Generosity beyond keeping the lights on
Dear Churches worried about keeping the lights on,
God has not given up on you! Angels often start with “Don’t be afraid,” and those are good words.
Don’t be afraid.
The church has a two thousand year history. The church has changed and moved in all kinds of ways. It’s changing now too. 1955 is not coming back and that’s okay. What might God have in store for you next?
Instead of asking people to donate in order to keep the lights on, tell stories of how God is at work among you. What is happening when the lights are on? (Thanks to Grace Pomroy for this one!) For example, people call the church office on Tuesday mornings and they are directed to people who can help. Thanks be to God for the faithful givers who maintain the church as a place of worship and as a place where we love our neighbours.
2 Corinthians reminds us that we can always afford to be generous. Is there someone among you who frequently brings meals to people? Has she ever run out of macaroni?
There is always a way to be generous with what we have, rather than focusing on what we don’t have.
Encouraging ways to nurture generosity
Here’s my list of encouraging things you can do to nurture generosity:
Be thankful for what God has given you. Tell stories. (Three things the church can always be thankful for and other posts on gratitude.)
Pray. Try “Lord, help us to generous.”
Thank the faithful givers at your church. “I thank God for your generosity” might be a helpful phrase.
Pay attention. Have a loving look at the your current reality. $20 a week isn’t tithing in 2023 unless the donor’s annual income is $10,000. (Everyone here tithes and other myths about church giving.) Rather than starting with guilt and panic though, lead by example. Have a church leader tell the story of how they looked at the their own pre-authorized giving and increased the amount when they realized they had been on autopilot for years.
I’m grateful for the generous people who have shared their stories of generosity with me. If you’d like to read stories of generosity, here’s how you can buy my book, Growing a Generous Church: A Year in the Life of Peach Blossom Church. It’s also available on Amazon and through CommonWord.ca.
Blessings as we learn to be grateful receivers and generous givers!