Welcome to Generosity Matters! My mission: to accelerate generosity in ministry. This is accomplished through Generosity Audits, ministry expansion projects, stewardship and annual giving initiatives, capital campaigns, non-profit fundraising and planned giving. Let's begin a conversation...

In my previous post I talked about the shift to mobile communication and the need for churches to pay attention—and act—on that shift. I suspect many of you reacted with a phrase heard in middle school hallways and mall food courts: WhatEVER, dude. 

But REALLY. Your church can do this mobile thing . . . and that “can” borders on “must.” 

But . . . what about the cost?

Keep in mind that there’s a big difference between a mobile app and a mobile-friendly website. Apps can be cost-prohibitive, but even if you have the financial resources to develop one, they can be time-intensive as well. Apps require time and attention to themselves; in other words, updating a mobile app creates yet another to-do on your list. Who wants that? In comparison, mobile versions of websites automatically update when you update the regular web version.  

Aren’t apps “cooler”? Read more »

There’s been an interesting shift in our social landscape over the last few years. When people are made to wait—at the doctor’s office, restaurant, coffee shop, or even stoplights (unfortunately)—they rarely just sit and twiddle their thumbs. Instead, you’ll see these waiting areas filled with people with their heads bowed and attention focused entirely on their screens.  

You've done it, right? Checked sport scores and movie times. Cleared Facebook and Twitter notifications. Browsed Craig’s List. Played solitaire. Searched for directions. Checked email. Googled some random question about something or other.  Maybe even caught up on the latest episode of your favorite sitcom.  Read more »

In a couple of recent posts, I’ve introduced the idea of a perspective shift from giving to something (building campaigns, mission projects, and so on) to giving from something. When I talk about giving from, I’m not talking about our checking accounts or retirement funds; rather, I’m talking about heart and head issues. Specifically, there are three general categories of “froms”: the shoulds, the cans, and the want tos.

THE SHOULDS

As followers of Christ, we should be offering financial support to God’s work. Here’s the trouble: motivation that comes from finger wagging and guilt-inducing “should” lectures lasts for only a short time. Instead of lecturing, then, it’s our responsibility to introduce new language. Your invitation to participate in the offering is a great time for some succinct teaching:

1. We acknowledge God’s ownership of all we have, and so we give from an understanding that everything we have belongs to God. Read more »

In an earlier post (See Stories - Part 2: Normalizing the Conversation), I briefly mentioned a critical paradigm shift related to our conversations about generosity in the church: shifting our thinking from giving TO to giving FROM. For the next couple of weeks, we’re going to take a deep dive into that idea.

For so long, we’ve talked about giving to church budgets, building campaigns, mission projects, special Christmas offerings, and more. Granted, identifying specific needs and inviting people to participate in meeting those needs can be effective. However, to develop a true culture of generosity—to help people move along the Discipleship Path of Generosity—it’s helpful to turn our thinking inside out. Read more »