficulties, it is more important to us that you allow us to provide the spiritual support you need to regain your financial confidence than that we receive your pledge. Your spiritual growth is always our highest priority—your gift, gratefully received, is the representation of the abundant life we want for you. What if I can’t pledge at this time? Pledging is not required. Whether you pledge or not, we welcome you with love at the Golden Gate Center for Spiritual Living. Our intention for you is that God’s highest intention for you is fully expressed through you. This is our gift to you. It is our hope that as the principles for living a richer life are revealed to you, you will join the flow of giving and receiving with us. Know that when you make a decision to give to the Golden Gate Center, any gift, at any level, is blessed. Everyone has something to give. God knows no big or little. The size of your gift, again, is determined by your consciousness of God as your source, by your consciousness of all that you receive. Starting to give anything at all is what is important, and the size of the gift will grow as the consciousness of the giver (and therefore the giver’s experience of God’s gifts) grows. Giving “primes the pump” of Divine Circulation in your life, and helps you grow into a greater experience of abundance and flow as a way of life. If pledging seems daunting to you now, be assured that a small start is the most important step. Divine Law is not a hope but inevitability. Be assured that we will provide the support for you to learn and demonstrate these powerful principles in your life. Our goal is to help you achieve the level of giving and abundance that you want to experience. |
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| Average Pledge Last Year: | $2,219 |
| We had 150 pledgers last year. Most were members of the Golden Gate Center. | |
| Average Cost per Seat: | $44/week - $54/week |
This is only one of several fascinating ways we evaluate whether giving aligns with our costs. Not long ago, this average reached over $60. Due to excellent work by our Stewardship Core and our Core Council, we have streamlined our expenses to achieve this new lower cost figure of $44/week. During the interim in which we are raising additional funds for our new home, the cost per seat will reach $54. After we are in our new home and we attract new members and pledgers, this figure will reduce and settle to a new figure at the current rate or lower. |
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| Average Pledge Asked This Year: | $50/week = $2,600/year |
| This figure represents our goal of financial well-being for the Golden Gate Center. Our goal is to replenish recent salary reductions and experience positive cash flow every month of the year. | |
| Additional Amount Requested for New Home: | $10-25/week = $520-$1,300/year |
| Our new home will increase our current operating costs. While we project that we’ll attract many more new members at this new facility, until that time our current pledgers are asked to fund the incremental increased costs. By doing so, we are planting the seeds for growth and we are attracting to us so many more people who seek our empowering philosophy. | |
| Process to Calculate Your Pledge: | |
We have developed suggested levels of giving based on the different paths each person intends in their regular giving program. For those who have not pledged before and wish to start, for example, we suggest starting at a minimum of $10/week. For those who have a regular giving practice, we ask them to make it their intention to give at 100% of their intended pledge and add a bit more for our new home. This simple addition represents only a couple cups of coffee each week during the year. It is our intention to ask for the financial support that is needed in a way that allows each giver to expand their giving experience as gently or boldly as they wish. These suggested giving levels are on the pledge card itself. Remember, they are only suggestions. Feel free to use them to create your own giving practice. Suggested Ways to Pledge in 2007: If you have not pledged before and would like to begin a conscious giving program, we suggest that you start at $10 per week. Or, consider making your occasional gift of any amount into a structured, regular giving practice. If you currently give between $10 and $40 per week, we suggest a goal of $50 per week, plus $10 a week for new home. If you currently give between $50 and $100 per week, we invite you to maintain or increase your pledge and contribute an additional $15-25 per week for new home. If you currently give over $100 per week, we thank you for your generosity! We are |
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| Important: Pledge Before New Home: | |
Supporting our financial wellbeing is our top priority. It is our intention to plan our budget and to operate in positive cash flow each month. Your basic pledge helps us accomplish this goal. After you have set a level to maintain or increase your basic pledge, we welcome any level of support for our new home. Please do not let our “pledge before new home” policy limit your support of our wonderful expansion. |
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| Top 10 Reasons to Pledge to the Golden Gate Center | |
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“A truly giving consciousness is the creative alternative to the worldly emphasis on winning through intimidation or succeeding through positive selfishness. It is the better way. And a committed giver is an incurably happy person, a secure person, a satisfied person, and a prosperous person.
The practice of tithing is a method of keeping our awareness on God as our true Source of all Good and all abundance. As Rev. Dr. Lloyd Tupper says, “I tithe at the level that gets my attention. If it takes giving more than 20% of what comes to me to get my attention on my Source, that is the level at which I give. When it takes more than that to get my attention, I increase my tithe.”
“Our belief about anything is our belief about everything,” according to Practitioner Emerita Doris Jones. Therefore, any discomfort about money is an opportunity to look at our beliefs about everything. What does your belief about money say about your belief about God? Does your “apparent” lack of money reflect your belief that God withholds your Good from you? Does your belief that money is different from everything else reflect your belief that there is something separate from God?
giving consciousness that permeates every part of our life. Tithing is simply a disciplined method that takes us to the consciousness of giving as second nature. Indeed, it is our true nature to live in the divine flow and know that our awareness of the presence of God within is truly our Source for infinite Good. 
f the Divine Spirit within manifests as generous and constant and automatic giving–it is their own consciousness that creates the requirement, not an outside entity.|
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