As congregational leaders, we often think about giving and generosity — or at least, we should. Congregations have mortgage payments to make and payrolls to meet, and we need money to fulfill these obligations. We need people to give generously. For some pastors, however, talking about money is uncomfortable. We don’t want people to think we are begging from the pulpit. We don’t want visitors and new members to think the church is “all about money.” So we may just say nothing and hope for the best.
One of the assumptions that holds churches back is that the value of generosity is limited to meeting the church’s obligations. Encouraging people to be generous with their money is reduced to sustaining church operations. Inviting people to be generous with their time is reduced to filling volunteer ministry positions.
As important as it is to cover the costs of ministry operations and to have chaperones at youth events, we need to look deeper to see generosity’s purpose. Generosity matters because when we are generous, we embody the nature of the divine love that created, calls and sustains us. When we pass the offering plate (or post the offertory QR code), we are inviting people into a way of life that reflects the self-giving Triune God: don’t hoard what you have, but share with others.
Generosity is about more than money, too. God expects us to be generous with our time and influence. Churches can be generous with their property. Institutions can have generous visions that compel them to create partnerships and share resources. The next time you make an appeal to your members to be generous, remember that the aim is not simply to get something from them. Generosity matters because it’s a spiritual practice through which we are molded into the cruciform image of God’s love.
Reprinted with permission from The Alban Institute at Duke University
