Life.Church, the largest church in America led by pastor Craig Groeschel, is encouraging individuals to participate in a tithing challenge that promises a “100% money back” guarantee if you “don’t see God’s blessings in your life.”
The Edmond, Oklahoma-based congregation instituted the Three-Month Tithing Challenge back in 2007. Recognizing that the prospect of giving away 10 percent of one’s income can be frightening for first-timers, Life.Church encourages members to tithe for three months, and look for signs of God’s faithfulness.
“The Bible asks us to give our first and our best back to God, and He will bless the rest,” the church wrote on their website. “We return to the Lord 10 percent of what He’s given us because it belongs to Him. If you’re not tithing already, a great way to start is with the Three-Month Tithe Challenge. It’s based on the promises of God in Malachi 3:10, and essentially it’s a money-back guarantee of sorts.”
To ensure the integrity of the challenge, Life.Church has established specific guidelines. Participants must not have tithed in the past six months and must complete a registration form before commencing their tithing journey. Furthermore, if individuals wish to request a refund, they must do so within 30 days of completing the three-month period.
The inspiration for the money-back guarantee comes from Malachi 3:10-11, which commands a tithe and promises blessing to those who give faithfully.
According to recent studies, only a small percentage church attendees regularly tithe — typically between 10–25 percent of a church’s population. The vast majority of members in an average congregation do not tithe on a regular basis.
