Having been an Elder, Deacon and current seminary student pursuing my M.Div., I would not be a member of a church that offered me that advice. The only individual in our congregation that has access to the names/amounts of contributions is the financial manager; not even the pastors have that information. We make every effort to keep that private between the congregant and God. We take people at their word and see no need to ask anyone to prove their faithfulness. It simply opens the door to legalism to do otherwise. And you know what, our budgeted giving for the year is 200% of our budgeted amount. Praise God for that!
Well, that’s how it works for you. And they didn’t offer me that advice as a congregant; they offered that advice when I was the vicar there. Kind of a student pastor. I was the spiritual leader, and so I needed to set an example.
Personally, I make sure to give, and I don’t really care if people know it or not. But if I hide it and someone’s faith is offended because of that, then I’m the one at fault.