Giving 

At IIC giving is also seen as being contagiously generous. 

As a church we believe in a God who is outrageously generous. We see in the well know scripture - John 3 v 16 where it says: “That God so loved the world that he GAVE his one and only Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." We see in this scripture that God desires to bless the world - but we also recognise that giving comes at a cost. The Father gave the most precious gift possible in sending Jesus for us. As we live as disciples, we are called to take up our cross and follow him. Being a follower of Jesus comes with great promises but also means a change in lifestyle. 

Here at IIC, we believe our generosity can be expressed in various ways and we seek to be a people who live with a spirit of generosity throughout our entire lives. At its core, generosity is a motivation of the heart. We can give by opening our homes to others, in the way that we use our time, and by the attitudes that we express towards others. 

The Bible refers to the church like a body. We believe that every person in the body has gifts and we desire to see everyone using their God given talents for the benefit of the whole body. In Romans 12 v 4-5 it says “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body and each member belongs to all the others.” What area or part of the body is God calling you to serve him in?  

It could be the privilege of serving in Limitless Kids, our children’s ministry; welcoming people; serving tea and coffee or helping on the building team to name just a few or something completely new. Whatever the area, God calls us to get involved with, we do it for His name and in His service. We are reminded that Jesus said that He did not come to be served but to serve. Let's reflect His example and heart. 

When we look at the early church in Acts 2 v 45 it is evident that they were contagiously generous. It says that they shared everything – their lives, their food, their homes and resources. The Bible says that they 'gave to anyone who had need'. Here at IIC we want to reflect this model of the early disciples and be a church where we are known for being generous to one another and to our community.  

Giving financially is a way of acknowledging and appreciating God as our Source who has given us the strength and ability to create wealth. Then out of the overflow of a thankful heart we choose to give back from what we have been given. The bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 9 v7 “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion for God loves a cheerful giver.” We at IIC believe in the biblical standards of giving a tenth of our income in thanks-giving to God. In addition to this, we give an offering on top towards the work of His Kingdom. Any opportunity to give is a chance to reflect the heart of God.  

As a part of giving, we believe that God has called us to serve our community in this great town of Ipswich. We want to pray for it and invest our time, resources into it and its people. At present one of the ways we do this is through groups such as ESOL where English is taught to those who have come from across the nations and English is not their first language. Another way in which we serve our community is through L1:53, which provides food boxes and meals to families within Ipswich during Half-term and term holidays. We desire to have even more creative ways in which we can bless our community.  

Generous people live out of the grace they have experienced. This will reflect in our words, actions, support and loving challenge of one another. We can be generous in our attitudes in believing the best about one another. Being quick to forgive one another when we hurt each other. Like any family we will have misunderstandings that need to be resolved.  

So for us at IIC giving is not just about what possessions or finances we can give but giving out of our whole lives. Living open handily in order that we may reflect the very heart of an outrageously generous God who has brought us into an abundant life.