There are certain traits that define the culture of a group ... traits that come naturally and are expected. For The Bayou Church, one of those is generosity.
We have one mission as a church—transforming lives in Acadiana through Christ-centered relationships. We live out that mission in many different ways.
Our ongoing, weekly ministries serve preschoolers, kids, students, and adults from all different backgrounds with all different types of needs. We make a difference in Acadiana and around the world through our Ministry Partners. We make significant investments in our campus because it's one of the primary tools we have and we want to be good stewards of it.
All these areas are resourced through the giving of The Bayou family. When you make a contribution to The Bayou, you're contributing to all of the ways we pursue and live out our mission.
Generosity is one of the things that defines us at The Bayou Church—this is what we do!
When we give, we reflect God's nature. God initiated generosity by giving His Son Jesus, and we give to be like Him.
John 3:16 (NLT) - “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
1 Chronicles 29:14 (NLT) - But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us!
Giving isn't ultimately about money—it's about trusting God. Our giving demonstrates that our trust rests in God and not in our money.
1 Timothy 6:17–19 (NLT) - Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.
Matthew 6:19–21 (NLT) - “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
We give because we want to, not because we have to or out of religious obligation. It’s a privilege and an honor to be generous with the resources God has provided us, especially when we give to further God's mission in the world as a part of a local church.
Acts 20:35 (NLT) - You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: "It is more blessed to give than to receive."
2 Corinthians 8:4 (NLT) - They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem.
God is unlimited. When we give, it breaks us out of the world’s mindset of scarcity and ushers us into God’s mindset of abundance. Because we understand and embrace God as our ultimate provider, we are free to be generous knowing that He will give us everything we need, both physically and spiritually. We love living in that freedom.
Proverbs 11:24–25 (NLT) - Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.
2 Corinthians 9:10–11 (NLT) - For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous.
Focus on taking whatever next step God is calling you to take. Each step of faith, no matter how small, brings growth and aligns your heart and life with God.
Give something - If you’ve never given before, give something!
2 Corinthians 8:12 (NLT) - Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have.
Give consistently - Commit to giving regularly, even setting up a recurring gift.
1 Corinthians 16:1–2 (NLT) - Now regarding your question about the money being collected for God’s people in Jerusalem. You should follow the same procedure I gave to the churches in Galatia. On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once.
Grow in your giving - God often calls us out of our comfort zone to grow even more.
2 Corinthians 8:7 (NLT) - Since you excel in so many ways—in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us—I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving.
In the two Sunday morning messages linked below, Pastor Sean walks through the biblical basis for each of our five beliefs about generosity.
There are a variety of ways to make your gift count.
Giving online is the easiest way to give at The Bayou Church. This secure method allows you to schedule a recurring or one-time gift charged to either your debit or credit card. Through this service, you can easily manage your giving amount, specify where the funds should be applied and keep track of your giving history.
This is an easy and convenient way to systematically give through your checking or savings account. Simply log onto your individual bank account and follow your bank’s instructions to set up The Bayou Church as a new payee.
You can give by check or cash during any of our worship experiences. Simply place your gift in one of the generosity boxes located at the doors of each worship venue. There are offering envelopes provided for your gift in each venue.
If you have securities (stocks and bonds), charitable trusts, motor vehicles, real estate or any other assets that you would like to donate to The Bayou Church, please contact our finance office at finance@thebayouchurch.org
Donate Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other popular cryptocurrencies through the safe and secure Engiven platform.
Our combined generosity fuels our ability to make a difference through the ongoing ministries of The Bayou Church and through our ministry partners in Acadiana and beyond.
The annual report and celebration video provide two different perspectives that communicate a single truth—God is changing lives through our generosity. You can see evidence of that reality in the numbers and metrics as well as in the faces and hearts of those whose lives have been changed.
We're both excited and honored to continue in the legacy of generosity that has been built at The Bayou Church—and we'd love for you to be a part of it.
If you have any questions or if there’s any way we can help you, please contact us.