Gratitude and generosity help us look beyond ourselves. What has God given me? How can I share? The authors are quick to point out that generosity is not a panacea; generous people can still suffer from anxiety and depression. But they are resilient.

Half of donors give more than $310 and half give less. $310 is the typical amount. I’m glad that StatsCan uses median here, because average gift would be skewed by a small number of really large gifts.

When I quote these figures in churches, I get questions like - people give $310 to their church or to all charities put together? This is the "altogether” total. Donors who give more in a month than most Canadians give in a year are bewildered: isn’t everyone as generous as they are? In a word, no.

Does your congregation ever talk about how members can leave a gift to the church in their wills? Christians can be downright offended when someone tries to talk about money or death in church!  However, Scriptures are full of references to both death and money.

I love the Psalms, not just the poetry and beauty of the words, but the honest emotions.  I heard Psalm 112 read aloud a few weeks ago and it struck me that this Psalm talks about how generosity continues beyond the life of the donor.

“I am unlike your white friends who have waited until they were rich and then help but have in proportion to my success, I have reached out and am helping others.” Madam C.J. Walker.[1] So begins this excellent book on Madam C.J. Walker’s life of generosity.

Walker and other black female philanthropists didn’t help only when they had free time or extra money; they always helped. Consistency. Walker was consistent in her giving, from when she had little to when she was wealthy.

Walker provides an excellent role model for generosity and breaks out of the narrow definition that philanthropy is something rich white people do. I’m grateful to Tyrone McKinley Freeman for telling her story so well.

If a single person at your church gives $10 weekly, in a year that’s more than the average Canadian single gives altogether. If a couple gives $100 monthly to your church, in a year that’s more than the average Canadian couple gives altogether.

If Matthew, a twenty-something male, makes an online donation to your church, what happens next? Generosity demonstrates trust. Matthew is telling you that he trusts your church enough to make a financial gift. There’s many, many voices calling for his money. He chose to give the church. That’s a big deal.

Gratitude? With the news as bad as it it, and people being stuck at home for endless months? Or not stuck at home, but working in the midst of a pandemic?

We're reminded to be thankful in all circumstances.  But sometimes our circumstances can seem overwhelming! I offer this short reminder of three things a church can always be grateful for:

It’s easy to get worn down and worn out. I encourage church folks everywhere to take a minute and think of three things you are grateful for about your church denomination. I’ll start: the opportunity to connect with believers in other places, the incredible resilience of small churches, people who share their talents and energy. Ask God for a grateful heart. What gives you hope?

A charity might ‘accomplish’ more by taking advantage of volunteers and low-paid staff. A charity might achieve higher fundraising targets by burning through staff. Is that stewardship? No, it’s exploitation masquerading as efficiency