“When it comes to your people’s finances do they know what you want FOR them or do they just know what you want FROM them?” 

That’s a powerful question for those of us in church leadership to consider.  It cuts to our heart motivation when it comes to generosity in our churches. 

I started GenerousChurch to help church leaders figure out that question.  And it’s in that spirit that I’d like to share with you 5 things I wish FOR your church in 2012 when it comes to generosity: 

 

1. I hope that your church leaders begin to live truly generous lives.  There is an overwhelming spirit of unity and humility among generous leaders.  I wish that for your church. 

 

2. I hope that your staff understands the connection between generosity and spiritual growth.   There is a deep connection between giving and becoming like Christ.  Because of that, your staff can’t shepherd people’s hearts unless they are able to shepherd their pocketbooks, too. 

 

3. I hope that your people grasp the connection between the grace of God and giving.  God is the first and most generous giver.  The more they understand this truth, the more their hearts respond in pure generosity that pleases God. 

 

4. I hope that your people would give first, save second and live third when it comes to their money.  By prioritizing our finances in this way, we are seeking first the Kingdom of God and are able to experience the joy and freedom of acting like Christ. 

 

5. I hope that the headlines in your local newspaper scream the generosity impact of your church.   Generosity is attractive.  And a group of generous people can change the world around them.  So, I hope that your church practices the type of generosity that causes the world to take notice of your Christlikeness. 

At GenerousChurch, these 5 wishes are central to our organization.  We wake up most days thinking about these things and how they can be used to better serve you.  We pray that 2012 will be a generous year for you and your church!

In 2006, Thom Rainer published that statistic to show us that our churches are not really engaging our communities.  In other words, we are basically throwing parties for ourselves.  We are working so hard to engage the people in our congregations that we have forgotten about the neighborhoods surrounding our churches.  We are immeasurably concerned about us.

In my elementary school, there was a kid named Dustin.  His family obviously did not have a lot of money.  They were poor enough that they could not afford to buy him new glasses…and he desperately needed new glasses.  He wore old Harry Caray-style glasses (square and way too big for his face).  And to top it off, since his prescription was so old, he would tilt his glasses up on his nose (with the ear pieces almost pointing toward the ceiling) to help him see better.  Don’t laugh…it works.

Other kids did not necessarily pick on Dustin, but they did not associate with him, either.  They just kind of looked at him funny.  I think deep down some of my classmates felt sorry for Dustin but they did not know how to help him.  Others were just too cool to be associated with a poor kid.  So, Dustin was left to fend for himself.

Many churches look at their communities like I used to look at Dustin.  They see problems, but they’re not sure they know how to help.  Or in their more honest moments, some churches look at their surrounding community and say “Thank you, God, that you did not make us like them.”  (I think Jesus noticed that from the religious leaders in His world, too.)

Generous churches walk into the sewage of suffering. 

Generous churches follow the lead of Jesus, who left the comforts of heaven and stepped into the poverty of humanity.  They understand that good deeds create good will, which opens the door to the good news.  They realize how deep God’s love is for:

• Mothers whose children are dying of hunger (the poor)
• Children who have been abandoned by their parents (orphans)
• The elderly who have given up on personal dignity and independence (widows)
• Young girls bound in human trafficking
• The families who lost everything to a natural disaster
• The socially inept adult who cannot hold a job

What do you think would happen in your community if your church started to address these issues?  Have you noticed how the world admires the champions of social justice and disaster relief?  Have you seen how the world pays attention to those who practice generosity?

Generous churches have one thing in common.  They are immeasurably concerned about others.  They love their neighbors as much as they love themselves.  And it shows.

Do you want to learn more about how generous churches operate?  Do you want to read more about the external focus of generous churches?  Check out the Seven Attributes of a Generous Church.  It’s free!  Just put on your Harry Carey glasses and read it (so it will actually help you).  And then comment below to tell us how your church has been generous toward your community.

Q1: Chip, you recently released a new book called The Genius of Generosity.  From the beginning of the book, you tell the story of your relationship with John Saville and indicate that generosity is what created this unique relationship.  How does generosity help us connect with others?

 A: Generosity is a guaranteed, high-yield relationship investment.  There’s something very attractive about those who have a sense of kindness, who do nice things for others, who pick up a bill or go out of their way to do a favor.  Generous people create positive feelings in their relationships.  They cause others to want to be around them.  And when we go out of our way to help or encourage someone, we feel encouraged and positive.  Something happens inside.  It’s good for us and for others.

 Q2: Does this same principal apply to our relationship with God?

 A: Unselfishness is a gateway to intimacy with God.  Our stewardship of His resources isn’t just an assignment.  It’s relational.  As we seek His will and make decisions about His gifts, we grow closer to Him.  We begin to see through His eyes and develop His heartbeat.  He entrusts us with more and more, and together we celebrate the fruitfulness that comes out of this relationship.  So, generosity is actually a gateway to intimacy with Him.

Q3: You mention that as we are good stewards, God entrusts us with more and more.  In The Genius of Generosity, you indicate that this “more and more” is not always material.  What can believers and churches expect from God as they become faithful stewards?

A: Faithful stewardship opens the door to more and more of God.  I can’t tell you the scores of conversations I’ve had with sincere Christians over the past 25 years as a pastor who can’t understand why they’re experiencing so little of God’s power and see so little happen in their church or small group or ministry project.  When I ask a few questions, I usually discover most Christ-followers have never connected the dots between the use of money and God’s activity and blessings in their lives and significant relationships.

So, I tell them that there’s a better way, a smarter way to live…an idea so simple, it’s genius.  It’s the generous life.

Q3.5: Last question, and maybe the most difficult yet.  Who was your favorite 70’s band?

A: It’s a 3 way tie: The Spinners, The Stylistics and Chicago.

• Download a free chapter of the book by clicking here.  

Question for you: What has generosity taught you about relating to God and loving others?

Churches cannot wait on financial windfalls to become generous.  Do you regularly find a $100 bill in your coat pocket or in a pair of jeans that you haven’t worn for a few weeks?  Does the bank ever make an error in your favor?  Have you ever received an inheritance from a long-lost relative or discovered a money tree in your backyard?  Ok, so that’s a little ridiculous.  (But, if you have, I want to hear from you!)  The simple truth is that those things don’t happen very often (if ever).

Typically, money “surprises” go the other way.  A check bounces; the car breaks down; a long-lost bill appears in the mailbox; the dog chews through the wood siding of your house; a bear market turns into a recession.  Those are the kinds of financial surprises that families and companies dread… but also expect.  We prepare for those downturns in order to stay on track with our financial goals.

In our family, we budget for car repairs, because we know they are inevitable.  We plan for economic downturns by investing our retirement accounts across several industries.  And we’ve learned to stay away from large dog breeds that like to chew.  The point is: we try to make sure that we have a realistic, sustainable vision for the money God has entrusted to us.

Unfortunately, many churches lack that basic sense of financial vision.  They develop budgets based on their financial histories and if they’re feeling especially generous, they may throw a couple hundred left-over dollars into a benevolence fund.  Ultimately their vision (which is never communicated, but powerfully sensed) is to cover their expenses and give away the left-overs…if there are any.

On the other hand, generous churches prepare for – and educate their people on – charity. At Waterfront Community Church in Chicago, God prompted them to start the church with a model of generosity.  Jim Semradek’s vision was to keep the church overhead very low so that they could give away most of their income to the hurting of their community.  So, they started with a vision for generosity and communicated this vision through their words and actions.  To this day, they still give away all of the offerings that are received during their Saturday services.

Like Waterfront, effectively generous churches: 

• Plan for an effectively communicate a vision for God’s money. 
• Teach stewardship above giving.  
• Tell their congregations the inspiring stories of how God has shaped their community through generosity.  
• Help people understand that collecting an offering is an act of worship, not just a way to pay the bills.

Do you want to learn more about how generous churches operate?  Download the short paper called 7 Attributes of a Generous Church.

How does your church cast a vision for generosity?

Maybe more importantly, both Gates and Warren are leaders who have decided to live generously.  Through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Warren’s P.E.A.C.E. plan, these men have given away millions of dollars from their own pockets.  But in the end, their greatest contributions may not be their personal giving.  It may be that their greatest contributions stem from their ability to influence others and engage people around them in the culture of generosity.

In order for a community to become generous, it must have leaders who are generous.  In other words, generous churches have generous leaders.

• Following the heart of Francis Chan, Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley decided to dedicate one-half of all of their resources to their neighbors.

• In creating a culture of generosity, Lloyd Shadrach asked the people of Fellowship Bible Church in Nashville to give away their shoes to those in need.  At the end of the service, he took his shoes off and left them at the altar…and 2500 other individuals went home without the shoes they were wearing earlier.

• In Acts, Barnabas sold a field and gave the proceeds away.  Soon others followed his lead and the early church became known for its generosity.

One pastor said, “Generosity is best caught, not taught.  And the way to catch it is in relationship.”  That statement underlines the fact that generosity is part of the discipleship process.  Just like learning spiritual disciplines or effective evangelism, it is most powerful when it is modeled.  Generosity is most potent when it is preached with very few words.

Want to learn more about becoming a generous leader or developing a generous church?  Check out the 7 Attributes of Generous Churches.  And before you go, let me ask you a question.  How have you modeled generosity for the people in your church community?

“The Great Recovery is a grassroots movement spread by people who are tired of looking to Washington for answers. The truth is that the government can’t fix this economy. It’ll be restored one family at a time, as each of us takes a stand to return to God and grandma's way of handling money.  Together, we’ll bring this country back on track—one family, one church, one community at a time.”

 Dave is a great communicator.  And during the webinar we were both tweeting and watching others tweet key ideas.  So in the spirit of Late Night here are our Top 10 Tweets from The Great Recovery: 

10:  People are not struggling with the economy but with hopelessness.

 9:  Handle God's money God's way and you won't be afraid. 

 8:  If you read Proverbs over and over again, you’ll have a Masters degree in Finance.

 7:  When you give money you are doing justice.

 5:  Diligence = excellence over time with discipline. 

 4:  Wisdom is the principal thing….go get wisdom. 

 3:  Broke people can’t help other people. 

 2:  God is the Author of our hope.  Not the government.  

 1:  What if the church was the place people came to as a vaccine against financial hopelessness?

 Dave challenged leaders in churches to do four things to join The Great Recovery movement: 

 1) Start talking to your people.  They are scared. 

 2) Start teaching financial classes in mass.  

 3) Start preaching financial principles to your people.  

 4) Join the Great Recovery.

 We’re in! GenerousChurch has joined The Great Recovery movement.  We invite you to go to http://www.thegreatrecovery.com/ and join too. 

Let us know:  ARE YOU PLANNING ON JOINING THE GREAT RECOVERY?