God did not plan for His people to use worldly schemes to raise money for the spread of His message. God nowhere says that His churches are to have sales, raffles, or bazaars to raise money for their work. He did not intend for them to become beggars, going out into the world asking for means to carry on. Such schemes and plans are a shame and disgrace to the church and certainly can never be pleasing to the Lord.

God gives only one plan of church finance in the bible, and that is tithe and offerings from His people. The tithe is the tenth, meaning that Gods people are to bring a tenth of their incomes to the Lord and His work. Offerings are the amount that is given above the tenth. This is the plan that God teaches all through His Word, and it is the one scripture plan of church finances.

The key verse of New Testament church finance is found in 1 Corinthians 9:13-14 which reads: "Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? And they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel." Verse 13 refers to Numbers 18:21-28, which tells how the Temple worship and the priests and Levites were supported by the tithes and offerings of the people. All of the people were commanded to bring their tithes and offerings, which were used to support the Lord’s work.