For the last 40 years, charitable giving across the United States has been stuck at about 2 percent of personal income. Giving growth has been flat. Our friends at Generosity by LifeWay recently published a blog with helpful solutions for inspiring a giving spirit in your church. Below are a few excerpts from the original blog –to read the full version visit this link.
Giving is one of the most important disciplines in the life of the local church. It is important for discipleship because it increases an individual’s faith and usefulness. Generosity is important for families because kids raised in generous homes are more likely to live generously as adults. Finally, giving is critical to carry on the mission of the church.
Financial Factors to Consider
There are a few important factors you should consider:
1. Money is not the issue. People are donating their resources in record numbers.
2. Willingness is not the issue. People are volunteering their resources in record numbers.
3. Opportunity is not the issue. People are discovering both where to give and the way to give in record numbers.
Tips to Create a Surge of Generosity in Your Church
How can your church be the exception to the trend and begin to turn the tide toward giving more generously? Here are some helpful tips to create a surge of generosity in your church:
1. Become giver-focused. Giving is actually good for the giver. God’s word says so. One example is Proverbs 11:24-26: “One person gives freely, yet gains more; another withholds what is right, only to become poor. A generous person will be enriched, and the one who gives a drink of water will receive water. People will curse anyone who hoards grain, but a blessing will come to the one who sells it.” Additionally study after study has proven many healthy benefits to living generously. For instance, “The Paradox of Generosity” revealed that the more generous Americans are the more fulfillment, happiness, and personal growth they experienced.
2. Make giving easy for the giver. People are growing more and more confident in using their digital devices to transact commerce. Most young adults bank via app and text. They are actually sharing money among friends via apps. Embrace the goodness of technology and unleash giving via smartphones.
3. Share the story. Avoid communicating that giving is simply a transaction. Instead, help people understand the transformation that can happen when they give to their church.
4. Make giving fun. While people need to grow in disciplined, pre-planned giving, they also need to become spontaneous givers. Do not fight against our technology-dependent culture; redeem it. Enable your people to give in a moment’s notice on their phone. Generosity by LifeWay turns smartphones into offering plates and storage units into giving opportunities. How? Check out all the options available.
Read the full blog and get additional resources for inspiring generosity here.