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Giving REALLY is Better than Receiving!
“Human generosity, far from being a thin veneer of cultural conditioning atop a Machiavellian core, may turn out to be a bedrock feature of human nature,†concluded UC-Santa Barbara psychologists in a recent study. Writing in Scientific American, author Maria Konnikova cites research supporting that it is more blessed to give than to receive. (Photo: Asenat29, Creative Commons)
Does Your Congregation Celebrate Generosity as a Way of Life?
Author Tim Shapiro suggests six measures for whether your congregation is celebrating and cultivating generosity as a way of life. How is your congregation stewarding the call to help people develop lives of deep faith and generosity? (Photo: taxcredits.net, Creative Commons)
The Spiritual Practice of Generosity
If generosity is how we honor and express human value, than any act of kindness counts in the bigger picture. We can all be kind. We can all be generous. This is one of the key teachings of all the world’s religions. So we decided to look into our databases of quotes collected from our reading and see what teachers of our times and earlier ones have said about the spiritual practice of generosity. Read this assortment of quotes and observations, share them, and make them a part of your own development. (Photo: Bert Haymans, Creative Commons)
How Generous is Your City?
The Barna Group recently released information about the 50 most generous cities in America. Check out whether your hometown made the list! (Photo: Photo © jovannig – Fotolia.com)
What if the Church Tithed?
What a wonderful world it could be if our hearts and eyes were in sync! This article offers some good food for thought about how tithing could make a real difference if the entire Church decided to do it. (Photo: Evan Jackson, Creative Commons)
The Abundant Life
Lectionary Reflection for the 24th Sunday after Pentecost, Year B, November 8, 2015
This week’s readings bring us glimpses of two widows: two women on the margins who nonetheless manage to see abundance rather than scarcity. To first century audiences, their situations would have appeared hopeless and their choices absurd—give away all your money or share your last bit of food with a stranger. How will our congregants hear these stories today? (Photo: olearys, Creative Commons)
Stone Soup Stewardship
Here’s a wonderful reflection by Kimberlee Cloutier-Blazzard employing the familiar “stone soup” story as an entrance into discussion about stewardship, sharing, and community building. It’s a perfect option for your Thanksgiving service, for a children’s time, or for a discussion-starter with your youth or adult study group. (Photo: shawndwturner, Creative Commons)
Sharing the Gift
Here’s an interview with the director of the documentary film GIFT, about the gift economy. On the rise in secular culture, the notion of “gift” has long been a principle of faith communities. How might we encourage and heighten awareness of how our congregations can participate in the gift culture? After all, we are all […]
Cultivating a Mindset of Generosity
Is it possible to cultivate a mindset within our congregations and institutions that would reframe the stresses of the budgeting and fundraising season? Could a “sharing†mindset open up more creativity and decrease the feeling of fighting for scarce resources? The mindset I have in mind is “generosity,†writes David Odom, executive director, Leadership Education at Duke Divinity School.
A “Path” to More Effective Giving
Although not a “churchy” article, Wharton Management Professor Adam Grant’s interview with Nicholas Kristof about a “path” to more effective giving is sure to spark some ideas about how to ignite congregants’ passion for ministry and mission opportunities. (Photo: opensource.com, Creative Commons)
