5 Signs Your Church is Ready for a Generosity Initiative

2 min read

Jun 15, 2021 2:19:52 PM

The Purpose of a Generosity Initiative

Before we address some of the signs you might be ready for a generosity initiative, let’s address one essential topic. At Generis, we believe that the primary reason for a generosity initiative is to grow your people spiritually. Our giving can transform us in ways that nothing else can. Every other reason is after this one. We confuse our people when we, even unintentionally, send the message that the reason you give is to fund the ministry of our church. That is the effect of what happens when we grow God’s people in the grace of generosity. Not the reason for it.

Growing Givers’ Hearts

The people in our churches are spiritually malnourished when it comes to money and possessions. If we are going to be serious about making disciples, we have to be committed to addressing all the areas of discipleship. Teaching in the area of money and possessions is the most neglected one. A generosity initiative is a great opportunity to bring it to the forefront. Growing givers’ hearts changes their giving.

Spiritually developed givers are discerning. So we, as church leaders, have to make sure there is something worthy of their giving. Part of being a good steward is to give it to places where it will be used well.

5 Indications That It’s Time for a Generosity Initiative

What are some of the signs that we might have a worthy cause for a generosity initiative?

Reconfiguring buildings and technology for new realities: As you begin to think what ministry might look like in a post-COVID world, you might conclude that you need to reconfigure your space. There could be any number of reasons for that. The longer it has been since you last updated your buildings, the more likely it is that they will be out of date as we move out of the pandemic.

Needs that were exacerbated by COVID: Your church had ministry needs before te pandemic started and those needs are not only still there, they have gotten bigger.

New updated/refreshed vision: The pastors of many churches are starting to think about the vision of ministry in a post-COVID world. For some, it might include a reconfiguration of a number of areas of ministry and a new level of financial investment.

Reinvigorating givers: Over the last 16 months, many churches have stabilized their giving but they have lost givers in the process. In other words, the very committed givers are doing more. While this is good for now, it is not sustainable. The lack of in-person gatherings has left many churches wondering, “Who is still with us?” A generosity initiative around a compelling need might be a good way of re-engaging your givers.

Expanding ministry: For some churches, they do not see a need for a whole new vision of ministry, but they do see a need for expanding existing ministries that have been working well and need more capacity. Church people love it when they see something that is having great impact and the church wants to multiply it.

Those are some of the outward signs of why a church might consider doing a generosity campaign of some kind over the next six to 12 months. But the most important reason is that, if done properly, a generosity initiative can be a time of significant spiritual renewal for a church. Is it time for your church to consider one?

Get Connected with Generis

Our team of Generosity Strategist have helped hundreds of churches move the needle on Generosity for over three decades.

We’d love to offer you a free strategy session.

During this time, we can learn more about your church and how we can help you build a culture that embraces generosity like never before.