“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?

However, I have observed seven common attributes in churches that I consider farther ahead on this journey toward generosity. Over the next few months we will dive deep into these attributes. Here’s a sneak peek at three attributes to whet your appetite:

• Attribute 1 – Generous churches are led by generous leaders.

• Attribute 3 – Generous churches have a strong external focus to make a difference in their community and the world that is reflected in their budget.

• Attribute 4 – Generous churches teach people a holistic theology of stewardship, generosity, and the Kingdom.

In our upcoming posts, we will dive deep into each attribute individually.  We will look at stories of churches that are “outliers” when it comes to a particular attribute.  And I will provide practical steps to consider as you think about your own church and the attributes. 

Spoiler alert – Instead of waiting for each post, you can jump ahead by downloading our free whitepaper on the topic – Seven Attributes of a Generous Church. 

Win a free Genius of Generosity Small Group DVD.  We just released our newest book – Genius of Generosity – with pastor and teacher Chip Ingram.  To win a free copy, pick the attribute that most clearly resonates with you from the 3 above and write a couple of sentences why. 

Generous churches change the world……so keep pressing on!

So when we put together the Genius of Generosity with Chip Ingram, we sought to create a number of sticky ideas when it comes to generosity that would empower church leaders to communicate effectively. We want the ideas of generosity to stick in people’s minds so that beliefs begin to shift and practices start to change toward the generous life that God intended for each of us.

So here are my 6 favorite sticky generosity ideas from Genius of Generosity:

“To be smart, spend carefully. To be wise, save regularly. To be genius, give extravagantly.”

“Where your money goes, your heart flows.” (Another way to say Matthew 6: 21)

“Stewardship is the path. Generosity is the adventure.”

“Faith increases giving, and giving increases faith.”

“Those blessed by God become blessers for God.”

“Generosity isn’t an act. It’s a way of life.”

Do you want a free copy of the book?

We are giving 20 free copies of the Genius of Generosity to those who respond in the comment section with their favorite quote from the list above. And we are going to up the ante as well. We will give away a book + a Genius of Generosity small group DVD to the 5 people who provide their own “best sticky generosity idea” in the comment section. So if you’ve got a favorite generosity idea that you think will stick in our minds, post it.   We will then use our super secret scientific formula to pick the 5 winners! So good luck.

This post will cover the next reason for Christian stinginess – limited vision. To put it bluntly - many Christians can’t see. They are missing 3 Kingdom Optics which unlock personal generosity. And as a church leader it’s critical you seek to balance these 3 if you desire for people to grow in their giving.

Optic 1 – A vision for the Kingdom

John Ortberg asks a simple question, “How would you define the gospel?” His point is that a narrow view of the gospel as the “minimum entrance requirement into heaven” is an incomplete one – it is so much richer and deeper.  The good news Jesus ushered in during His earthly ministry is about the Kingdom of God being revealed on earth as it is in Heaven.  And each one of us is now a citizen of this Kingdom. 

So when people begin to see themselves as Kingdom citizens, the smartest and most logical way to allocate money is to give generously to it. That’s using temporal resources to invest in an eternal reality.  Do your people see this Kingdom reality in such a way that generosity just makes sense? 

Optic 2 – A vision for one’s calling in the Kingdom

Once a person begins to see the Kingdom, the next optic needed to unleash generosity is an understanding of his or her calling in the Kingdom.    Every year my family and I travel to Guatemala to work among the poor.  Our hearts are captured by our trips so naturally we give financially to the work.  It’s a personal way God has called us to invest our lives and resources in His kingdom.

So how are you helping people in your church better see their calling in the Kingdom?  This could be as simple as asking them what passions God has placed on their hearts and connecting them with others to work them out.  Or it could be more structured using a tool like BluePrint for Life.  The key here is that money follows passion and calling.    We naturally invest in things that bring deep meaning to our lives.

Optic 3 - A vision for your church’s role in the Kingdom

I once heard Andy Stanley speak to church leaders on the connection between vision and money.    His point was that good stewards like to invest in compelling ministry. Everyone is “competing” for mind space and a compelling vision is critical. 

So the question is do the leaders of your church have a crystal clear understanding of your church’s role in the Kingdom? Once you figure this out, you can then draw people into this life changing vision through consistent communication so that they believe it, want to play a part in it and want to give generously to it.

KOB

My closing exhortation – strive for KOB - Kingdom Optics Balance if you really want to help your people become more generous.  To focus solely on your church’s vision my cause people to become suspicious of your motives.  To focus solely on a person’s calling in the Kingdom may deprive them of the joy of a community of believers who really want to change the world.  To focus solely on the Kingdom may lead to a great vision but no real tangible action to make it a reality.  

But imagine balance - a body of people who clearly saw the Kingdom, their calling in it and your church’s role in it.  Couldn’t we assume that generosity of resources would be natural, meaningful and sustainable in this environment? 

Yet this excerpt from Francis Chan’s “Forgotten God” reminded me of the true “fuel” for a generous church. From pages 153-154 in the book: 

"A few months ago, the elders at Cornerstone Church began to ask the question, 'Why don't we live like the believers who made up the first church?' In Acts 2: 42-47 we read the following: They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Everyday they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.'

What followed was a beautiful time of sharing as our elders laid 'everything' at one another's feet. We surrendered the keys to our cars, homes and bank accounts. The elders looked me in the eyes and said, 'What's mine is yours. If anything ever happens to you, I will support and care for your kids as much as I would care for my own. I will be your life insurance.' And because they had a history of genuine sacrifice for the sake of the gospel, I believed what they said.  

From there, we began going to some of our friends in the congregation and expressing our commitment to them. And now the mentality is spreading. New life is permeating the church as individuals back up their words with sacrifice. Cars and homes are being sold and given away. Expensive vacations are joyfully replaced with caring for others. People are being welcomed into other's homes, not only for meals, but to live. This is a small example of the kinds of things that happen when people start to walk with the Spirit and ask the Holy Spirit to affect every part of their lives."  

I love the simplicity in what Chan describes here. It reminds me of a conversation I had with the most generous pastor I know personally. I asked him what one thing he would recommend I focus on to see a revolution of generosity in the U.S. church. 

His answer:

 “I’d encourage you to tell people to wake up every day, read the Bible and do what it says.” 

And that kind of simple obedience lived out by people walking in the Spirit within a community is the fuel for a generous church. 

motivation to give X financial problems = guilt.

Guilt = no giving.

So you preach God's word faithfully on stewardship and generosity. You cast a compelling vision of how God is working through your church to impact the Kingdom. People are touched; they are motivated to give. Then they go home and open their Visa statement, think about their mortgage payment, or remember the work that needs to be done on their car. They might have a sincere desire to give, but they simply don't feel like they can do it in the face of their financial problems. And this creates guilt which is NEVER a long-term strategy for living generously.

We've been exploring the reasons why Christians don't give and what churches can do about it using Ron Blue's pyramid from his book "Generous Living" as our matrix. To refresh your memory:

In our last post, we looked at the spiritual problems that impact people’s beliefs on money, and what church leaders can do to counter those problems.  This post will address the next rung on the pyramid – financial problems.  And the place to begin in helping your folks work through their financial problems:  start with an understanding of where they are on the stewardship continuum. 

The stewardship continuum in your church

 Imagine that you are standing in the pulpit looking out over your people.  And as you do, you consider where each person is when it comes to his/her financial situation. Here is a stewardship continuum that might help:

Types of stewards in your church

Struggling                                Solid                                    Surplus

So let’s briefly look at each of the characteristics of the these three types of stewards:

• Struggling – These stewards are either upside down financially or are one unexpected event away from being upside down (car breaking down, medical expenses, etc.). Often this is the result of demographics, lack of financial education, and/or poor financial decisions over time. This could be the group that you hear a lot from because they have immediate needs to be met. 

• Solid – These stewards are typically doing OK. They’ve got margin in their life and are typically working toward financial goals of college, retirement, etc. Or they’ve reached retirement age with a pretty good nest egg that helps them meet their basic needs and wants. They try to minimize debt and watch what they spend money on.

• Surplus – These stewards have more than they need. They’ve accumulated significant wealth through business, long-term investing, inheritance, and other circumstances. They may think a lot about the impact of this wealth on their children, how to best protect the wealth they manage, or how to deal with the multiple agendas they face from others who need help financially. 

Two important points regarding each of these stewards:

• Every steward deserves to experience the blessedness of the generous life. Scripture gives us a variety of examples of generous givers from all walks of life:  from the poor widow (Mark 12: 41–44; Luke 21: 1-4), who gave all she had, to Joseph of Arimethea (Matthew 27: 57-60), a rich man who gave out of his surplus to provide a place to bury Jesus. 

• People are shifty and can move back and forth on the continuum making it difficult to tell where exactly they are. So some people might have the appearance of being a surplus steward, but a business setback shifts them to a struggling steward. And some people who live very simply are surplus stewards because they spend a little so that they can save a lot. 

“Middle left” livers

One fascinating question for you to consider as you think about this continuum: 

In what direction do you believe God wants each of these stewards to move on the continuum? 

Does He desire for the struggling stewards to move to the right toward surplus stewards?  That sure seems to fit our Western, achievement mindset and would probably be the dominant American Christian view if we took a survey.   But see Luke 18: 24 – 25 or Luke 12: 13 – 21 for a different perspective. 

Does He desire for the surplus stewards to move to the left toward struggling stewards?  That would seem to fit the voices in our culture that hold up models of simple living.   Admittedly this group is the definite minority but very vocal and I think to be admired.    But see I Timothy 6: 17 with an emphasis on the word “enjoy” or Deuteronomy 8: 17 – 18 for a different perspective. 

Or perhaps He desires for all stewards to move somewhere toward the middle of the continuum – working hard, enjoying the blessings of life yet giving at such an amount as to make a significant Kingdom impact.  A beautiful model of this is seen in 2 Corinthians 8: 13 – 15. 

Note:  I think this is a great  (but radical) conversation to have with the leadership of your church if you really want to “man up” as my kids say. Think “stewardship continuum cage match”. 

My personal opinion.  I believe the ideal spot from a Biblical perspective is somewhere middle left on the continuum.  And I believe that God wants us to move there for our own good as well as for the good of others.  People that are “middle left livers” seem to me to be some of the happiest, faith-filled and contented people I know.  Think of  “give us this day our DAILY bread” – I think that’s middle left living Jesus is calling us to in the Lord’s prayer.  Or His famous admonition when it comes to not worrying about material things and seeking first the Kingdom in Matthew 6: 25 – 33 – that seems to me to be a call to the middle left life.

Struggling                               Solid                                        Surplus

Here’s one 5 minute video of Randy Pope, pastor of Perimeter Church in Georgia, who is a middle left liver:

Strategy:  create community, leverage the Word & lead boldly

So how do you help stewards in your church move on the continuum in a Biblical way? 

• Remember what they all have in COMMON – With every steward, the most effective way to grow in his/her finances is in community with others. This could be one-on-one mentoring relationships, small groups, etc. Why? Because other people give us encouragement and accountability – two of the key ingredients in helping people work through financial challenges in their lives. 

• Respect the DIFFERENCES of each of the groups of stewards – It may be helpful to create peer-to-peer communities based on the different types of stewards in your church, so that people can relate to the issues they share in common. The key here is to consider how you communicate the benefits of a financial class or initiative to your people. As we said earlier, you will not know where people fall on the stewardship continuum. So good communication will help people self-select where they should be. 

• LEVERAGE the most effective and thorough book ever written on finances – the Bible. Many financial issues are simply symptoms of deeper core issues of the heart. Give me the Bible over Bloomberg any day to address these core issues. Remember this: 

The word of God on finances in community over time = life change.

• LEAD boldly in this area.  Start with yourself first and make an accurate assessment of where you are on the continuum and where you believe God is calling you to move.  Then gather your key leaders around you and discuss the role of $$ and the Kingdom.   I know that you know that there are many people in leadership positions in your church who are enslaved by their stuff and need to move to the left on the stewardship continuum.  This will only happen through the word of God in community over time.  Create environments for that to happen. 

This post started with two formulas so let’s end with two formulas as we help our people make the right moves on the stewardship continuum and overcome the financial problems that hinder giving. 

Motivation to give X financial health as defined by Scripture = opportunity

Opportunity = generous living

Money is complex, but Ron makes it simple. This is harder than it seems if you've never done it – and some people would even call it genius.

In his book "Generous Living," Ron uses a pyramid to outline seven reasons why he believes Christians don't give. The bottom of the pyramid represents the foundational barriers to giving, and then as you work your way up, the barriers oftentimes are less of a factor. Here are the seven levels of Ron's pyramid:

In my eight+ years of working with givers and churches, and in my own personal giving journey, I think Ron nailed it with this list. And over the next couple of months, we are going to walk through each section of the pyramid to better understand why people don't give and how your church can serve them to release transformational generosity.

So let's look at the root issue of why people don't give – spiritual problems. I've talked with many mega-church leaders about what percentage of their weekend attendees don't give anything to the church during a year. The answer I hear most often is 50 percent of the people give $0. Fifty percent! And when I think about these folks, I would guess that they don't:

• Read their Bible
• Pray outside of a crisis
• Serve others
• Fill in the blank __________________________ with any other spiritual discipline that spurs one to grow

These people have a serious spiritual problem, and the real issue is that they aren't in the game. They aren't growing. They are not seeking the Kingdom of God. According to Dallas Willard, they "check in with God on Sunday" and then live the rest of their lives for themselves. So of course they don't give.

And what about the other 50 percent? I think there are two "sub-groups" included here: those who "tip God" and give two to five percent haphazardly and those who give greater than 10 percent regularly and intentionally. And those who are tippers and who give nothing at all "don't have the right belief system from a spiritual perspective on their money" as Ron outlines in the book.

So what are some ways that church leaders can serve these three groups to overcome the spiritual problems that hinder giving? Here are several recommendations:

• For the 50 percent giving nothing – Challenge them to get in the game through a holistic spiritual growth experience that includes giving. My friend Julie Bullock is a master at this. She helps churches execute "worship challenges" that include Bible study, prayer, service, and giving – all over a five to eight week period. I bet that many people begin to really live out their faith during these challenges, which includes giving for the first time.
  
  Another effective method for getting this group to give for the first time is through special offerings for external purposes. I remember Whittier Area Community Church in Southern California raised over $500,000 with a special Christmas offering to build a hospital for AIDS orphans in Malawi, Africa. The previous largest Christmas offering had been $26,000, and the stories of both Christians in the church and non-Christians in the community catching a vision for something bigger than themselves brought in many first-time givers. And I would imagine that many of these first-time givers to Malawi are now giving more consistently to other visions within the church. Watch a video of this Malawi Miracle.

• For the two-to-five-percent tippers – These people need a "3rd conversion" that goes beyond their hearts and minds – a conversion of their pocketbooks. And one of the best ways I've seen this shift occur is through the preaching of the Word and in financial teaching environments. Some very well-known pastors spend at least three to four weeks annually preaching on stewardship and generosity (Andy Stanley and David Jeremiah, for example). Ron says in his book "church and para-church leaders – and really, anyone who is involved in teaching and discipleship – need to communicate what the Bible says about money, ownership, and the eternal rewards promised for those who live and give generously. We always act on what we believe. Therefore, our beliefs must be anchored in the truth." Go to the "teaching" section at GenerousChurch.com/Videos to get an idea of how pastors are preaching on stewardship and generosity.
  
  Many people also tip in their giving because they are simply upside down financially and don't feel confident they can give more. That's why you need to move up the pyramid and help them solve these financial problems in teaching environments. We will address this in our next blog post.

• For the 10 percent+ givers – I would guess these people don't have a spiritual problem that impacts their giving. Their pocketbook reflects where their hearts are (see Matthew 6:21). We can also assume that if someone is giving 10 percent or greater to the work of the Kingdom, they most likely have margin in their finances through wise stewardship. So with these people, you need to go higher up the pyramid and help them learn how they can have a greater Kingdom vision both personally and then corporately, through your church's role in the Kingdom. Then continue even higher up the pyramid to help them develop deeper Kingdom relationships through short-term mission trips, local ministry opportunities, etc. These will all be outlined in future posts, as well.

Let's end this section with a quote from Ron. In his book, he makes a comment that sums up why we should want our people to be generous givers – because it's good for them.

"The amount of money you have has nothing to do with financial security or contentment. Neither can satisfaction be found in wise investments, careful budgets, or debt-free living. Instead, the secret to financial freedom and joy is directly linked to one thing: the willingness to be generous with what you have."

Let's learn from Ron and spur our people on to financial freedom and joy through generous giving.

Patrick Johnson is the Chief Architect of Generous Church and has been working with church leaders for 8 years. In 2003, he developed the church strategy at Generous Giving – helping churches spread the transformational message of generosity. Patrick helped develop the Exponential Pastors Conference on generosity at North Point Church in Alpharetta, GA, and Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA. He also created the Generous Church Toolkit from the best-selling book, The Treasure Principle, and worked with Leadership Network to form Generous Church Leadership Communities.

Let’s face it, life in America sure seems to be a lot more about “gimme, gettin’, and greed” than “generosity, giving, and gratefulness.”

So, as pastors, how can we encourage parents to help raise generous kids? If we (and the parents we shepherd) fail at this task, God's work will be hindered for years to come since our www.STATEofthePLATE.info annual research shows that many adults who give 10% or more to the LORD's work started this practice when they were growing up.

From my experience raising my three children, here’s 4 E’s that you can share with parents to give them some practical ways they can proactively help raise generous kids so they can grow up to be generous adults.

EVENTS: Before Christmas a number of years ago I asked our kids, "Whose birthday is it? Who should get the biggest presents?" They answered it was Jesus’ birthday and He should get the biggest presents. But they asked, “how can we give birthday presents to Jesus?” I explained to them that when we give gifts to the lonely and the least, we are giving "birthday presents" to Jesus. So, we started something in our family that has now become a Christmas tradition. In our family, on Christmas eve after our kids open up their presents we give each of our kids an envelope with hundreds of dollars and a list of "approved" needy people, organizations, or projects. Each child has the choice of where they want the money in their envelope to go so they can help give birthday presents to Jesus. Each child then explains to the rest of the family where they gave the money and why. In addition to Christmas, you can also include acts of generosity in other events throughout the year by being intentional. For a kid’s birthday party, have everyone bring a non-perishable food item that can be given to a food pantry to serve the needy. At Thanksgiving, invite foreigners to join you for Thanksgiving dinner. In our family, we normally have 20+ people from 5-10 countries at our house for Thanksgiving. When you tie acts of generosity into major events during the year, the message of giving gets imprinted onto your children’s hearts, minds, and memories. 

ENVELOPES: Give each of your children 3 envelopes and have them draw/design their own envelopes for Giving, Savings, and Spending. Whenever they get any money, the money is divided into the three envelopes to help shape their understanding of the three primary purposes of money. We started this practice when our children were preschoolers and is still happening now that our kids our teenagers. This is also an easy classroom project that any children's Sunday School could do together. Our national research shows that many adults who are faithful and generous givers to religious/charitable causes started this practice when they were living at home.

EXPERIENCES: Take your children to help feed the homeless at Thanksgiving or Christmas, go on an overseas trip to help the needy, or be a Secret Santa to a family at Christmas leaving presents for a needy family front door, ringing the doorbell, and hurrying away before they come to the door. When my oldest son turned 13 I took him on a 3 week trip in four countries in Eastern Europe. Because of this experience, he has gone back to Romania to help serve poor gypsy families for five weeks over the summer and four months during the school year.

EXPOSURE: It is important to expose yourself and your family to the Scriptures on generosity/finances and to your personal financial practices. I wrote the 40 Day Generous Life Bible devotional a number of years ago that over 1400 churches have used to inspire generosity and increase giving among their church families. But before it ever became a bestseller, it was a Kinkos-printed document that I gave to every family in my church to read together around the kitchen table at breakfast or dinner. One day when my family was doing going through one of the devotional worksheets that let our children know where we gave our money, my 7 year old stopped me and said, “Dad, if we didn’t give $1000 to that camp, do you know how many more video camps you could buy me?!” I explained to my 7 year old that in our family the most important and exciting thing we do is give to God and help others and that we would never want to buy a $1000 in video games. This was a teachable moment for my 7 year old that none of us has ever forgotten.

With these 4 E’s put in place, parents will be headed in the right direction to raising generous, giving, and grateful kids that will likely turn into generous, giving, and grateful adults!

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Pastor Brian Kluth is a bestselling author of www.GenerousLife.org and www.GodIsYourProvider.com. He is the founder of the www.MAXIMUMgenerosity.org website and FREE eNewsletter has over 15,000 subscribers. He annually conducts annual www.STATEofthePLATE.info research on church giving and personal finances/giving practices in partnership with Christianity Today and the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.

Holistic stewardship series
More than just financial management, this series covers the stewardship of time, talent, God’s Word, relationships, finances, and more. This may be a good for a pastor who is preaching on the topic for the first time or who is wary of just focusing on money alone. It’s also a good way to let members know you’re not just after their money. Example: the Generous Living series by Fellowship Bible Church, Brentwood, Tenn.

Holistic financial stewardship series
Strictly on financial stewardship, this series covers giving, debt, budgeting, savings, and other principles from Scripture on how we manage money. It’s another good theme for pastors wary of preaching just on giving, and it helps people in their day-to-day struggles to be good stewards. Examples: the Balanced and LO$T series by North Point Community Church, Alpharetta, Ga. (senior pastor Andy Stanley, pictured above).

Generosity series
This series is strictly focused on the benefits of giving and generosity. Three options include:

• Generosity: moving toward life that is truly life – This four-week devotional by Gordon MacDonald is being used by churches as the basis for month-long sermon series, small groups, and personal devotions. Easy to digest, it’s built around four “moving” themes – transformation, freedom, trust, and life – that inspire readers to the aspire to a true life of abundant, joyful generosity.
  
  
• Treasure Principle – Many churches are taking the keys of this classic book by Randy Alcorn and preaching a 3-4 week series on these themes. This book presents the theology of eternal rewards in a very compelling way, so it’s a great resource to share with your congregation for them to read as your sermon series progresses.
  
  
• “How to Be Rich” – North Point Community Church presents this series each year, and it’s one of the freshest and most compelling messages on generosity around. Based on 1 Timothy 6: 17-19, the series teaches that from a global perspective almost everyone in today’s American church is already financially rich, and we need to admit it. So the key is, it’s not about learning how to get rich, but about how to learn to be rich in good deeds and generosity.

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Note: This blog post is excerpted from GenerousChurch.com's free download resource, How to preach on money, stewardship, and generosity.

The Challenge is definitely challenging.

Like others that have blogged on the site, I've found it difficult to think of something significant to do every day for 21 days. After a fun and energizing first week of buying a friend lunch, helping the kids make cookies for their mom, overtipping a waitress, praying for people in need, and holding the door for strangers, I've hit days where I went to work, didn't have many major giving opportunities, and came home to a usual night with the family. I felt like I had to look very hard for something generous to do.

But then it hit me: that's the point. Being intentional about generosity was the first thing I learned on my 21-Day Giving Challenge experience.

Being intentional
On my very first morning of the Challenge, I drove into my office with a fresh mindset. Instantly, I found that my life focus was different. I was consciously looking for something generous to do. I scanned the streets, looking for opportunities to let another car pull in my lane. When I arrived at my office, I waited extra long to hold the door for someone, when previously I would have scurried inside as quickly as possible to avoid having to do that. When I got upstairs, I stopped at co-worker's desk to ask how they were doing and even pray for them.

Yes, I found quickly that the 21-Day Giving Challenge changed my perspective, and it was quite exciting. Even if I couldn't rescue someone from a burning car that day or give $10,000 to a needy charity, I did experience something very important: I had an instant change of the heart, and that's what God wants for all of us when it comes to giving. 

Going public
The second big thing I've learned as my family and I have gone through the Challenge is that there is a time and place for making generosity public. I was reading Matthew 6:1-2 last week, which says, “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others." (NIV)

I immediately thought of the 21-Day Challenge when I read this and wondered, how does the discipline of humility apply to giving? After years of thought and discussion around this topic, I re-confirmed my wholehearted belief: there is great value in people sharing their giving testimonies, solely as an encouragement to others, not as a cause for boasting in their own good deeds.

In my life, I have witnessed countless people step up to share their giving stories publicly – through a speech to a crowded auditorium, a coffee-shop chat with a friend, or a simple blog post on the web. When done in true humility and with a focus on building others (not themselves) up, this practice can be an enormous source of encouragement to those around us. How exciting it is to celebrate God's work of generosity in our hearts and give encouragement and ideas to others as they travel through their giving journey!

Looking ahead
So as I continue through the 21-Day Giving Challenge and even beyond, I must always remember to have an intentional focus on living the generous life, and when appropriate, I should share my story as a source of encouragement to others.

Above all, I must give 100% of the glory to God, the first and Ultimate Giver!

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Steve Chapman works in communications at The National Christian Foundation and at GenerousChurch. You can read about his family's 21-Day Giving Challenge experience at http://generousyou21.ning.com.

A pastor might say to me, "I preach a stewardship sermon regularly, and we pass the offering plate every Sunday ... but nothing seems to change. The money problems never go away. When the economy tanked, it just got worse."

Over the years, I have seen some of the best – and worst – practices when it comes to encouraging Christian stewardship. I refer to the best as the Five Disciplines of a Generous Church.

Encourage Giving
The most familiar of the five disciplines is to encourage giving – it’s a no-brainer. The churches I talk to usually have this one covered. While pastors don’t necessarily relish the idea of a stewardship sermon, they, nonetheless, try to deliver on this expectation. Unfortunately, sermons are not especially effective if they are not delivered in conjunction with other disciplines that influence the church culture.

Empower Leadership
Abe Lincoln once said If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend six hours sharpening my ax. Church leaders must be prepared to lead in stewardship. We are called to be shepherds of God’s flock … not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. (1 Peter 5:2-3 NIV)

In his book The Chief Steward, Richard Borg admirably confronts church leaders who neglect their stewardship responsibilities. With experience as a senior pastor, church planter, capital campaign consultant, and leader in the Christian & Missionary Alliance Church, Borg insists that pastors are in the most influential position to disciple their flock in Christian stewardship.

Expand Worship
The church is instructed to gather together with a broad understanding of worship which includes singing, praying, teaching, participating in communion, and giving. In 1st Corinthians, Paul tells the Macedonians that just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. (1 Cor. 8:7)

In his book Speaking About Money, Mark Vincent describes the person who encounters the saving power of Christ is motivated by a response deeper than obligatory tithing, goodwill toward others, or seeking more of God’s blessings. Stewardship through worship is no longer something you do, it is something you become.

Experience Generosity
We reference giving and being generous synonymously as if the two go hand in hand. Being generous describes the way in which we give – it reflects the heart and attitude behind why the gift was given. We can certainly also give grudgingly or with regret – these two giving experiences are very different.

In order to give generously, we must first receive generously. This begins with the understanding that we are the benefactors of the most generous gift of all: eternal life through the Jesus Christ. I encourage congregations to seek out opportunities to help one another and to share one another’s burdens. I also encourage them to give time and money to direct-service organizations in the community or directly to a families and individuals in need.

Ensure Integrity
Church leaders rarely see how their behavior affects the confidence of their congregations. Annual stewardship campaigns are often driven by subtle fear and anxiety over the church’s budget. Many pastors are guilty of unnecessarily apologizing from the pulpit as if the message was wrong or sinful.

Recently, a newspaper headline read "Pastor Allegedly Steals $50,000 from Non-Profit." Another read "Preacher Faces Federal Charges." This is not the first time people have encountered these headlines which leaves them hesitant to trust the church. In order to remedy this, the church must earn the trust of its congregation. Policies and procedures must be in place to ensure the integrity of those who handle money and other church assets.

I like what Dr. Steve McSwain, author of The Giving Myths, says… The Macedonians had every reason to quarantine the meager resources they did have. Instead, however – and this is what shocked Saint Paul – their generosity was outlandish. Just as in Macedonia, this kind of outlandish generosity exists today. It isn't because of sermons on tithing or the pulpit scolding of those who do not give. If your interest is in growing a spiritually healthy church, motivation for giving must come from somewhere other than guilt for not giving or shame for giving too little.

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@JasonLewisCFRE leads the advancement efforts at Logos Academy; an inter-cultural, Gospel-centered, community school located in York City, Pennsylvania. In addition to his full-time ministry, Jason speaks to groups about Christian stewardship, generous giving, and effective ministry advancement. You can learn more at www.TheGenerousLife.net.

Right? 

Then I read some of the examples from Scripture that are discussed in the book, "God So Loved, He Gave." Men, women, whole families, and cities have been ruined by a love money:

• Achan and his entire household – He stole some of the consecrated spoils after the battle of Jericho, and he and his family died as a result. (Josh 7; 1-26)
  
  
• Ahab and Queen Jezebel – Disaster fell on their house not long after they conspired to steal Naboth's ancestral property. (I Kings 21: 19)
  
  
• King Hezekiah – All the treasures and even some of the children of Israel's royal family were carted off to Babylon because of his pride in his possessions. (Isaiah 39: 1-8)
  
  
• Sodom and Gomorrah – According to the prophet Ezekiel, their primary sin that caused their destruction by fire and brimstone was that they had "pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy." (Ezekiel 16: 49)
  
  
• Judas – He committed suicide after betraying Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. (Matt. 26: 14)
  
  
• Ananias and Sapphira – Both died because they tested the Spirit of the Lord by holding back a portion of their money and lying about it. (Acts 5: 1-10)

"Money has a peculiar power that can profoundly capture us, taking on a quasi-divine status and creating a sort of bondage," says Kelly Kapic, author of God So Loved, He Gave. "Saint Ambrose recognized this danger when he wrote, 'Therefore possessions are so called that we may possess them, not they possess us. Whey do you regard the master as a slave? Why do you invert the order?'" 

I heard a pastor once say that giving is to materialism as kyrptonite is to Superman. Indeed, one of the amazing benefits of living generously is that it frees us from the ruin and harmful desires caused by our love of money. So let us pursue a generous spirit, and avoid being ruined by a desire for riches.

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Links: 

• Purchase God So Loved, He Gave on Amazon.com
• Visit official God So loved, He Gave website

Why do a shopping fast? I came to appreciate three reasons:

• Discipline: It’s a good practice to be able to do without things for a period of time. Anything that you’re not able to give up has too tight of a hold on you. Giving up shopping and purchasing for six months is my form of that discipline.
  
  
• Resourcefulness: I can’t tell you how many outfits I wore over that time period that I mixed and matched in ways that I hadn’t tried before. I have a pair of boots I bought back in ‘97 at Kmart for four dollars. Thanks to shoe polish and some black duct tape on the bottoms, they’re my favorite line dancing boots ... they even show up in some other non-country occasions!
  
  
• Opportunities for Generosity: Now more than ever, the local church needs our generosity. Many bold churches are at their "IPO" so-to-speak (initial public offering) of their growth, and there’s nothing else I’d rather invest in than the local church. Many of them are on the verge of some very big things that could really take us to the next level in helping people find their way back to God. I don’t want this to sound prideful and I don’t want to impose my benchmarks upon anyone else (since I don’t have children to care for yet or other family expenses that many others have), but as a result of the shopping fast, I was able to give 47% of my salary that year to my local church, Community Christian Church. I can’t describe to you the joy and closeness to God that has resulted in this type of investment. I share this with you not to toot horns or impose expectations but rather to celebrate what God is doing in my life and my church. It is not what I do that should be celebrated, but why. Here are some of the many reasons I celebrate generosity to my local church….
   
  • The single mom in my small group who has been faced with such trials over the last year but receives such gracious comfort and support from her relationship with God and from the community of her small group and ministry team, which allows her to continue each day with assurance and hope…
    
    
  • The creative arts team through video and through worship that reaches people’s hearts in a way that words themselves cannot, displaying with excellence the grace and love of God…
    
    
  • The teaching team, through amazing God-given talent of communicating effectively, challenges life change within our attenders – a testament to a committed team who seeks God’s wisdom and direction daily…
    
    
  • The Kids’ City children’s ministry that reaches over 1,100 kids every weekend with a high-impact, relevant message of hope and love and acceptance that can be found through nothing other than a relationship with Jesus, demonstrated through the love and devotion of over 75 children’s small group leaders…
    
    
  • The commitment and vision of a lead team and an entire staff of Christ followers who are relentlessly devoted to trading their lives to help people find their way back to God…

How can you not respond to that kind of cause? I challenge us all, myself included, to respond to our capacity in our own way. The result is indescribable.

Generosity is not something God wants from us. It’s something He wants for us.

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Julie Bullock (JulieBullock.org) is a consultant with Generis and a member of the GenerousChurch coaching team. She writes, "It is my passion to help mobilize leaders and organizations to experience the joy that comes from a generous life."