Multiply
July 8, 2016
I am passionate about calling and equipping people of faith to be financially fit so they can live the generous life and help to fund the fulfillment of the Great Commission. I believe the generous life is reflected in the character and nature of God (Jn 3:16). My goal for this blog is to encourage you (and me) to work hard, plan well, invest wisely and live generously.
There are two primary reasons why I am passionate about calling people to live the generous life.
The first reason is because I believe it has been, and still is, the best way to fund the mission of the church. I have had the privilege of consulting with many churches in the area of stewardship and fund development. And what I have discovered is that many people today are not living up to their giving potential. For example, take the average household income for the communities represented in your local church times 10% times the number of giving units in your local church (number of people/households who regularly attend your local church) and compare that amount with your current general fund giving. In my experience the average church is only receiving about 40% – 60% of their people’s giving potential. There are a lot of reasons for this below average giving which I’ll discuss in future blogs.
The second reason I am passionate about calling people to live the generous life is because I believe it is the key to experiencing God’s blessing and favor. Now before you draw the wrong conclusion, I’m not talking about a “health, wealth, prosperity gospel” where believers perceive God’s blessing as a right or something we deserve simply because we are “Christians.” Quite frankly I’m so glad God doesn’t give me what I deserve. But I do believe there is a high degree of correlation between humble obedience in this area of living the generous life and our experiencing God’s blessing and favor. This is something I will also share more about in future blogs.
All I know is that many of our churches, and the people who attend them, would benefit greatly if more of us would commit to live the generous life. According to information posted on the GenerousGiving.com website, 80% of the worlds evangelical wealth is in North America and the total represents more than enough to fund the fulfillment of the Great Commission (by-the-way you should check out this website sometime). So we know the resources have been provided and are available. GenerousGiving.com also reveals that more than half of the people living on the planet today do not know Jesus Christ as their personal savior. I’m guessing at least some of these people live in your community (mine too). In spite of the difficult economic times we are facing today, I believe we can and must do better. So what do you think?
Keep giving!
