Yes, It’s Okay to Give Money to Widows and Single Moms

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Pastors, I have a question. Have you ever encouraged a wealthy person in your congregation to make a direct donation to someone else in your congregation who was in dire need, perhaps to a widow or single mom? The reason I’m asking is because I never did that when I was a pastor and I personally don’t know of any pastors who have. Yet we have clear instruction from Scripture to do so. Consider this passage from 1 Timothy 6:17-19:

Yes, It’s Okay to Give Money to Widows and Single Moms Because the Bible Tells Us To

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

The Bible Also Gives Us Specific Examples of Believers Giving Money to Widows and Single Moms

We also have specific examples in the Word of God of believers who gave money directly to needy people. Consider Paul in Acts 20:34, 35:

“You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'”

Then there’s the famous example in Acts 2:45 of believers in the early church giving directly to poor people:

“They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.“

Jesus encouraged his wealthy followers to give money directly to the poor.

“Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” (Luke 19:8)

Job made widows and orphans very happy with his direct support of them.

“I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist them. The one who was dying blessed me; I made the widow’s heart sing.“ (Job 29:12-13)

Shouldn’t Churches Be In Charge of Giving Money to Widows and Single Moms?

But shouldn’t pastors encourage congregants to give their charity money to the church benevolent fund and let the church as an institution decide how to disperse it? Wouldn’t that be the wiser use of their money?

The answer is, yes, in general the church leadership is more aware than individuals in the church are of the needs in their congregation and community. However, this does not mean that pastors can’t or shouldn’t at times encourage individuals to make direct donations to people they personally know who are in need, maybe even encourage them to take on a needy person as a regular donor.

Missions giving offers an example of this balance between church institutional giving and direct individual giving. Congregants give money directly to a church and denominational missions fund for the church to disburse. But many members also personally give to individual missionaries money that they feel burdened to support.

Giving Directly to Widows and Single Moms Increases Our Involvement in Their Lives

In the same way, pastors should encourage charity giving, both to the church benevolence fund and also to specific widows and others in their congregations and communities who are in need. By doing so, just as giving to individual missionaries increases a member’s involvement in their mission, so giving to widows and others who are in need increases their involvement in their lives.¹

Since 2003 New Commandment Men’s Ministries has helped hundreds of churches throughout North America and around the world recruit teams of men who permanently adopt widows, single moms and fatherless children in their congregations for the purpose of donating two hours of service to them one Saturday morning each month. We accomplish this with a free training site called New Commandment Men’s Ministry Learn how to mobilize your men’s ministry to meet every pressing need in your church at newcommandment.org.

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Learn how to form teams of men for every widow, single mom

and fatherless child in your church at NewCommandment.org.

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1. For additional thoughts on ministry to widows, see my article, “A Comprehensive, Church-Based Widows Ministry”.