What are the values of generosity? Compassion, caring and empathy are some that come to mind. Gratitude is another. If you look up the synonyms for generous, there are many more.
Generosity means giving or sharing freely the things that you value—be it material possessions, money, time, or even love. Giving without the thought of reward or reciprocation. But rather for the sheer joy of giving.
How do we teach generosity?
There is lots of information on teaching the values of generosity to children. But how do we teach adults and newcomers to our congregations about giving and generosity?
Well, it turns out, much the same way.
Modeling
Do it yourself. Children learn by watching and copying what you do. The same principle applies in church. If we want to teach it, we need to model it. People need to experience and witness generosity happening in real time.
I work in fundraising, so I experience giving and generosity all the time. But really, what opportunities does the average layperson have to witness giving? I mean we hear about famous philanthropists giving out there in the metaverse, and maybe in our own communities for local campaigns.
When is the last time you heard people having a conversation about how much they give in a year. Or last month? We pass the offering plate, but since the inception of online giving…unless we make a point of grabbing a card that says, “I give online” and placing it in the offering plate…when do we witness financial giving in the church?
Find a way to demonstrate the act of giving and gratitude to your congregation.
Testimonies and recognition
Talk about it. I think this is where we really struggle in the church. Because we feel bad talking about money and we think we shouldn’t. We need to get past that mindset and point out when others are generous and highlight how God is generous with us. God’s generosity with us is the very reason we should be generous with others.
Testimonials of giving and gratitude can be very powerful. Don’t just focus on large givers either, focus on regular givers and first-time givers as well. Faithful giving is a powerful testimony.
Practice it – experience the joy of giving
Be actively creating and looking for opportunities to help your congregation practice being generous and doing things for others. Giving time is part of being generous. Make sure you are creating opportunities for people to volunteer their time and talent too.
Being grateful
At the heart of giving is being grateful. Learning to be thankful sounds easy. And it is. Until you have to put some skin in the game and actually give something back in gratitude. That’s seems to be where some of us fall short.
Understanding Christian stewardship in the context of gratitude means giving. It means being grateful for what we receive (blessings), then giving back in response to those blessings.
Teach your children when they are young, to give in gratitude. Teach your congregations to be grateful for their blessings and to give in response.
Wisdom is part of generosity
Being wise with your time, and your finances is a biblical principle. Society is more leveraged than we have ever been and the statistics on debt are staggering. Many in our congregations need help with their finances. Don’t be afraid to talk about it. You might be surprised at the response you get. You could even go as far to offer some budgeting and money management seminars. But make giving part of that conversation and teaching.
Live and breathe your teaching
If you want to teach generosity to anyone, children or adults, you have to make it a part of your everyday life and conversation. You have to live and breathe it on a regular basis. Otherwise, it is token charity…and the world already has enough of that. I believe the church can do better than that.
Giving and gratitude are central to a Christian life. It gives us a road map on how to live our lives and living a life of blessing begins with being a blessing. And it’s not just about money. Giving is about giving whatever you have, to glorify God.
People get hung up on how much to give. I have been asked more times than I can count, “Is the 10% tithe on the amount before or after taxes?” To which most times, I mutter under my breathe, and think, honestly if you did either, it would likely be more than most are giving right now. And that’s true.
But the truth is, God loves a cheerful happy giver. God doesn’t want us to give begrudgingly or because we feel like we have to. God wants us to give out of the gratefulness of living and reaping the blessings of a Christian life.
Michelle Harder has over 20 years of experience in fundraising and nonprofit development. As an author, consultant and public speaker, with a specialty in faith-based fundraising, Michelle is driven by a passion to help organizations large and small achieve their fundraising and strategic goals. https://michelleharder.com
