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 Zsolt Szalai from Hungary. 1. We Should Talk About Giving More, Not Less. As Zsolt talks with givers in Hungary, he encourages them to think about giving. “People are rather shy about these things,” Zsolt says. “I know that people have very different practices, but sometimes the church leaders think that if they emphasize it too much, they get into the trap that […]
Family, Goals and Finish Lines
“Is it OK for a couple to give separately?” Gary Hoag assesses the situation, takes us to Scripture and offers steps for couples to take
24
Jan
Jan
I’ve observed five things about marriage and giving:
1. Most couples don’t live on a budget that they both understand and could articulate.
2. Most couples don’t talk about their giving on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis.
3. Most couples don’t have a strategy that guides their giving so that our passions align with God’s heart. Couples can think of this strategy as a team effort to shape their hearts, to help them care about what God cares about.
4. Many people don’t know their spiritual giftedness, so they are not deploying themselves in service.
5. Many people are biblically illiterate so they are not stewarding the eternal gospel well.
Business, Funding Wisely
Danie Vermeulen, South Africa, on “Should my company’s giving differ from personal giving?”
17
Jan
Jan
Situation: Discerning the difference between corporate and personal giving Many of you run your own companies. You have personal passions. But you also see giving as a way to disciple your employees, or as a way to build your company’s brand. Stanley in India put it succinctly: “Should my company’s giving differ from personal giving? How do I establish corporate generosity?” Danie Vermeulen is a delightful member of our team. He’s served as a pastor and ministry leader. Most recently, he served as Executive Manager at the Mergon Foundation in […]
15
Jan
Jan
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 Lijo Mathew from the United Arab Emirates. 1. God Reshapes Our Desires. “Growing up with lack in Bahrain made me want to make myself something successful,” says Lijo. “My parents were all about giving – feeding people, funding missionaries. But I wanted to be a billionaire.” Lijo ended up doing post-war reconstruction, commodity trading and focusing on supply chain in the Middle East. […]
03
Jan
Jan
Any time spent with close friends looking at Scripture together to learn about God’s heart for generosity is time well spent! Here are a few recommendations….
01
Jan
Jan
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 Simon and Rebecca Pillar from the United Kingdom. 1. Become a Gospel Patron to a ‘Bloke Worth Backing’. As Simon’s career developed, he and his wife Rebecca “wanted to think through how to be most effective in supporting Gospel ministry,” Simon says. “We set out to understand how God had worked at key points in church history and from that to think through […]
Due Diligence and Reporting, Measuring Impact
Laura Blackburn of Excellence in Giving, “What reports should givers expect from ministries?”
27
Dec
Dec
Recently, two different givers posed almost the same question to JoyGiving.org:
What reports do you receive from ministries? How do you verify them?
What kinds of reports should we expect from ministries we support?
20
Dec
Dec
Dairya from Nigeria wrote us a great question: “What are some biblical references I could share with someone or group of people who might not be readily open or receptive to giving to encourage them to start giving?”
18
Dec
Dec
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 Esther and Casper Jiang from China 1. You Can Minister Through Your Business. Esther founded her business ten years ago, dedicating it to God. Some have questioned her about why she chooses to grow her business rather than giving immediately. She says, “I was working for another company and I started a prayer list. I prayed that God would let me start my […]
Goals and Finish Lines, Joy Giving
Regi Campbell of Radical Mentoring on “Do You Have a Giving Goal?”
13
Dec
Dec
I wanted God, my boss, and everyone else to be generous with me, but I hadn’t ever been generous . . . didn’t really even know what it meant. But I knew God wanted my heart . . . my whole heart. And that money was a big thing for me, if not an idol, at least a major distraction. I had a problem. A selfishness problem.