The Importance of Trust

Some years ago, when I led a giving campaign to raise funds for a new building at Figtree Anglican, the congregation gave magnificently. There was one gift that quite amazed me. A person in their early to mid-twenties, who was part of our young adult cohort, pledged a sum that took my breath away. Had that person given one tenth of that amount I would still have thought it was a substantial amount for a person at that stage of life. It had quite a humbling effect on me. I remember thinking to myself. ‘With such people in my congregation I must never ever betray their trust by carelessly handling the truth, improperly using the money or exhibiting some egregious moral failing.’ I don’t by any means wish to give the indication that I had no flaws or made no mistakes. Rather it just strengthened in me a desire to act honourably during life and ministry despite the pressure that pastoring can bring.

Trust is crucial in raising resources for ministry. If the people feel money will be wasted, spent for purposes not intended, or even worse, embezzled, you can kiss goodbye to any thoughts of a fruitful giving campaign.

The church that I currently attend has a Christmas appeal for a missionary building and ministry project in Southeast Asia. The ministry provides employment training for young women who have been rescued from sex trafficking. Without such help their impoverished families often resell them into the same appalling situations. The aim of the project is to double the space for training and provide safe childcare for the children of the young women. Further it is not simply a secular endeavour. The girls are told about the love of Christ that has motivated this ministry.

I asked fellow congregational member, Jill Lovell, a former missionary and current PhD student working in the area of Trust in Not-for-profits, what were some drivers that would make her support the church and specifically this project. This was just a casual conversation, not an in-depth interview but two words came immediately to her mind.

The first was ‘transparency’. She knew exactly where the money was going and what it was to be used for. Members of the ministry team regularly visit the site and bring back compelling videos of the work. In the past, earlier beneficiaries of the ministry had visited the congregation. So, we all felt a very personal connection.  Money would be spent where we were told it would be spent, and it would have life-changing results.

Her second point was ‘proximity’. This is particularly important for church leaders because it can enhance the fruit of any giving campaign or cripple it. If I give to anyone of a number of worthwhile charities, most times I have no intimate knowledge of the people involved. I don’t know the president of a wildlife organization, for example. But in the local church I generally do know the ministers. I see them every week. I listen to them preach. I experience their ministry in times of crisis. I know if they are punctual or habitually late to meetings, if they are prone to exaggeration, whether they are even tempered or given to fly off the handle. In a myriad of little personal ways, I form impressions, positive or negative, that will dictate whether and how much I will support the next church appeal.

I am pleased to note that on both of these points our church gets a big tick, and it is no surprise that the appeal generated a phenomenal response.

As someone who was in the trenches in ministry for twenty years, I know how stressful the work is and how easy it can be to be tempted to cut corners. This piece is simply a reminder that the scriptures hold us to the highest standards of integrity that will breed the trust that bears fruit.

For more on raising resources for ministry, see my book Giving Generously. givinggenerously.com/buy-the-book-2/

Deep Seek and Giving Generously

There has been a considerable amount of publicity recently given to a new Artificial Intelligence Application developed in China, called Deep Seek. My skill set in this area is negligible but I asked my son, who has great technical competence for his opinion. He in turn asked Deep Seek to review my book. This was the result.

Giving Generously by Irvine is a book that focuses on the principles and practices of generosity, particularly from a Christian perspective. The book appears to be a guide for individuals and organizations seeking to cultivate a lifestyle of giving, rooted in biblical teachings and practical advice.

Key Themes and Takeaways:

1. Biblical Foundations of Generosity: The book likely emphasizes the importance of generosity as a core value in the Christian faith, drawing on scripture to illustrate how giving is not just a financial act but a spiritual discipline.
2. Practical Guidance: It probably offers actionable steps for individuals and churches to integrate generosity into their daily lives, including budgeting, charitable giving, and supporting community initiatives.
3. Impact of Generosity: The book may explore how generosity transforms both the giver and the recipient, fostering a sense of community, purpose, and fulfillment.
4. Stories and Testimonies: It might include real-life examples or testimonies of people who have experienced the joy and blessings of living generously.
5. Challenges and Misconceptions: The book could address common barriers to generosity, such as fear, scarcity mindset, or cultural attitudes, and provide encouragement to overcome them.

Target Audience:

• Christians seeking to align their financial practices with their faith.
• Church leaders and organizations looking to inspire their congregations to give.
• Anyone interested in exploring the spiritual and practical aspects of generosity.

Strengths:

• The book seems to combine theological insights with practical advice, making it accessible and applicable to a wide audience.
• Its focus on generosity as a holistic lifestyle, rather than just a financial transaction, is likely to resonate with readers.

Potential Limitations:

• The book’s strong Christian perspective may limit its appeal to readers outside that faith tradition.
• Depending on the depth of its financial advice, readers looking for highly detailed or secular strategies for giving might find it less useful.

Overall Impression:

Giving Generously appears to be a thoughtful and inspiring resource for those looking to deepen their understanding of generosity from a faith-based perspective. If you’re interested in aligning your giving practices with biblical principles or seeking motivation to live more generously, this book could be a valuable read.

Wow this has given me some food for thought and ideas about improvement. But this is Deep Seek’s opinion. Why not buy the book and make your own judgement?

Home Page

The Measure of Generosity

Many years ago, I was listening to a sporting event that was also promoting a telethon. The presenters were commenting on the totals and urging everyone to get behind this worthy cause. Suddenly the commentators overflowed with praise for a well-known mega-rich family who had given a multimillion-dollar gift. They were effusive in their praise. They were gushing. Now it was a large gift, and I am sure that the cause was extremely pleased to get it. But I couldn’t help pondering just how generous it was.  Many ordinary church members would give $1,000 to $2,000 to a mission appeal and there would be no fanfare, but in terms of their wealth the proportion might be similar. Now I mean no disrespect to the original family. They may have been giving secretly and generously to many other causes, but it just made me pause to consider what actually is the measure of generosity.

I believe Jesus gives the answer. Luke records, chapter 21:1-4, the famous story of the widow’s mite. That is the title familiar to generations of readers of the King James Bible. Jesus observed some rich people depositing large sums into the temple treasury, whereas a poor widow placed in two mites. The word mite translates the Greek lepta, a small copper coin. For the scientifically minded there is a class of small atomic particles known as leptons to distinguish them from heavier particles. The most familiar lepton is the electron. Jesus was not giving a physics lesson. His point was that the widow’s gift was actually more substantial than that of the rich because while they had given much their wealth was substantial, but the widow gave out of her poverty with nothing over.

I often thought of this incident in my former parish of Figtree. One of my parishioners was a widow living on the pension. She had experienced considerable sadness in her family. However, far from being embittered, she was one of the most servant hearted, faithful, hospitable and generous people I know. She was greatly loved by all who knew her. She founded a Sunday School in the branch church and served on the parish council. In fact, when I proposed that we introduce the pledging system described in my book Giving Generously, (givinggenerously.com/buy-the-book-2/) she was one of the first to support the proposal. She had a heart full of the love of God.

When I wrote the book I included a chapter on teaching Generosity principles. But subsequent to publication I realized I had left one principle out. Since I live in such an affluent society this principle always makes me somewhat uncomfortable as it is areal challenge to be more generous. The principle is that ‘what we have left is the measure of generosity’.

Gospel Patroness

In 2013 John Rinehart wrote a stimulating little book called Gospel Patrons about wealthy individuals who used their financial resources to fund the ministries of famous Christian leaders. The patrons are rarely acknowledged but their generosity has had lasting influence. Another such person is Margaret Baxter nee Charlton. Margaret (1636-1681) married the famous C17 English puritan Richard Baxter (1615-1691) in 1662 despite there being a twenty-year gap in their ages. His literary output was so large that some called him ‘scribbling Dick’.  With Margaret he enjoyed a very happy union.

She had been born into wealth, but Richard was raised in humble circumstances. In ministry while Richard had had security and positions of influence, the Restoration of Charles II in 1660 meant that for most of the rest of his life, he was in dire financial straits and often persecuted by ecclesiastical authorities for his nonconformity.

Margaret became a gospel patroness using her money to support his ministry in a range of ways. She funded chapels and rented rooms where her husband could preach. She supported him when his persecution was most acute often living with him in dwellings that were far below the station her class would naturally accept. She gave the home financial stability when her husband was not permitted to earn an income and gave him the means to undertake his prolific writing output.

She exhibited magnificent generosity to the poor supporting them and establishing schools to pay for the education of their children. Margaret also undertook to financially support others, such as a certain preacher Mr Seddon and his family when Seddon was cast into prison for gospel ministry. In all of this she became an unlikely flag bearer for women’s public ministry in an era where women were far less prominent.

Sadly, she died relatively young, probably of cancer. She followed her master, Jesus who the apostle Peter describes, among many other things, as one who ‘went around doing good.’ (Acts 10:38). More importantly her generosity sprang from a total commitment to Christ. As a teenager she had been much interested in the life of the world and disliked a piety that appeared too serious. But that all changed in the late 1650s under Baxter’s preaching in Kidderminster and she soon came to a robust commitment to Jesus. This was the well spring of her new character.

On her death Baxter reflected on her life and his sorrow in a short work entitled A Breviate of the Life of Margaret Baxter which is available to download through a simple google search. My engagement with this material has come by reading A Grief Sanctified by J.I. Packer which discusses Baxter’s marriage to Margaret and the principles that made it so strong.

Margaret stands as an example to all of us, as a person totally committed to Christ and one who used her earthly goods in His service. Everyone can be stimulated by her generosity but especially those who have more of this world’s goods than they possibly need. If that is you, look for opportunities to become a gospel patron or patroness.

For more about raising resources for ministry, see my book Giving Generously https://givinggenerously.com/

Resourcing the Tabernacle

Guidance for raising resources for God’s work can be found in numerous places in the bible. Some of those valuable references are in sections that are often rarely read or skimmed over. In my youth I remember reading and hearing stories in the book of Exodus about the burning bush, the plagues on Egypt, the Passover, the crossing of the sea, the manna in the wilderness and the Ten Commandments and the episode of the apostasy in the desert. But then I would lose interest in details of the sanctuary and priesthood and would jump chapters, even whole books, to get into the action material of Joshua. Yet in the latter section of Exodus is a fascinating account of the raising of resources for the tabernacle. It is given in two sections.

First there is the command to raise the resources (Ex 25: 1-9). Then secondly, after the sorry incident of the golden calf the actual carrying out of the commands is recorded Ex 35:4-36:7. There is much to absorb in these sections that are not our favourite quiet time reflections. And there are a number of principles for raising money for ministry that can be discerned. These are just a few.

1. Moses as the leader gets the job of communicating the command (Ex 25:1). Raising resources is simply part of the leadership role. Ministers can’t dodge it.
2. The appeal is made vigorously but not coercively. The material was to be received from each man ‘whose heart prompts him to give (Ex 25:2).’ This principle is one of the important takeaways here. It is repeated again and again. When the people bring their offering, it is ‘everyone who is willing’ (Ex 35:1, 21, 26, 29). There is no place in any Christian raising of money or resources for manipulation, coercion or tricky and underhanded dealings.
3. The work had a divine purpose. It was to be a sanctuary so that God would dwell among his people. When people today raise money for ministry it is vital there is a spiritual purpose. When Figtree Anglican Church built a new auditorium we tried to make this very clear. We asked every member to write on a piece of paper someone who they would be praying for that God would save. We then collected the names, placed them in a box and interred it underneath the spot where the pulpit would be. This ‘burial’ was filmed and showed to the congregation to demonstrate that the building was to advance God’s kingdom, not merely an architectural fantasy.
4. God’s hand must be in the project. In Exodus the Lord gives Moses explicit instructions on the precise details of the tabernacle (Ex 25:9). I must confess I wish we, at Figtree, had such precise direction. We had a complicated site and eventually three different architects to get a final design. However, we did have astonishing confirmation on multiple occasions that God’s hand was with us as seemingly insurmountable obstacles melted away. It goes without saying that seeking God’s leading in prayer is crucial.
5. Congregational buy-in is essential. After the punishment of the Israelites after the apostasy with the Golden Calf it is perhaps not surprising that the people were obedient and participated in the making of the tabernacle. The Israelites responded as a community, bringing materials, offerings, using gifts and talents, training others. You can get a sense of this sort of engagement in the movie Witness where the whole Amish community bands together to build a barn. Churches that have a large tradie demographic often can reduce the cost of a project by such donated expertise. At Figtree we weren’t too well represented in this segment and the build was done by outside professionals. But there was a wonderful involvement by many talented people who gave expertise in sound, lighting, project management, finances, liaising with architects and on and on and on. Without such involvement and alignment from the people who will give the money and make the project happen, such an enterprise will invariably fail.
6. As a preacher I have always been drawn to the conclusion of the campaign (Ex 36:6-7). The people responded with great generosity to the extent that they brought more than was needed and so Moses told them to cease. Perhaps it is a preacher’s fantasy but I have always relished imaging a giving campaign where I could stand up before my congregation and say, ‘Stop! Stop giving! We have enough. We don’t need any more!’ As Buddy Holly sang, ‘Now that’ll be the day!’

For more on raising resources for ministry see my book Giving Generously. https://givinggenerously.com/