Understanding and Unleashing Transformational Biblical Generosity for Christians, Churches, Communities, & Countries
Article originally hosted and shared with permission by The Christian Economic Forum, a global network of leaders who join together to collaborate and introduce strategic ideas for the spread of God’s economic principles and the goodness of Jesus Christ. This article was from a collection of White Papers compiled for attendees of the CEF’s 2019 Global Event.
by Brian Kluth
Everyone on the planet is on a generosity journey. Each person needs to be encouraged, equipped, and empowered in their faith journey to live and give generously. In today’s complex world this white paper seeks to provide practical and proven models, methods, and materials that can help leaders understand and unleash transformational biblical generosity in the hearts and lives of people everywhere.
For the sake of the readers of this white paper, I have identified and contrasted four generosity world views in the chart below. Please carefully read through these contrasting views to see which views you notice operating among people you know, in the Christian world around you, and in our larger society. I would then like to share with you 10 Ways Christians Learn to Be Generous with transferable and proven models, methods, and materials to better understand and unleash Transformational Biblical Generosity for Christians, churches, communities, and countries
Hopefully, you found the above graph insightful and helpful in recognizing the four generosity views that operate in our world and among people and leaders that you know.
10 Ways People Are Influenced to Live Generously
Now, let’s move on to how people learn to become generous. The fact is that no one is born generous when it comes to giving to God’s work. Joyful and faithful biblical giving and living is something that has to be taught and caught as part of people’s faith journeys to be all that God created them to be. Based on my experiences teaching, writing, and researching on generosity for many years, here is the link to the 5-minute training/discussion video to help you and others understand the top 10 ways people learn to become generous.
Now, let me share with you three slides to help you understand how Transformational Biblical Generositycan work among Christians of all income levels, churches of all sizes, and communities and countries anywhere in the world.
Transformational Generosity for Christians
A number of years ago, I was privileged to participate in several Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization (LCWE) meetings in Atlanta with other global leaders. During these meetings, we were trying to address the need for a generosity movement that would grow and spread across the world. The group grappled with what would need to happen to unleash biblical generosity among those they led and served. Because of my ministry travels to over 50 countries and my writing of biblical generosity materials for leaders in over 100 countries, I was especially seeking the LORD for, “What are the attributes of a generous person anywhere on planet earth?” What would be 100% true about a generous person living on $1/day in the slums of Asia, living in a small rural village in Africa, living in the suburbs of America, or living in a world class city and making millions of dollars a year? Through much prayer and group discussions, I eventually created the 7 Keys to Joyful Living & Giving teaching slide and a 7-Keys to Open-Handed Living in a Tight Fisted World 30-Day Bible devotional and free app (go to your app store and search for “joyfulgiving”). Hopefully, in this list of these seven key milestones, you will see what God did in your own faith journey to ignite in you the desire to live and give generously. Here is a link to the 8-minute training/discussion video on this topic for a grant-funded 6-session Church Generosity online course I helped develop for church leaders.
Transformational Generosity for Churches
For the past four decades, God has allowed me to help train and equip thousands of pastors and leaders in North America, Latin America, Europe, Russia, Asia, and Africa. Through these experiences and many leadership conversations, I have discovered the five practices that will allow any church of any size anywhere in the world to grow givers and giving. By building on these practices, churches will be able to INSTRUCT people in God’s Word, IGNITE people’s faith, INSPIRE generosity, and INCREASE giving. Here is a link to the 5-minute training/discussion video that goes along with the Transformation Generosity for Churches teaching slide. As you watch the video and read each of the five practices, I trust God will inspire you on ways your church can unleash biblical transformational generosity that will bless families, your congregation, your community, and even the ends of the earth. Many churches have reported experiencing double and even triple-digit giving increases by following these practices that have proven to work in any church, country, or culture.
Transformational Generosity for Communities, Cities, and even Countries!
A number of years ago, I received a personal phone call from Hugh Macellan of the Macellan Foundation. He asked if I could put together a list of Bible verses that encouraged people to live and give generously that he could share with others. So, I studied and identified 400 generosity Scriptures that I organized into a 40-Day Generosity Bible devotional. Over the years, God has used this simple 40-Day Journey to a More Generous Life Bible devotional around the world to changes people’s heads, hearts, hands, and habits when it comes to their generous giving and living. In America, thousands of churches have distributed this devotional to inspire generosity and increase giving. Around the world, the devotional has been translated into over 30 languages and been freely given out by churches on every continent.
Then, in Guatemala and in Florida, groups of churches decided to do #40DaysofGenerosity at the same time. In Guatemala, over 100 churches participated and greatly impacted communities across their country with God’s love through acts of generosity and charity. In Florida, I had the privilege of working with over 30 churches and many community groups to do #40DaysofGenerosity in the Titusville/North Brevard area. Through these initiatives, a free “givewithjoy” app was developed for Apple and Android phones along with #LoveInAction materials with #PayItForward cards and a GodsLoveforYou.com website. There are now discussions happening with leaders with MovementDay/GrandRapids and other cities, states, and countries about using the free open-source #40DaysofGenerosity customizable model, methods, and materials for their churches and communities. Here is a link to the 4-minute training/discussion video that helps provide more insights into the Transformational Generosity for Communities teaching slide. In addition, these links give insights on how God used #40DaysofGenerosity to transform lives in Guatemala and Florida.
It is my hope and prayer that these teaching models, methods, and materials instruct and inspire you personally. I also hope that the ideas presented here will help you spread biblical transformational generosity in your family, church, community, city, company, country, or culture!
Brian Kluth – Denver, Colororado