Drafting the Case Statement: The Gift Array

Paul told the Corinthians to give as they have decided in their hearts (1 Cor 16:2). Writing again in 2 Cor 8:7 Paul told them to give from what they had, not what they did not have and that the gift is acceptable if the eagerness to respond to the grace of God was in their hearts. A gift array simply helps people how to make that spiritual decision by providing a range of giving options. The choice meets the financial needs of the ministry and the need for a response appropriate to their situation.

• The beauty of a gift array is that it puts the principle of differentiation into practice by providing a range of giving options
• A gift array is entirely compatible with the principle of proportionate giving which lies behind tithing.
• Ambiguity about a response is fatal to all giving and fundraising. People need a clear and definite answer to the question, “What do you want me to do?” Apart from any biblical basis tithing is powerful because it offers clarity about what we should do.
• The target in the gift array is not the cash to be raised but the ministry for which it is needed. The £60 required in one church may balance the books of a church going nowhere and doing nothing; in another it might be to release new ministries and sustain vision.
• The brochure that church members will receive will contain the agreed gift array.