A Revolution In Generosity

"Give over $100 today and get this personalized state-of-the-art fountain pen free!" "Become a gold sponsor and your name wll be featured on our exclusive Wall of Fame!" "Send in your donation by December 31st and enjoy the benefits of giving on your next tax return!" Who hasn't heard fundraising gimmicks like these? Or, who hasn't used these gimmicks on others? As Wes Willmer writes, generosity is the natural outcome of God's transforming work in individuals when they are conformed to the image of Christ. Fundraising and giving are not simply drops in the bucket. Capital campaigns and raising funds go deeper than the money. They are spiritual activities in becoming more like Christ. A Revolution in Generosity is a work by some of the best scholars and practitioners on the subject of funding Christian organizations. As Willmer writes, "The foundation for realizing a revolution in generosity is understanding the biblical view of possessions, generosity, and asking for resources." With over twenty expert contributors, this book is a must-read for organizations striving to rid themselves of secular, asking practices and gain an eternal approach.

Have you ever heard a story about someone who lived a radically generous life, and wished you had the faith and ability to live that way? I believe each of us can, and are actually called, to live with our financial lives centered around generosity. In The Generosity Revolution you will find ten challenging and practical steps that you can begin to implement in your life today. From untethering your heart from the world, to saving consistently, to changing how you pray this book will help unhinder you so that you can be more generous than you ever thought possible. Generosity is not just for the rich; it is for everyone-including you. Are you ready? Let's get started!

God’s purpose in calling us to lives of faithful stewardship and generosity isn’t merely to sustain the church. Rather, the continued existence of the church is essential to sustain the powerful, transformative message of our faith. Lovett H. Weems Jr. and Ann A. Michel present the Bible’s redeeming and transforming message of generosity, stewardship, and abundance in this comprehensive guide to Christian financial responsibility. The book provides practical advice to pastors and church leaders tasked with funding ministry and inspiring others toward responsible stewardship and greater generosity. It addresses church fundraising, stewardship campaigns, budgets, financing capital needs, endowments, and innovative approaches to economic sustainability. The book integrates the theological and practical dimensions of finance to empower congregational leaders to think critically about stewardship from a Christian perspective, help them use their personal and congregational possessions in the light of faith.

Generosity: The Righteous Path to Divine Blessing answers the question of why so many Christians cheat themselves out of God's blessing on their lives by being so stingy with their money? Why is it that the average Christian gives less than 3% of his income to religious and humanitarian causes? Why is it that the average Jewish person gives more than twice as much of his financial increase to charity as the average Christian does? The answers will probably surprise--and may well shock--you! God has set out a righteous path to divine blessing that anyone can walk. This is the narrow way of generosity, the gift of giving that every Christian should manifest continually. It's really quite simple when you choose to do what Jesus said, "Give and you shall receive." Here are some of the challenging and inspiring truths that Generosity: The Righteous Path to Divine Blessing will confirm for you: The Motive for Generosity, The Medium of Generosity, Treasure in the Bank of Heaven, Wealth and the Kingdom of God, Poverty Gospel/Prosperity Gospel, The Blessing of Health and Prosperity. As you read this volume, you will be reconnected with the Hebraic foundations of the Christian faith as they relate to the subjects of money, giving, health, and prosperity. You will be amazed as you discover the secure, balanced positions that God's Word has always taught on these important subjects. Then you will have the freedom to give joyfully and to receive abundantly God's promised provisions of health and prosperity. Get ready for a revolution in your life--and an amazing blessing when you learn to do God's thing God's way.

Struggling to survive...or able to dream big dreams?A slave to debt...or pursuing your God-designed purpose? Which of these sounds more like you? What will make the difference in YOUR LIFE? Provision. We can all agree that having enough provision for the things we need in life isessential.But do you really understand the POWER of provision?Gary Keesee wants to make it easy.In this fourth installment of the "Your Financial Revolution" series, Gary uncovers one of the most significant components of his success and the success of others, and another CRITICAL secret of the Kingdom of God: The Power of Provision!Learn: The FIVE BASIC STEPS you can take to receive the provision you need.The importance of faith and how you can tell when you're not in faith.How procrastination can be deadly. If you can believe to win the lottery (yes, this really is in here). And much more!Join Gary on this eye-opening journey, and discover how to implement the Power of Provision in your life!

The general practices related to church funding aren’t producing the same results they have in the past. There is a general acceptance that something has changed but little talk or interest is coming from traditional church leader training sources such as denominational entities and seminaries. Pastors are largely left to their own devices to “figure this out.” They need a lifeline. While some churches are experiencing exponential growth, some churches - despite their best efforts - have been unsuccessful at moving beyond survival mode. Coupled with increased competition from other nonprofits and a decline in the commitment to give to the church first, churches risk losing the funding they need. A growing number of leaders are beginning to discover there is another way and are struggling to understand what makes one church generous and another not. There is a need in the market to offer a simple, working definition of “generosity” and reveal the “secrets” some church leaders seem to have simply stumbled upon which are resulting in unexplainable ministry growth and unprecedented church funding even in the midst of tough economic times. The content of this material was developed and refined by Jim Sheppard and Chris Willard through years of ministry leadership in the local church, consulting with church leaders across a broad spectrum of church settings, and through participation in and leadership of the Generous Church Leadership Community facilitated by Leadership Network. Of particular benefit will be the collection of observations and best practices gleaned during the Generous Church Leadership Community that originated within real-life church leadership situations and scenarios by highlighting specific challenges, methods, and successes.

With all of the books written on stewardship and all of the workshops offered; why do churches continue to struggle with questions and issues of financial giving? The answer is in the church's leadership. A revolution of generosity will only occur as pastors, financial chairs and stewardship chairs live and give witness to the importance of generosity in their personal lives and then intentionally recruit and train others to join the revolution. Leading a revolution in generosity is not about simply using the right program or reading the right book or preaching the right sermon; a revolution of generosity is about embracing, living and leading others on a journey of gratitude, prayer and faith. Generosity Rising instructs pastors on whom to recruit and how to recruit them, offering practical guidelines for training a dedicated team of “generosity revolutionaries.” This book also provides daily devotionals for leaders to inspire, motivate and encourage their personal journey of gratitude, prayer and faith.

We know it's important to be generous. But it can be hard to know what healthy stewardship looks like in our families and churches. What if God has deeper and richer lessons to teach us about what it means to live generously? Ignite Your Generosity will help you see your resources of time, talents and treasures in a fresh, God-honoring way. A twenty-one-day devotional, this book is now expanded with a four-week small group guide that is perfect for both individual and church use. Every day's reading features an engaging story, Scripture for further study and personal reflection questions to grow in the area of stewardship. Begin your journey of pursuing generosity God's way. Discover the joy and fulfillment that comes from a life of giving freely to his plans and purposes.