Download this trailer from Vimeo
Think about the most generous person you know.
Their generosity is admirable, don’t you think? It may not necessarily be a generosity with money—although it usually overflows into that, even when financial resources are meagre. It’s a generosity of spirit that shines through in their hospitality, their conversation, and the way they use their time. It’s big-heartedness. And it’s beautiful.
But it’s also somewhat rare, even—sadly—in our churches. We can all think of that one person because they stand out.
This shortage of generosity is evident in how hard some churches find it to convince members to give their time, effort and expertise to ministries. It’s obvious in the struggle many churches have to meet a basic operating budget, despite the income profile of their membership suggesting that it should be easier. And it’s stark in our own hearts as we rationalize our personal greed.
The conviction underlying The Generosity Project is that in British, Australian and even North American churches, the culture of generosity is weak. We don’t talk about it, we aren’t excited by it, and there is precious little evidence that we are driven by it.
It’s a problem we can and should address—and not, we hasten to add, just to improve the bottom line of our church budgets. Generosity is a basic fruit of the godly Christian life. It’s a glad and joyful response to the grace of God in the gospel. If generosity is weak, then something is weak in the spiritual heart of God’s people.
What is The Generosity Project?
The Generosity Project is a six-part teaching resource for use in small groups that stands at the centre of a larger strategy to shift the culture of generosity in our congregations. We’ve put together an integrated resource that prayerfully applies the word of God to people’s hearts so that, by God’s power and grace, they might arrive at: Now, seeing this kind of change take place will require time, persistence, prayer and a multifaceted approach. Church cultures don’t change simply by running everyone through a few Bible studies—the existing culture is usually too deep-rooted and slow-moving for that. That’s why we strongly recommend that you view The Generosity Project not as a one-off cure-all for your generosity problems, but as one central piece in a much larger effort at church culture-change. The Generosity Project does look like a book, and contains some sections of text to read, but it is not a ‘book’ in the normal sense of that word. It’s not something for someone to pick up and read on their own. It is specifically designed as an interactive resource—something you work through with others.
• a powerful, clarified understanding of what generosity is and how it grows
• a renewed, generous heart that longs to give to others
• a fresh language for talking about generosity within their congregation
• a new resolve to put all this into practice in various areas of their lives.
What’s a session like?
The resource falls into six parts that a small group would work through over six weeks. Each part contains:
An engagement with the text of Scripture, where participants dig into various Bible passages and discuss together what these texts teach about generosity.
Some teaching input that ties together the various themes emerging from Scripture, and presents the key content for that part. This input comes in two forms, a video and a printed chapter, that groups can choose between.
A final application section, where the key lessons and implications that have emerged are discussed, applied and prayed about.
Well-balanced, deeply challenging, biblically rich and unavoidably practical. I was looking for areas that may have been neglected, but failed to find any. If we are inexcusably reluctant to talk about this subject, The Generosity Project will hopefully help break this silence.
David Martin
Director, Irish Church Missions
It is excellent, highly usable, perceptive, challenging, clear, faithful and very well-produced. Its potential uses, from the individual Christian to the corporate, are very exciting.
Trevor Johnston
Minister, All Saints’ Church, Belfast
This is a long overdue note that needs striking.
Trevor Archer
London Director, FIEC UK
I found it hugely exciting thinking of the good this could do, and I will certainly make use of it.
David Gibson
Minister, Trinity Church, Aberdeen
Who needs the book?
It’s important to get a copy of The Generosity Project for every member of the group so that:
- each member can write down in one place the key biblical truths and insights that come out of the discussion and input, and then be able to reflect and pray over these in the following week
- each member can read the text summary of the teaching input at their leisure, and consolidate the ideas
- there is a shared and visible sense that you are all doing something significant together as a group and as a church—you all bring your books to the group and use them together.
Contact us
If you’d like to know more, do get in contact with one of our teams.
In the United Kingdom:
Phone orders: 0330 2233423
In Australia: Email Matthias Media AU
Phone: 1300 051 220
In North America: Email Matthias Media US
Phone:
1 866 407 4530
