A Guide to Shared Support, Access, and Sustainability

CHLQ is sustained through the participation, care, and financial offerings of its members. Tithes and per-work donations make it possible to hold our works, provide the Daime, care for the practical needs of the Church, and keep our community available to people across a wide range of financial circumstances.

This guide explains the CHLQ donation scale and invites each person to choose an offering with honesty, generosity, and compassion.

The Purpose of a Sliding Scale

A sliding scale recognizes that people have different financial realities. Income is only one part of a person’s situation; housing costs, debt, caregiving, health needs, savings, access to family support, job stability, and unexpected expenses all matter.

The scale asks us to practice three shared values:

• Truthfulness: 

  • Choose the amount that genuinely reflects your present financial capacity.

• Respect: 

  • Recognize that another person’s financial circumstances may differ greatly from your own.

• Accountability: 

  • When people who have more capacity give more, the Church can remain accessible to those with less capacity.

The goal is not for everyone to give the same amount. The goal is for everyone to contribute honestly, so that the whole community can be sustained.

Choosing Your Contribution

Consider your current financial experience, rather than only your monthly income. Basic needs include food, housing, healthcare, transportation, and essential care for dependents.

Sacrifice and Hardship

It is helpful to distinguish between sacrifice and hardship.

A sacrifice may mean adjusting discretionary spending or making a careful budget choice in order to contribute. It can be meaningful and appropriate when basic needs remain secure.

A hardship means that contributing the suggested amount would make it difficult to pay rent, buy food, access medical care, meet transportation needs, or care for dependents. When this is the case, the lower end of the scale—or another confidential arrangement—is appropriate.

No one should endanger their basic well-being in order to attend. At the same time, those who can contribute more are invited to do so with gratitude for the opportunity to support the shared life of the Church.

How Tithing Supports CHLQ

A monthly tithe gives the Church a more stable foundation than per-work contributions alone. Regular offerings help CHLQ plan responsibly for recurring expenses, including:

• Daime and the costs involved in providing it for works

• Space, utilities, supplies, and work-related expenses

• Administrative, bookkeeping, and organizational needs

• Care for the continuity and long-term health of the Church

• Access for participants who are in genuine financial hardship

Tithing is not only a personal contribution. It is a shared commitment that helps protect the continuity of the Church for everyone.

How Per-Work Donations Help

For those who do not tithe monthly, per-work donations are essential. The current estimated cost of providing a work is about $100 per participant. Contributions at $100–$150 help meet that cost and, when possible, help create room for participants who cannot contribute the full amount.

Giving above the basic cost is a practical expression of mutual support. It helps ensure that CHLQ does not have to choose between financial stability and compassionate access.

A Shared Practice of Generosity

The Church depends on each person engaging this scale in good faith. Choosing the lower level when one can comfortably give more reduces the resources available for those who truly need flexibility. Choosing an amount that honestly reflects one’s means strengthens trust, dignity, and sustainability throughout the community.

We invite each participant to reflect prayerfully:

• Are my basic needs currently secure?

• Do I have savings, discretionary income, property, or reliable financial support?

• Would giving more require a manageable sacrifice, or would it create genuine hardship?

• If I have greater capacity, can I help make participation possible for someone else?

• Confidential Support

If the suggested tithe or per-work amount is not possible in your current circumstances, please contact a Board member confidentially. Together, you can discuss an amount or arrangement that is realistic and sustainable.

Thank you for meeting this shared responsibility with honesty, care, and generosity. Every sincere offering—large or small—helps sustain CHLQ, the works, the Daime, and the community that gathers here.

With gratitude,


CHLQ Church Board