Generosity Is More Than Giving
Generosity and giving are not the same things and Dan makes that very clear in his most recent post. Dan writes:
Giving is behavior. Generosity is an orientation grounded in a value. Generosity flows from spirit and passion… To be generous is to create something — to make something new happen. Generosity gives life, offers hope, and creates energy and spirit. It cannot help but lead to giving of one’s heart, mind, soul, and possessions. There is within almost every heart a deep desire to make a difference, to do something significant, to create something good. This is the spark we fan into flame when we help people live generously.
Dan offers churches five fundamental approaches to financial stewardship based on the practices of healthy churches. Dan suggests that healthy churches:
Focus on generosity instead of giving
Take a “preach, teach, heal” approach to money
Offer a “ministry of money” to the congregation and community
Differentiate their messages about giving
Align everything in the church around vision
In the conclusion to his post, Dan asks some very potent questions. Dan asks:
Maybe we make this all harder than it needs to be. Maybe we work too hard to change people’s minds when we should be working on their hearts and spirits. Maybe we are trying to pry out a gift or two through behavior modification instead of offering transformative pathways into a generous lifestyle. It is ironic to me that the churches who are most financially sound focus on giving the least. Focusing on a healthy relationship with God, with material possessions, and with the work of the community of faith seems much more effective. I wonder how much longer it will take for the rest of us to learn this lesson?
If you are interested in receiving assistance in your ministry’s fundraising efforts, please contact me.
Check out my latest article @ ChurchCentral.com
.
