What is a tithe and how is it different from an offering?
The word, "tithe" literally means tenth or 10%. A tithe is the first 10% of your income. An offering is anything you give above the 10%.

Why do we tithe?
The Bible says, The purpose of tithing is to teach you always to put God first in your lives. (Deuteronomy 14:23 TLB) Tithing is a reminder that God is the supplier of everything we have. It is also God's personal invitation to an outpouring of his blessing in your life.

In Malachi 3:10 (NLT), God says this: "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it." This is the only place in Scripture where God tells us to put him to the test. In other words, he's saying, "Go ahead. I dare you. See if you can out-give me."

Is God wise? Do you trust him? These are two fundamental questions behind the act of giving. If God is wise, then you should listen to what he says about financial stewardship. If you trust him, then you should trust him with all aspects of your life, including your finances. So go ahead. Accept God's invitation to put him to the test. Start tithing faithfully and watch what he does in and through your life.

What is a contribution envelope number?
Contribution envelope numbers are used to help members keep track of their giving and see how they are improving each month. Providing them on your check or giving envelope also helps the data entry process and ensures that your gifts get credited to your account.

How can I make a stock contribution to Celebration Baptist Church?
If you wish to give stock gifts to Celebration Baptist Church by electronic transfer, please give your broker our account name, account number, and DTC number for our account. The church maintains an account with Charles Schwab in the name of Celebration Baptist Church. Our brokerage account number is 6176-1898 and the DTC number is 0164. If your broker needs any information from us, please have them contact John Buck at (850) 893-1709.

In order for us to give you proper credit for your contribution, please notify us of the number of shares and the name of the stock(s) that you are transferring. Our fax number is (850) 668-3223 and email may be sent to jbuck@icelebration.org . Your gift will be acknowledged on your annual contribution statement.

Can I donate or give online?
You can give online by clicking the "Donate Now" button at the bottom of this page. Please keep in mind when donating online that the church is charged a 2% fee for each of these transactions.

How is Celebration Baptist Church doing financially year-to-date?
Click here for the latest financial statement.

Do you have envelopes available for me to mail in my tithe?
Yes! If you would like for us to mail you a supply of envelopes for your tithe contributions, please send your name and address to Mimi Garrison at mgarrison@icelebration.org.

Do you offer Estate Planning?
For the Christian, estate planning may be the most important act of stewardship he or she will ever undertake. Sadly, the traditional planning approach has been to find ways to pay taxes at the time of death often making the IRS the largest, single beneficiary. It is our desire to be a blessing to our donors by minimizing taxes, providing for families and retirement, and increasing charitable gifts. In short, we want to help you leave a legacy.

Celebration Baptist Church along with the Southern Baptist Convention offers several free Christian Estate Planning Seminars each year. For information on these, please contact John Buck at (850) 893-1709.

What are Giving Statements?
All donations made to Celebration Baptist Church are held in the strictest confidence and recorded in our contributions database. Giving Statements are mailed in January (for the prior calendar year) and interim statements are emailed quarterly in order to provide updates to individual donors. If you have moved recently, please contact Katrina McMillan or Mimi Garrison in the church office (850) 893-1709 to update your address.

What measures does the church take to ensure financial accountability?
“We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift.  For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men.” 2 Corinthians 8:20-21 (NIV)

• Celebration Baptist Church is committed to honoring God’s provision by exercising wise and faithful stewardship, ethical business practices, and full accountability to ensure our financial integrity remains above reproach.  We accomplish this through a system of internal controls and an internal budgeting and reporting process.  
• Each month the Stewardship Committee reviews the balance sheet, income statement, and budget and designated funds reports.
• In addition, an annual audit is performed by an independent certified public accounting firm.  

Anyone may request a copy of Celebration’s most recently audited financial statements. Contact us at jbuck@icelebration.org or (850) 893-1709 to ask general questions about our financial practices.