What are the Values of Generosity?

Compassion, caring, and empathy come to mind for me. Gratitude is another. If you look up the synonyms for generous, there are many more.

Generosity means freely giving or sharing the things you value— material possessions, money, time, or even love and giving without the thought of reward or reciprocation. But instead for the sheer joy of giving.

How Do We Teach Generosity?

There is a lot of information on teaching children the values of generosity. But how do we teach adults and newcomers to our congregations about giving and generosity?

Well, it turns out much the same way.

5 Principles to Teach Generosity

1. Modeling

Do it yourself – Children learn by watching and copying what you do. The same principle applies in church. If we want to teach it, we need to model it. People need to experience and witness generosity happening in real-time.

I work in fundraising, so I experience giving and generosity all the time. But really, what opportunities does the average layperson have to witness giving? We hear about famous philanthropists giving in the metaverse and maybe in our own communities for local campaigns.

When was the last time you heard people talking about how much they gave in a year or last month? We pass the offering plate, but since the inception of online giving…unless we make a point of grabbing a card that says, ‘I give online,’ and placing it in the offering plate…when do we witness financial giving in the church?

So, you have to find a way to demonstrate the act of giving and gratitude to your congregation.

2. Testimonies & Recognition

Talk about it – I think this is where we really struggle in the church. We feel bad talking about money, and we believe we shouldn’t. We need to get past that mindset, point out when others are generous, and highlight how God is generous with us. God’s generosity with us is the very reason we should be generous with others.

Testimonials of giving and gratitude can be very powerful. Don’t just focus on large givers either; focus on regular and first-time givers. Faithful giving is a powerful testimony.

3. Practice it – experience the joy of giving

Be actively creating and looking for opportunities to help your congregation practice generosity and doing things for others. Giving time is part of generosity, so make sure you are also creating opportunities for people to volunteer their time and talent.

You can read my article on Volunteer Recruiting to get some ideas on presenting volunteering opportunities to your congregation.

4. Being Grateful

At the heart of giving is being grateful. Learning to be thankful sounds easy. And it is. Until you have to put some skin in the game and actually give something back in gratitude, that seems to be where some of us fall short.

Understanding Christian Stewardship in the context of gratitude means giving. It means being grateful for what we receive (blessings) and then giving back in response to those blessings.

So, teach your children to give in gratitude when they are young. Teach your congregations to be grateful for their blessings and to give in response.

5. Wisdom is part of generosity

Being wise with your time and finances is a biblical principle. Society is more leveraged than we have ever been, and the statistics on debt are staggering. Many in our congregations need help with their finances. Don’t be afraid to talk about it. You might be surprised at the response you get. You could even go as far as to offer some budgeting and money management seminars. But make giving part of that conversation and teaching.

Make sure you also explain that God rewards faithful and cheerful givers. You don’t have to delve into the prosperity gospel here, but I really don’t think we talk about the blessings of faithful giving enough. There is a blessing in giving, and new-to-church Christians need to hear that through testimonials and teaching from the scriptures.

Conclusion

If you want to teach generosity to anyone, children or adults, you have to make it a part of your everyday life and conversation. You have to live and breathe it on a regular basis. Otherwise, it is token charity…and the world already has enough of that. I believe the church can do better than that.

Giving and gratitude are central to a Christian life. It gives us a road map on how to live our lives, and living a life of blessing begins with being a blessing. And it’s not just about money. Giving is about giving whatever you have to glorify God.

People get hung up on how much to give. I have been asked more times than I can count, “Is the 10% tithe on the amount before or after taxes?” To which I often mutter under my breath and think, honestly, if you did either, it would likely be more than most are giving right now. And that’s true.

But the truth is, God loves a cheerful, happy giver. God doesn’t want us to give begrudgingly or because we feel like we must. God wants us to give out of the gratefulness of living and reaping the blessings of a Christian life.

Schedule a call today, and let’s see how I can help you!

Michelle has over 20 years of experience in fundraising and non-profit development both as a consultant and as part of an executive team. With a Master of Arts degree in Philanthropy & Development from Saint Mary’s University in Minnesota, Michelle has both theoretical and practical experience in fundraising. As an author, consultant and public speaker, with a specialty in faith-based fundraising, Michelle is driven by a passion to help organizations large and small like yours achieve their fundraising and strategic goals.