is someone who decides to give for the first time out of a response to God’s Word about giving. This is someone who chooses to give something and trust God and the leaders of the church with this gift. They experience the initial joy of putting Jesus’ words into action (Matthew 7:24).

is someone who decides to give something and give it consistently to exercise the discipline of giving as a disciple of Jesus. Often, someone who chooses to make an online recurring gift will be someone who is learning the joy of consistency. Non-online givers can also be consistent givers; it just requires more discipline. They experience the joy of excelling in this grace of giving (2 Corinthians 8:7).

is someone who understands the pre-eminence of Christ and that He is before all things – that all things were created by Him, for Him, through Him, and to Him. This giver places such a significant priority on their giving that it drives their spending and saving, as opposed to their spending and saving driving their giving. They experience the freedom of serving “one master” and declaring Jesus is first (Matthew 6:19-24 and Colossians 1:15-20).

is someone who recognizes that Christ surrendered His whole self for us, and therefore we desire to offer our entire selves to Him in love (Ephesians 5:1-2). This giver would say, “My giving is not just changing my spending and saving. It’s also changing me!” They also look at what they’re not giving away and ask, “Is it surrendered too?”  This informs how they use everything they’ve been blessed and entrusted with – whether through direct monetary giving or a God-honoring use of an existing resource like a home or vehicle.