Danie Vermeulen from South Africa answers this question: “I got a text from my pastor asking for money for personal support of one of our church staff. Then an email went out to parents of children in our youth program asking them to contribute to get new carpet for the youth pastor—and the sale on carpet ends tomorrow. Am I wrong to be troubled by these requests?”
Category Archives: Joy Giving
04
Oct
Oct
The same question came to us from three different friends in Africa this month.
“I want you to possibly give guidance on how to set a giving goal,” wrote Waziri from Nigeria.
“I need more light on how to set a giving goal,” said Dairya, also from Nigeria.
And Gugu from South Africa asked for “guiding on how to decide to set a giving goal.”
Family, Joy Giving
China: How should I mobilize my family to participate in my dedication to be generous?
27
Sep
Sep
A brother from Shenyang, China, went through a Journey of Generosity and asks, “How should I mobilize my family to participate in my dedication?” To respond to this question, a friend from China who loves the Generosity Movement wrote these thoughts.
22
Sep
Sep
“I’ve been meaning to do this for a while, and now it’s time. What’s involved in hosting a Journey of Generosity for my cell group?”
12
Sep
Sep
Situation “What about non-financial generosity? I want to be generous in other ways.” – Claire, Melbourne, Australia Scripture Scripture talks about all kinds of generosity, giving not just our money, but ourselves to God. But let’s be clear: financial giving is required of every believer. “On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.” (1 Corinthians 16:2) Paul recognizes that […]
05
Sep
Sep
Situation “How generous are you inside your family? I want to give outside as well, but am trying to figure out what level of giving to family I should do.” – Martin, India Scripture What does the Bible say about this topic? Let’s look at a few passages. Paul tells Timothy, “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1 Timothy 5:8) Jesus notes that every parent gives good gifts to their children. […]
23
Aug
Aug
“The JOG is something I’d never forget in a hurry. It really touched my heart and left me asking the question. How can I encourage generosity in my church? Because I feel more people need to hear this and get affected as I was.” — Candace from Nigeria
Funding Wisely, Joy Giving
How can foreign donors encourage local giving? Wisdom from Zenet Maramara, The Philippines
14
Aug
Aug
A Great Expert to Answer a Great Question
This was a great question from Sarah. I invited my dear friend, Zenet Maramara of the Asian Theological Seminary (ATS) in Manila, for her perspective. During her tenure, Zenet has led ATS from relying primarily on foreign funds to receiving a staggering 99 percent of funds from Filipino givers. She knows what she’s talking about!
21
Jul
Jul
The release of “Joy Giving” has invited deep and thoughtful questions from givers. Many givers have asked how they can encourage their families toward giving and create a family legacy of generosity. David Green, is the founder and CEO of Hobby Lobby, a large American retailer, and the author of Giving It All Away… and Getting It All Back Again. David spoke at our Celebration of Generosity in Hong Kong just a few months ago and has been a great friend to Generosity Path. David once wrote a short piece […]
18
Jul
Jul
Each month, we introduce you to a Christian who is on the generosity path, and we ask them what God’s taught them about giving. This month, meet Christus Frank Antony from India. 1. Gratitude Melts the Heart. Never underestimate the power of a “thank you.” Christus tells the story that launched his family onto a generosity path: “We were finishing Sunday worship and coming out of church. The church has a home for Physically and Mentally challenged poor children on the premises. These children were standing at the gate collecting […]