GIVE

They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do. (2 Cor 8:5)

Paul talks about how the Macedonian Christians gave themselves to the Lord first, then to His ministry and partnership. When you give to Hope, you are giving to the Lord through giving to Hope Church. 

Since you excel in so many ways—in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us—I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving. (2 Cor 8:7)

Just as we work to develop our faith, our love, and other aspects of our Christian life, so also should we work to grow in our giving. 

Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving. Give in proportion to what you have. (2 Cor 8:11)

When we give a percentage of what we earn back to the Lord in worship, it helps us be prepared to give, cheerful givers, and consistent givers in worship to the Lord. A good percentage to aim for is a tithe, or a tenth (10%). Yet, sometimes, that's out of the question to start with! That's ok. Figure a percent, give it cheerfully and consistently, and work towards developing in giving by increasing towards a tithe. 

Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have. (2 Cor 8:12)
… I want it to be a willing gift, not one given grudgingly. (2 Cor 9:5)
You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” (2 Cor 9:7)

When we say giving is worship to God, we mean it. We aren't pressuring you to give, nor will we ever. We may inspire and encourage you to grow in your giving, but we will do our best to avoid anything of "pressuring." That said, once you've determined your percentage and decided to give in worship, God will be honored as your giving to Him is truly worship from your heart. 

Now regarding your question about the money being collected for God’s people in Jerusalem. You should follow the same procedure I gave to the churches in Galatia. On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once. (1 Cor 16:1-2)

In Paul's time, debit cards didn't exist; not even paper dollar bills! Gold, coins, and other tokens of currency made up his world. In that reality, Paul says, the first thing to do is set aside a portion (or percentage) of the money that's been earned. And crazy thing, He didn't just tell this to one church in Corinth, but to many churches in Galatia. 

Week in and week out, as the Christians in Corinth and Galatia earned money, they set it apart (consecrated it) to the Lord in worship. However and whenever you earn income: weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, etc. It is a best practice to also consistently give a percentage back in worship to God first. 

In Malachi 3:10 God tells us to bring Him the tithe, which is the first 10% of our income. Later, Jesus affirms the practice of tithing in the New Testament.