The Kingdom Tithe
Investing your best time and energy where it multiplies most
Let me ask you to do something simple—but possibly convicting.
Picture your calendar. Whether it’s Google, Outlook, or the family whiteboard in your kitchen, take a moment and mentally color-code it.
Start by coloring all the time that benefits your local church—sermon prep, staff meetings, worship planning, strategic planning—in red. These are your “castle-building” hours.
Now, color the time you give to other churches, leaders, or Kingdom efforts—coaching a younger pastor, praying with leaders across town, serving a struggling church plant—in green. This is your “Kingdom-building” time.
Step back and look.
For most pastors and leaders, the calendar bleeds red. And that’s the problem.
Are We Building Castles or Advancing the Kingdom?
Many of us have inherited a ministry scorecard focused on attendance, giving, programs, and growth. If those are strong, we assume we’re winning. But Jesus didn’t give his life to build your brand—he came to inaugurate a Kingdom, one far bigger than any one church or leader.
Somewhere along the way, we confused faithfulness with busyness and Kingdom impact with castle success. It’s time to rethink how we spend our time. Enter the idea of the Kingdom Tithe.
What Is the Kingdom Tithe?
Every leader has 168 hours in a week. Most spend 40 to 60 of those in ministry. What would it look like to tithe a portion of that time—4 to 6 hours—to serve others?
Not as an afterthought, not if there’s extra margin, but as a first-fruit offering to the Kingdom. This is time intentionally given to the broader Church—serving another congregation, mentoring a younger leader, praying with pastors across town, or simply listening to someone trying to stay in the game.
This kind of time isn’t about brand-building. It’s about Kingdom-seeking. It’s not about what benefits your church—it’s about what advances God’s reign in your city, region, and beyond.
A Spiritual Audit
Try this: look at your week ahead and give each event a rating from 1 to 5.
1 = Castle-building only.
5 = Fully Kingdom-focused.
Most things fall somewhere in the middle.
What does your spread look like? If you’re like me, there are a lot of 2s and 3s… and not enough 5s.
That’s not to shame—it’s to wake us up.
Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt. 6:21). Your calendar is a window into your heart. What you prioritize reveals what you truly value.
A Story from Albania: Thursdays for Others
Let me introduce you to my friend Altin. He’s a pastor in Tirana, Albania. Years ago, he felt convicted that his church needed to stop operating in isolation and start serving the wider Body of Christ. So he made a bold move: every Thursday, he and his team give their time—freely—to other churches.
They coach, they pray, they support. No strings attached. It’s not networking. It’s not strategy. It’s love in action.
They call it Thursdays for Others. And it’s transformed their city.
What if you did the same? What if every church in your area tithed even one day a week to others?
Why This Matters More Than Ever
In a time when the Church is often seen as divided, distracted, or declining, unity and collaboration are more than good ideas—they’re a witness. In John 17, Jesus prays that his followers would be one, “so that the world may believe.” Kingdom unity is a missional apologetic.
The Kingdom Tithe helps make that unity visible. When we willingly serve churches that don’t “benefit” us—when we love without asking for anything in return—we embody Jesus.
The Real Benefits of Tithing Time
Let’s get practical. Tithing your time to other churches can:
Strengthen trust and friendships between leaders
Spark new initiatives and partnerships
Encourage burned-out pastors
Lead to church plants and revitalizations
Glorify God by showing unity in diversity
But more than anything, it changes you.
It reminds you that you’re a steward, not an owner. That you’re part of God’s story, not just your church’s.
What It Looks Like in Real Life
This isn’t theoretical. Here are simple ways to live out the Kingdom Tithe:
Block out 4–6 hours a week to meet with, pray for, or serve other leaders.
Let your staff do the same. Release them to bless others.
Join or start a network of churches committed to sharing resources and vision.
Offer coaching, facilities, or support to a church that’s struggling.
Partner on citywide initiatives to bless your community.
The goal isn’t more meetings. The goal is Kingdom presence.
From Self-Reliance to Kingdom Dependence
Let’s be honest: one of the biggest barriers to collaboration is self-reliance. Many leaders feel pressure to perform, to deliver results, to “win” at church. So we isolate. We control. We protect.
But leadership in the Kingdom looks different.
It means trusting that God works through others, not just us. It means giving our best hours away, not hoarding them. It means measuring our success by faithfulness and fruitfulness in others, not just in our own stats.
It’s Time to Rethink Our Calendar
So here’s your next move:
Audit your calendar. Color it red and green.
Assess your time. Where are you investing your best energy?
Make the Kingdom Tithe a habit. Block time weekly to serve others.
Invite your team. Model and multiply this mindset.
Commit to collaboration. Join a network. Build something bigger than yourself.
The Kingdom is Better Than the Castle
Church leader, your calling is bigger than your Sunday service. You’ve been entrusted with influence for a reason—not just to steward your own context, but to strengthen the Church.
Let’s stop asking, “How do I grow my church?” and start asking, “How do we grow the Kingdom?”
Imagine a movement where every church tithed their time to serve others. What kind of revival could that spark?
You don’t need to overhaul your life. You just need to start small. Start with Thursdays. Start with a phone call. Start by asking a younger leader how they’re doing and really listening.
Let’s trade in isolation for interdependence. Let’s give our best to something bigger.
Let’s tithe our time—for the Kingdom.
Cheering you on!
Patrick
✌️