Key Takeaways
- A tithe is one-tenth. Leviticus 27:30 calls that tenth sacred to the Lord.
- Malachi 3:10 says bring the whole tithe into the storehouse so there is food in God’s house.
- 77% of Protestant churchgoers say tithing still applies. Only 51% give 10% or more.
- Lifeway’s Scott McConnell blames missing teaching, not a revolt.
- The Once Upon a Time apple leaflet tells the tenth with 10 apples. Six pages. Packs of 50. Spanish too.
- Teach it in September, while people are back, before the year-end ask.
People nod at “tithe.” Then the offering plate goes by and the tenth never leaves the wallet. You do not need a fiercer sermon. You need a picture they can retell at dinner.
Ten apples. One set apart. The rest is living. The core stays God’s.
What Is a Tithe?
A tithe is a tenth. Not a tip. Not “whatever is left on Thursday.”
Leviticus 27:30 says all tithes of the land, grain or fruit, “belong to the LORD; they are sacred to the LORD.”
Malachi 3:10 follows with, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.” In that chapter the storehouse is the temple treasury. Worship needs provision. That is the plot.
An offering can be anything above the tenth. If the bulletin uses both words as synonyms, people hear “give something” and never hear “first tenth.”
The Belief-Practice Gap (This Is the Whole Lesson)
Lifeway Research asked 1,002 Protestant churchgoers in September 2022.
77% said tithing is still a biblical command. 51% give 10% or more to the church they attend. Thirty-one percent give exactly a tenth. Nineteen percent give more.
McConnell’s line is the one to steal for the pulpit: the dip in “this still applies” looks like lack of teaching, not a walkout.
Adults 18–34 were the least likely to agree (66%). Spreadsheets will not fix that room. Fruit might.
The apple leaflet has moved more than 4 million copies for a reason. Families remember apples. They forget a pie chart by the parking lot.
We still pack it in Warminster, Pennsylvania. Pastors reorder because the story survives a three-minute children’s moment.
Walk the Ten Apples. Do Not Just Hand Paper.
Pass the pamphlet and sit down, and you bought grocery art. Read it with them.
- Hold up ten apples, real or printed.
- The first apple is the tithe. First, not last.
- The next apples are food, rent, and work.
- Stop at the core. That is trust. You do not eat next year’s tree.
- Send the 6-page leaflet home in English or Spanish the same weekend.
Spanish in the same week. Not “we’ll get that version later.” One story. Two languages.
Packs of 50 are $9.95 on sale, $8.95 at six or more packs. Class. New-member folder. Stewardship Sunday insert.
Set one beside the Our Offering envelope. Leaflet teaches. Envelope collects. Different jobs.
Summer giving fall off a cliff? Restock the rack first. We wrote that in how to restart church giving after a slow summer. Then use apples for the “why.”
Leaflet vs Envelope vs QR Code
| Tool | Job | How it dies |
|---|---|---|
| Apple leaflet | Teach the tenth with a story | Nobody walks the fruit out loud |
| Offering envelope | Catch cash and a name | You never explain the tenth |
| Online giving | Catch travelers | Cash givers never enroll |
| December letter | Close the year | You skipped teaching in September |
Lifeway still found 53% give cash at church. Digital grew. Most givers in that study were not fully electronic.
A pamphlet meets the person with a twenty in their hand. A QR code on the screen does not.
Keep leaflets in new-member packets all year. Stack extra in September and October, before the year-end stewardship clock starts ticking.
Envelopes still do privacy and records. That is why offering envelopes still matter. Use both.
Do Not Preach Malachi Once and Call It Stewardship
One fiery Malachi, then a building campaign, sounds like pressure. It does not sound like ordinary worship.
Unexplained fruit in the narthex looks like a produce ad.
Kids can count to ten. Let them.
The apple story is firstfruits without a finance-committee chart. Stay on that metaphor for the series. Do not switch fruit midstream.
Get the Once Upon a Time apple leaflet in packs of 50. Teach the tenth like people might actually remember it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much money is a tithe?
A: Ten percent of income. That is the tenth in Leviticus. Offerings can go above it. Lifeway found 31% of churchgoers give exactly 10% and 19% give more.
Q: What did Jesus say about tithing?
A: He names tithes while warning people not to skip justice and mercy. He does not toss the tenth. He will not bless a tenth that ignores people.
Q: Should I tithe if money is tight?
A: Lifeway heard 9% say finances make giving hard. Teach firstfruits. Do not shame a household. The leaflet shows the picture. Pastoral care handles the budget.
Q: What are the three types of tithes people talk about?
A: In the Old Testament you will hear land tithe, herd tithe, and poor tithe in different passages. For a Sunday lesson, start with the simple tenth. Then add history if the class wants it.
Sources
- USCCB NABRE: Leviticus 27
- USCCB NABRE: Malachi 3
- Lifeway Research: Churchgoers Are Still Tithing
- Lifeway Research: Protestant Churchgoer Views On Tithing (PDF)
