Deuteronomy 26, the lectionary for this coming Sunday, talks about sharing the first fruits of the harvest as an offering to God.

The first ripe tomato, the cookies fresh out of the oven, part of the first paycheque. When we share what God has given us, from our first fruits, we honour God.

At the start of the harvest, we don’t know what the coming year will bring. Will there be famine or hardship? Should we can those first tomatoes in a jar on the shelf?

Prayer takes practice. Sometimes it’s the hard times where we really lean into prayer, times when we cannot pretend to be in control of our lives any longer.
Generosity takes practice. I wonder if hard times are also an occasion to lean into generosity. Fear would make us hold on tighter, but perfect love casts out fear.

A practical workshop on joyful generosity

What are you grateful for? Do you have difficulty feeling grateful? That seems normal. The lyricist doesn’t tell us to tough it out or march onwards regardless of our pain. He suggests hitting pause…. I wonder if gratitude requires listening for God’s whispers of hope and listening means slowing down. Slow gratitude.

There is no need to send a thank-you letter if you don’t care whether or not the donor gives again. That’s the fundraising angle, but to me this is a theological question. If you’re not grateful to God for the person’s contribution to your church, why is that? Each donation tells a story. Someone cares enough about your organization to send money. Your ministry is that important to them.

For many charities and churches, it’s time to prepare charitable tax receipts. This blog continues a series on turning the chore of annual receipts into a blessing.

People *actually open* the receipt letter, or the email. They are paying attention! Please, please, please seize this opportunity to include a thank-you letter! The only exception I can think of would be if your church or charity doesn’t care whether this donor gives again or not. This blog begins a three-part series on turning the chore of annual receipts into a blessing. The goal is both accurate and grateful communication.

Here is a bit of encouragement for those who are working so hard at year-end to make sure their ministries, churches, organizations, and causes have the resources they need to continue making a difference. Thank you.

Let’s imagine your charity is behind budget. You’ll be cutting programs and laying off staff next year if more money doesn’t come in. What to do?

Don’t be afraid to ask for what you need. Be specific, like the man asking for three loaves of bread in Luke 11. Here’s my suggested steps to take before sending the email, and a template that might be a helpful starting point.

Most of our petty complaints are silly. I’m not talking here about lament when like Job we despair about suffering and loss. I’m talking daily small irritations: your partner interrupted you. You chose the wrong line at the grocery store.

Choosing to laugh about our petty complaints helps inject gratitude back into the situation