NONPR OFIT n


m You Will Serve


our words and actions truly define us. Are we putting possessions (cars or fashion), activities (sports or concerts), attention (social media), or money before God? Where are we laying our treasure?


To answer these questions, we can start by examining our giving to ministries and churches. A 2015 Relevant magazine article indicated that “Christians are giving at 2.5% per capita, while during the Great Depression they gave at a 3.3% rate, and only 5% of the U.S. tithes, with 80% of Americans only giving 2% of their income.”1


Also, the Giving USA Foundation’s latest report


states, “Analyzing nationwide trends, a 2015 study revealed that giving to religious institutions following the Great Recession recovered more slowly than giving to most types of non-religious nonprofits.”2


It is encouraging that religious institutions are still the largest recipients of giving (in 2015 people gave to religious institutions a total of $119.3 billion, or 32% of total giving), but in 1987, giving to religious institutions was 53% of total giving.2 concerning.


Tis statistic is


With that backdrop, what is the object of our worship? Like the Israelites, we have a clear choice concerning whom we will serve, either trusting in the gods that offer us earthly comforts or in the Lord God. At Ambassador Advisors, we serve many churches and nonprofit ministries that strive to glorify God. Tis gives us opportunities to serve Him by assisting ministries that reach lost souls with the good news of Christ. Tese ministries help the homeless, provide biblical education, help people recover from addiction, provide refreshment at conferences, share Christ through sports, provide pregnancy counseling, walk the streets with gospel outreach, and the list goes on.


It is not too late to join together with ministries like these and make a difference, thereby reversing the growing trends. As it was for the Israelites before us, this is our day to choose wisely whom we will serve.


1 Source: Relevant Magazine 2015 2 Source: Giving Foundation Giving USA 2016


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