How to give to Grace Bible Baptist Church, and where it goes

Visitors and members both ask how giving works at Grace Bible Baptist Church, and it is a fair question. Nobody should have to guess where to send a gift or what it is used for. This article lays out the ways to give that the church publishes, and what the church says its giving is for. Giving is not a condition of visiting, and you are welcome on a Sunday whether or not you ever give a dollar.

What giving is for

The church states it in one sentence: any and all donations are used for the glory of God, to strengthen and reach our community with the good news of the Gospel. That sentence covers the plain costs of keeping a church open on Jefferson Avenue in Knoxville, and it points past them. Grace Bible Baptist Church describes itself as missionary minded, and says it financially supports worldwide missions. It also runs a soul-winning ministry and a bus ministry, and it calls itself a community of believers making an impact on our city.

If you want a more specific answer about where a particular gift goes, ask Pastor Barnett. Call the church at (865) 637-8954 or use the Contact page. A church that is happy to be asked is a church worth giving to.

Three ways to give

• Online through PayPal. The Donate page on this site takes a one-time gift, and it also offers a recurring monthly option.
• By QR code. The church publishes a QR code for giving, so you can scan it with a phone instead of typing an address.
• By text. Text the word give to (866) 826-8954.

Pick whichever one suits you. A monthly gift is simply the same gift made on a schedule, so that you are not trying to remember it each week. A one-time gift is exactly that, once. Neither is better in itself. The church also lists a link to freedonationkiosk.com for giving.

What the Bible says about how to give

Our church reads the King James Bible, so here is the verse many people turn to when they think about giving. Second Corinthians 9:7: “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

Read it slowly and notice what it leaves out. It does not name an amount. It speaks of what a person purposes in his own heart, and it rules out giving under pressure. That is the spirit we hope you bring to any gift, large or small: freely, and because you decided to.

The Nehemiah Project

The church has a building fund it calls The Nehemiah Project, and its flyer sets a goal of $50,000. The flyer lists what the money is meant for: new carpet, new doors, new windows and frames, new pavement and parking lines, painting, a drop ceiling, and brick cleaning. Those are the repairs and upkeep of the building itself. The flyer says you can give through gbbc.us or by the QR code printed on it. If you would like to know how the fund stands today, ask the church directly, because we would rather you hear the current figure from Pastor Barnett than read an old number here.

Before you give

If you are new, you do not need to give anything to belong here. Come to Morning Worship at 11:00 A.M. on a Sunday, at 2646 Jefferson Ave, and see the church for yourself first. If you have a question about giving, or about anything else, the Contact page and the church phone are open to you. And if you would simply like to be prayed for, that never costs anything either.