The words 'tithe' and 'offering' strike fear in the hearts (and wallets) of the religious and nonreligious alike. But when my faith community rethought what it meant to give, a local nonprofit benefited from the generosity of some churchfolk.

I grew up in church, so the idea of tithing (the idea that one must devote at least 10% of one's income to the church) is nothing new to me. Even when I mowed lawns for extra cash back in high school, I tried my best to give a dime out of every dollar to my local congregation.

As I got older, I still tried my best to make sure I gave what I was told to. Whether I gave out of a cheerful and benevolent heart or out of a sense of obligation, I made sure that my check was in the offering plate on Sunday.

As you can imagine, some weeks were easier than others to give. As I went to college, moved, and searched for churches, sometimes that 10% helped to buy myself groceries, and some weeks, that money stayed in the bank as I searched for a worthy outlet for my giving.

When I got married, my wife and I wanted to honor the values of generosity instilled in us by our parents and early faith communities, so we decided we'd always give, even if a church weren't a direct recipient. So, we kept a short list of charities and nonprofits we wanted to support. We also kept our ear open when we heard that a friend or family member was in need.

By diversifying our giving, we liberated ourselves to help out in many different ways. And, giving became fun as we were able to see a direct, positive result of our donation.

As we began to gather with others on Sunday nights, our newly formed faith community wanted to make sure to remember those outside the confines of our weekly gathering. We felt that giving in some form was a calling of the church, but we didn't want to collect money to use on ourselves.

So we got creative. Instead of asking folks to hand over dollars and cents, we found a local wish list of a nonprofit and asked people to bring items that were needed to serve families with sick loved ones.

And the donations poured in. By rethinking what it meant to give, generosity became contagious. Coffee, toiletries, gift cards, sugar, trash bags, and school supplies were collected. People went on special trips to the grocery store to fill carts with stuff they'd never use.

It was beautiful.

And the Hospital Hospitality House was better for it. As was The Story. The beauty of community is that words like 'tithe,' 'generosity,' 'offering,' and 'giving' can be rethought, redefined, and re-examined to the benefit of those in need.

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Ingredients:

• Dictionary
• Creativity
• Local Wish List

Caring Time:

• 45 minutes

Cost:

• $25-$50

Results:

• Nonprofit needs met
• Enhanced community