A Texas megachurch believes so much in the promise of God’s blessings that it’s offering a full refund to tithers who don’t experience it.
Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas, has launched “The 90-Day Challenge,” which promises churchgoers, “that if you tithe for 90 days and God doesn’t hold true to his promise of blessings, we will refund 100% of your tithe,” the church said in a description of the event on its website.
“Each of us has a unique opportunity to be a part of the incredible life change happening around us at Fellowship Church by bringing our tithes and offerings to the house,” the description read. “If you are not tithing already, the 90-Day Challenge is the best place to start.”
The campaign is tied to a church series called “The Tipping Point,” which pastor Ed Young has called “the most provocative series of the year.”
The series references Malachi 3:10 in the New Living Translation: ” ‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,’ says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, ‘I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!’ “
Fellowship Church’s website says the series will teach churchgoers “what it takes to reach the tipping point in life God has given us … [and how to] discover how one small change in our lives can cause unbelievable momentum that lasts forever.”
Guest preacher Brad White, senior pastor of LifePoint Church in Tampa, Florida, and a Fellowship Church board member, taught the first part of the series on June 7 with a sermon titled, “First Things First.”
Fellowship Church is one of many to launch a 90-Day Challenge to encourage members who are not regular tithers to give 10 percent of their income to the church.
Some churches issuing the challenge include The Rock Church in California, led by Pastor Miles McPherson; Laurel Ridge Community Church in Oakley, California; and Perry Noble’s NewSpring Church.
The annual “State of the Plate” survey reports that there are about 10 million tithers in the U.S. who give more than $50 billion annually to religious and charitable causes, with 97 percent prioritizing giving to their local church.
