What would happen if we all tithed?

I read this article by Matt Vande Bunte in a recent edition of the United Methodist Reporter. The link will take you to the same article in the Chicago Tribune.

I'm familiar with the depressing statistics about the level of giving among American churchgoers. But it always helps to be reminded what the church could do if we all gave at the bare minimum of what God expects of us.

Citing an annual study of church giving, the article reports, "The study theorizes U.S. Christians could evangelize the world, stop the daily deaths of 29,000 children younger than 5 worldwide, provide elementary education across the globe and tackle domestic poverty - and have $150 billion left over annually - if church members tithed a full 10 percent of their income."

Wow. And you know what the average U.S. churchgoer gave as a percentage of income in 2004, the most recent year for which statistics are available?

(Drumroll please ...)

A whopping 2.56%!

There has simply got to be a way to help Christians understand that giving is a foundational part of discipleship. God, speaking through the prophet Malachi, makes it clear that giving less than a tithe is equivalent to robbery (Malachi 3:7-10).

Any ideas on how we can nurture better stewardship?