This month we are focusing our communications on generous giving.
Generous giving is a vital part of the life and mission of the Church. It reflects the heart of Christian stewardship and demonstrates a tangible response to God's grace and provision. Through faithful giving, churches are empowered to carry out their ministries—supporting outreach efforts, maintaining places of worship, and meeting the needs of their communities. Generous giving is an act of worship and a spiritual discipline that unites believers in purpose and service, allowing the church to be a beacon of hope, compassion, and transformation in the world.
The Rt Revd Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, Bishop of Chelmsford, spoke on this subject recerntly at the recent National Generosity Conference (4-6 June 2025).
“Generosity is a subject that fascinates a lot of people and indeed there is a whole department in the University of Notre Dame devoted to the study and the science of generosity. They define the word generosity as, the virtue of giving good things to others freely and abundantly, it is a learned character trait that it involves attitude as well as action. In other words, it entails our inclination and motivation as well as practical outworking. We need a spirit of generosity which for completeness must find practical expression. According to those who have done research and conducted experiments in the field, there are three other traits required for a holistic embracing of generosity.
1. Generosity isn’t just a moral good, but it requires us consciously to reject certain vices, Generosity can only be embraced and lived if we overcome those human instincts towards selfishness, greed, fear and so on.
2. Generosity requires us not just to give abundantly but to give those things that are good for others. Question, do we give to foodbanks and charity shops to ease our conscience or to clear our cupboards? Or do we give from the best of what we have with thoughts of what people need or what might bring them joy?
3. Generosity is about more than money and material possessions. Research has shown that generosity is associated with empathy – the ability to put ourselves in the shoes of others, try to understand the world from the perspective of the other, and, crucially, to not start from a position of being judgmental."
As Luke 24 13:50 states "Generosity is not just what and how but how we receive it – strength of generosity is the ability to be both, guest as well as host."