Leading Ideas "People Want to Attend a Generous Church | Leading Between Memory and Vision" from Lewis Center for Church Leadership from The Wesley Theological Seminary of Washington, D.C., United States for Wednesday, October 26, 2016
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People Want to Attend a Generous Church by Tom Berlin, Leading IdeasTom Berlin, pastor of Floris UMC in Herndon, Virginia, says that for Christians to become generous, they need the help of a church that itself is generous. Congregations that embody their belief in the generosity and the abundance of God inspire those who want to be part of something bigger and do something more than they can do on their own.
I am convinced that people want to attend a generous church. For Christians to become generous, they need the teachings of Christ related to love, money, and compassion as those teachings apply to everyday life. They need the examples of other believers. They need to learn how to manage money so they will have resources to give others. Most importantly, however, I have come to realize that Christians need the help of a church that itself is generous.
When a church focuses on sharing the gospel message of salvation, then giving becomes a joy and not a hardship. When a church blesses the poor and vulnerable, then people are excited to join that mission. For generous people, the combination of intentionality of ministry, demonstrated results, communication, and trust is a powerful incentive to give. These generous Christians don’t just want to give to a church. They want to be a part of something bigger and do something more than they can do on their own. They want to make a difference in the world, in the name of Christ. That is why they give their time, talent, and money to churches that demonstrate generosity.
When a church lives generously — caring about the hungry, housing the homeless, ministering to the sick and grieving — then even people who are not members will spread the word about its good work.
Think about what happens when a church lives the generous life that Jesus described as the kingdom of God. Such churches have a mindset of abundance. When they do not have money, they assume it can be raised if the importance of their endeavor is properly explained. If they don’t have enough volunteers, they find ways to widen the search by asking people in the community who may not even attend their church. If a member feels called to start a new ministry, they encourage the member rather than offering reasons it won’t work.
Generous churches believe that when God gives a vision, resources will follow. They are willing to endure the discomfort of the time between identifying what they need and receiving what God will offer. Like the children of Israel in the desert, they would prefer to have all the provision for the journey up front, but they are content to pick up the manna day by day, learning to trust that God will not forget their needs as they follow God’s will.
The generous church is a place where people want to participate. Being part of such a church is exciting, because something important is always at stake. If you don’t show up for worship, you may miss a glimpse of God’s grace coming into the world. If you don’t give, a child may go hungry. If you don’t volunteer, someone may not learn about Jesus or find an affordable home. As the church, we must do what Jesus did. We must, out of generosity, find ways to heal the spiritual, physical, economic, and social illnesses of the local community and the world community.
If we don’t live generously, faith becomes a form of spiritual narcissism. The church’s focus is only on its members and can become especially focused on members who are the most vocal about their needs and disappointments. These are the very people most likely to hold a mindset of scarcity, believing that we must keep all we have for fear that we might lose our life as a congregation. Driven by this fear, we decide that money cannot be spent, ministry cannot be undertaken, people should not be made uncomfortable or challenged. It takes very little time to identify a congregation that doesn’t live generously.
By contrast, when we are selfless and live out the gospel, the church becomes a lamp set high on a stand, bringing light to the community. When a church lives generously—caring about the hungry, housing the homeless, ministering to the sick and grieving—then even people who are not members will spread the word about its good work.
When people hear stories about the many forms of generosity the church displays, they are curious and interested. Suddenly evangelism isn’t a theological dueling match with spiritual doubters; it is sharing an experience and a community that enriches its members’ lives. For most people, it’s easy to argue with beliefs, but it’s hard to argue with generous love, expressed in many ways by a community of people who hold the teaching of Christ in common. Generosity turns the church inside out.
This article is adapted from The Generous Church (2016, Abingdon Press) and is part of the Defying Gravity resources published by Abingdon Press. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The Generous Church is available through Cokesbury and Amazon.
Related Resources
- Cultivate Generosity through Thankful Living by Sharron Blezard
- Nine Ways Generosity Leads to Healthier and More Purposeful Living by Ann A. Michel
- Theology of Stewardship and Biblical Generosity Video Tool Kit
Read more.
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Leading Between Memory and Vision by Lovett H. Weems, Jr., Leading Ideas
Lovett H. Weems, Jr., explains that God’s leaders always live in the tension between memory of the past and hope for the future. Effective leaders draw from the heritage of faith to point toward a new vision of where God is calling us in the future.
Church leaders stand today between a past that is gone and a future awaiting its consummation. God’s leaders are deeply steeped in the memory of God’s great acts in history, in one’s denomination, and in one’s congregation. At the same time, however, God has placed them in a present context that poses many challenges. In truth, this has always been the stance from which God’s people lead. Biblical accounts of the Babylonian exile offer lessons to today’s church leaders living in the tension between a confident past and the still-unfolding promise of God’s future.
It is not enough for leaders to name the crisis, identify the problems, and document the failures. Leaders draw from the heritage of faith to point with hope toward a new vision of what God has for us.
The exile experience reflected in Isaiah (Chapters 40-55) began when King Nebuchadnezzar exiled King Jehoiachin and 10,000 other leaders from Judah. It continued through the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem in 587 BCE and two more deportations. The exile lasted approximately 60 years, until King Cyrus of Persia ended the Babylonian Empire in 539 BCE.
Exile was much more than geographic dislocation. It called into question all secure sources of meaning. It was a social, cultural, psychological, and spiritual dislocation. It was a traumatic experience. According to Ralph W. Klein, exilic Israel was “a defeated nation that had lost its independence, its land, its monarchy, and its temple.” But, Klein continues, “the theological challenges and problems strike us as much more severe.” The Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. The end of the Davidic dynasty was a theological problem. In short, says Klein, “almost all of the old symbol systems had been rendered useless. Almost all of the old institutions no longer functioned.” What kind of future was possible for people in such a situation?
Exile as Metaphor for the Dilemma and a Model for Response
Walter Brueggemann sees exile as a helpful metaphor for the situation of mainline churches today. “The mainline Christian tale has run out in exile….” The “ideology of empire” that once fit such churches no longer fits. The exile image is more appropriate.
Bruce Birch speaks of people of faith always living and serving between memory and vision. Isaiah reflects both of these dimensions. Memory is captured in the call to “look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you.” (Isaiah 51:1b-2a, NRSV). Yet the forward pull of God’s vision is seen also. “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:19a, NRSV).
God’s people must always choose among alternative responses. Some unproductive choices include: 1) focusing only on memory and losing sight of today’s challenges in nostalgia for the past; 2) focusing only on vision so that the current context becomes the only point of reference and our efforts become rootless and without focus. Even less attractive are times when a church has neither a great sense of their faith history nor a passion to meet present needs. Such congregations end up simply trying to maintain themselves. Birch calls this “settling for survival.” It often leads to death, though normally it is slow, a kind of death on the installment plan.
What Does This Mean for Leadership?
It is not enough for leaders to name the crisis, identify the problems, and document the failures. Leaders draw from the heritage of faith to point with hope toward a new vision of what God has for us. Without such a rooted searching for the “new thing” that God is doing, there can be no hope. Without hope, there can be no energy for transformation.This hope comes not from a nostalgic return to the empire days of a culture gone or going. Neither does it come from adopting values alien to God’s revelation in Christ. The hope that can lead from weariness to energy is rooted in a God who brings resurrection from death, hope from despair, love from hate, and forgiveness from revenge.
Cornel West speaks of “subversive joy.” It is the joy of a people suffering from many things but who possess a joy that makes no logical sense to the world. This joy in the midst of exilic problems is grounded in a source that is not seen but has the power to liberate us from where we are to where God would have us be.
God’s leaders proclaim God’s coming new age even when signs are not always apparent. This new era will be related to what we have been in the past but will be different. God’s leaders help all the people of God write a new chapter for our time in the rich story of God’s people who have always lived between memory and vision.
Sources cited:
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Leading Between Memory and Vision by Lovett H. Weems, Jr., Leading IdeasLovett H. Weems, Jr., explains that God’s leaders always live in the tension between memory of the past and hope for the future. Effective leaders draw from the heritage of faith to point toward a new vision of where God is calling us in the future.
Church leaders stand today between a past that is gone and a future awaiting its consummation. God’s leaders are deeply steeped in the memory of God’s great acts in history, in one’s denomination, and in one’s congregation. At the same time, however, God has placed them in a present context that poses many challenges. In truth, this has always been the stance from which God’s people lead. Biblical accounts of the Babylonian exile offer lessons to today’s church leaders living in the tension between a confident past and the still-unfolding promise of God’s future.
It is not enough for leaders to name the crisis, identify the problems, and document the failures. Leaders draw from the heritage of faith to point with hope toward a new vision of what God has for us.
The exile experience reflected in Isaiah (Chapters 40-55) began when King Nebuchadnezzar exiled King Jehoiachin and 10,000 other leaders from Judah. It continued through the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem in 587 BCE and two more deportations. The exile lasted approximately 60 years, until King Cyrus of Persia ended the Babylonian Empire in 539 BCE.
Exile was much more than geographic dislocation. It called into question all secure sources of meaning. It was a social, cultural, psychological, and spiritual dislocation. It was a traumatic experience. According to Ralph W. Klein, exilic Israel was “a defeated nation that had lost its independence, its land, its monarchy, and its temple.” But, Klein continues, “the theological challenges and problems strike us as much more severe.” The Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. The end of the Davidic dynasty was a theological problem. In short, says Klein, “almost all of the old symbol systems had been rendered useless. Almost all of the old institutions no longer functioned.” What kind of future was possible for people in such a situation?
Exile as Metaphor for the Dilemma and a Model for Response
Walter Brueggemann sees exile as a helpful metaphor for the situation of mainline churches today. “The mainline Christian tale has run out in exile….” The “ideology of empire” that once fit such churches no longer fits. The exile image is more appropriate.
Bruce Birch speaks of people of faith always living and serving between memory and vision. Isaiah reflects both of these dimensions. Memory is captured in the call to “look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you.” (Isaiah 51:1b-2a, NRSV). Yet the forward pull of God’s vision is seen also. “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:19a, NRSV).
God’s people must always choose among alternative responses. Some unproductive choices include: 1) focusing only on memory and losing sight of today’s challenges in nostalgia for the past; 2) focusing only on vision so that the current context becomes the only point of reference and our efforts become rootless and without focus. Even less attractive are times when a church has neither a great sense of their faith history nor a passion to meet present needs. Such congregations end up simply trying to maintain themselves. Birch calls this “settling for survival.” It often leads to death, though normally it is slow, a kind of death on the installment plan.
What Does This Mean for Leadership?
It is not enough for leaders to name the crisis, identify the problems, and document the failures. Leaders draw from the heritage of faith to point with hope toward a new vision of what God has for us. Without such a rooted searching for the “new thing” that God is doing, there can be no hope. Without hope, there can be no energy for transformation.This hope comes not from a nostalgic return to the empire days of a culture gone or going. Neither does it come from adopting values alien to God’s revelation in Christ. The hope that can lead from weariness to energy is rooted in a God who brings resurrection from death, hope from despair, love from hate, and forgiveness from revenge.
Cornel West speaks of “subversive joy.” It is the joy of a people suffering from many things but who possess a joy that makes no logical sense to the world. This joy in the midst of exilic problems is grounded in a source that is not seen but has the power to liberate us from where we are to where God would have us be.
God’s leaders proclaim God’s coming new age even when signs are not always apparent. This new era will be related to what we have been in the past but will be different. God’s leaders help all the people of God write a new chapter for our time in the rich story of God’s people who have always lived between memory and vision.
Sources cited:
- Bruce C. Birch, Let Justice Roll Down, Westminster John Knox, 1991
- Walter Brueggemann, Cadences of Home: Preaching among Exiles, Westminster John Knox, 1997
- Ralph W. Klein, Israel in Exile, Fortress, 1979.
Related Resources
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The Right Question
Leaders do not need answers. Leaders must have the right questions.
Often after tragedies in which many are killed, including from natural disasters, there will be reports coming long after the event about how many bodies of victims have not yet been claimed. A question that might bring this closer to home is to ask these questions:
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Ten Days until "Discovering God's Future for Your Church" Conference and Live Stream -- Register Now
November 5, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Eastern, Washington, DC
What next faithful step is God calling your church to take? At the Discovering God's Future for Your Church Conference and Live Stream, you will learn how to discern God's vision for your congregation -- a step-by-step process for considering the strengths, challenges, and people that God has given you both in your church and in your community. Register now. Also, save when you preorder Discovering God's Future for Your Church, a turn-key tool kit that helps your congregation discern and implement God's vision for its future.
- Becoming More of What We Have Been by Mary Alice Cunningham
- Your Church’s Creation Story by Tom Berlin
- Take the Next Step: Leading Lasting Change in the Church by Lovett H. Weems, Jr.
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The Right Question
Leaders do not need answers. Leaders must have the right questions.
Often after tragedies in which many are killed, including from natural disasters, there will be reports coming long after the event about how many bodies of victims have not yet been claimed. A question that might bring this closer to home is to ask these questions:
- Who are the people in our community who, if they died, might have no one to claim their bodies?
- Do we know their names?
- Do we have any connection with them?
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Ten Days until "Discovering God's Future for Your Church" Conference and Live Stream -- Register Now November 5, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Eastern, Washington, DC
What next faithful step is God calling your church to take? At the Discovering God's Future for Your Church Conference and Live Stream, you will learn how to discern God's vision for your congregation -- a step-by-step process for considering the strengths, challenges, and people that God has given you both in your church and in your community. Register now. Also, save when you preorder Discovering God's Future for Your Church, a turn-key tool kit that helps your congregation discern and implement God's vision for its future.
Learn more now.
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Quotable Leadership:
The most fragile thing in the world is a new idea because it can be killed with silence.[Andrés Duany]
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A New Way to View Small Church Vitality
Small church expert Dr. Lew Parks describes five indices of health and vitality for small to mid-sized congregations that contribute to "dynamic equilibrium." Read "To the Point: A New Way to View Small Church Vitality" now. -------
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Quotable Leadership:
The most fragile thing in the world is a new idea because it can be killed with silence.[Andrés Duany]
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A New Way to View Small Church VitalitySmall church expert Dr. Lew Parks describes five indices of health and vitality for small to mid-sized congregations that contribute to "dynamic equilibrium." Read "To the Point: A New Way to View Small Church Vitality" now. -------
Editors: Dr. Ann A. Michel and Dr. Lovett H. Weems, Jr.
Lewis Center for Church Leadership of Wesley Theological Seminary
Connect with the Lewis Center:
Lewis Center for Church Leadership
Lewis Center for Church Leadership of Wesley Theological Seminary
Connect with the Lewis Center:
Lewis Center for Church Leadership
Wesley Theological Seminary
4500 Massachusetts Avenue NorthWest
Washington, D.C. 20016, United States
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