Steve Chalke: Generous Churches

“We must be known for our immovable commitment to the standards and values of Jesus—those of respect, faithfulness, love, grace, mercy, duty, justice, forgiveness, compassion and generosity—all born out of the genuine spirituality that results from a depth of relationship with God. The extent to which any local church is not primarily known for these qualities speaks to the challenge ahead of us.

The moment has come for the church to abandon, once and for all, a theology of judgement, a theology of in or out, sinner or saint, forgiven or not. We must more fully embrace a theology…which is able to celebrate the goodness of creation without ignoring the great problem of sin. The time has come for the church to ensure that the main thing is the main thing.

Generous churches see the good in others and respond with a spirit of kindness and open-handedness rather than judgement. Generous churches acknowledge the issue of sin in each individual’s life, but they do so within a context of recognizing their own daily battle in this area. Generous churches do not look down on people; they look across at people. A generous church, to rephrase the words of the famous nineteenth-century Baptist preacher, C. H. Spurgeon, is a group of beggars telling other beggars where to find bread.

We are not some kind universalist entity that says that everybody receives salvation whether or not they acknowledge Christ; instead we recognize the greatness and weakness in all people. None of us are perfect—all have fallen short. Generous mission starts with the simple but profound truth: ‘God loves you whoever you are, whatever you’ve done, however scarred you are by sin. God loves you!’ A generous church recognises that its tone and emphasis are as important as the core of its message.”

Steve Chalke in Intelligent Church: A Journey Towards Christ-Centred Community (Grand Rapids: Zondervan).

What’s your response to Chalke? I consider it a call to action. Generous churches are communities of generous Christ-followers living on generous mission. Who’s in?

“Praying is an act of stewardship in which even the smallest child can participate. Praying helps us focus on the idea that everything we do is done with God’s help and for God’s glory. If you’re not comfortable with making up a prayer, you can use the stewardship prayer in this book.”

Stewardship Prayer
Dear God, I thank you for everything you have given me. My gifts of time and talents are precious; help me use them to do your will. Please help me realize that I need to share all of my gifts with the Church and others. Help me be a generous, forgiving, and holy. I offer you this day all I think, and do, and say. With the help of Jesus, your Son, I will try to love everyone. Amen.

Elizabeth M. Johnson in The Catholic Kid’s Guide to Stewardship (Mystic, CT: Twenty-Third Publications, 2004) 7, 53.

What is the role of prayer in your understanding and practice of stewardship? How might this prayer shape your stewardship? Can you think of anyone you might share it with?

“Selfish children can’t bless the world, but unselfish children can shower the world with blessings. Take a look at the qualities found in a selfish child versus the qualities found in an unselfish child.

Selfish child: demanding, arrogant, holds grudges, unappreciative, stingy, and lazy. Unselfish child: empathetic, grace-filled, forgiving, grateful, generous, helpful. How, then, do we cultivate generous, unselfish children? Teach them to live with open hands and open hearts…Show your children how to love others generously…

Give the gift of prayer for someone who needs God’s help. Let your children see you “praying on the spot” for those who need it…Give a helping hand to strangers and friends alike…Give a word of encouragement to someone.”

Jill Rigby in Raising Unselfish Children in a Self-Absorbed World (New York: Howard, 2008) 185-186.

Rigby inspired me this morning. Let’s live in such a way that if someone shot a video of us today for the young people in our lives to watch, they would see practical ways to show God’s love from our example.

Father in Heaven, help us model for our children, for others’ children, and for our children’s children how to live with open hands and open hearts so that our lives reflect Christ’s love to a self-absorbed world. Amen.

“True generosity implies an openhearted willingness to give freely, without thought of personal gain or return. It means we give because someone has a need, and we care about them. Sacrifice or inconvenience may be involved, but we don’t see it as a loss since this kind of sharing is inherently rewarding.

Surely, this describes a major aspect of what we do as parents. We give to our children because they need us, and we give to them even more during some of their most difficult stages, putting our own needs aside to meet theirs. If we hope to be rewarded by them in some specific or immediate way, we are likely to be disappointed…

The most important thing we can give our children is our presence and our attention. We must never forget that just being with our kids is nurturing to them at any age. However, sharing our time with them is sometimes the most difficult thing to do…We cannot make up for lost time. It is far more important to use the time we do have together in meaningful ways.”

Dorothy Law Nolte and Rachel Harris Children Learn What They Live: Parenting to Inspire Values (New York: Workman, 1998) 155-156.

When we generously and consistently give our children our presence and our attention, we not only nurture them. We teach them how to listen, love, and care for others. God help us do this well every opportunity we get, even though the older they get, often the more sacrifice and time it requires.

While Jenni remains in San Diego today helping Sophie get settled, I am spending the day with Sammy, assisting him as he leads a guided fly fishing outing for three men: John Van Drunen (my dear friend and EVP of ECFA), and Joel and Bo Kilby (John’s brother-in-law and father-in-law).

Lord, thanks for the gift of time with our children today!

“Go into the world filled with grace and generosity. Rejoice in the profusion [that is, the abundance] of creation and make peace. Be more than fair, showing the tender compassion of God who created and redeemed you. Amen.”

Gill Ambrose in “The Sending Out Prayer” in Prayer and Prayer Activities: For Worship with Adults, Children and All Ages (London: Canterbury Press, 2013) 49.

As Sophie gets oriented at San Diego Christian College and Sammy moves his things into his apartment at Colorado Christian University today, this prayer seemed fitting. Join me in praying it over those we serve and send out.

“When our children face life’s disappointments, they benefit by knowing we are on the sidelines giving our love and prayer support, understanding their struggles to the best of our ability, and believing they can and will work things through. These gifts will help equip them to get through their disappointments and determine how to best move forward. We can pray that God will give them wisdom as they make crucial choices, knowing His plan for them may not be the same as ours but will be what is best for them.”

Nancy Williams in Secrets to Parenting Your Adult Child (Bloomington: Bethany House, 2011) 108.

This week we are dropping Sophie off at college, and we will leave her with the gifts of love and prayer support. Why do this? These are the things she will need most in the days, months, and years to come. Whether you have grown children or not, join us in giving the gifts of love and prayer support to the next generation.

“Are we ready to bless our grown children by letting go of whatever holds us back and staying involved where we can be of most benefit, especially in the areas where God is inviting us to trust Him more? Through acknowledging God’s care and guidance over our adult children’s life choices, circumstances, and experiences, we can choose to open our hands and surrender to Him the fears, concerns, and anxieties to which we cling. In exchange, we’ll receive a greater measure of joy and the insight gained in letting go and staying connected.”

Debra Evans in Blessing Your Grown Children: Affirming, Helping, and Establishing Boundaries (Carol Stream: Tyndale, 2012) 73.

We can trust God to provide for our needs and to take care of our grown children. Thankfully, that includes Sammy in his second year at Colorado Christian University and Sophie in her first year at San Diego Christian College. What a great God we serve!

“Why are some people generous and others not? One church launched a study to determine what causes some members to be more generous than others. Much to the researchers’ surprise, it was neither the cleverness of the church’s appeals nor the power of the preaching. Instead, the most significant factor was whether the person had been taught generosity as a child. The impact of parents in teaching their children to give was the key that opened the world of giving. This is a powerful reminder to those of us who decry the lack of generosity today—what have we done to train our children in the ways of generosity?”

Dave Toycen in The Power of Generosity: How to Transform Yourself and Your World (Waynesboro: Authentic Media, 2004) 9.

Today Jenni and I give thanks for the generosity of our parents toward us, as well as the way in which our grown children have become conduits of God’s generosity. As we send them both off to college, we are realizing that we are not “done” but rather “experienced” and positioned to help other children grasp generosity.

“Adults in the congregation must recognize that their values and life choices influence younger generations. For example, it’s easy to frown on youthful materialism. But adults must always remember that young people’s materialism mirrors what they see permeating adults’ lives as well—the status placed on cars, where people live, the facilities in which people worship, and the ways people contribute their time and money.”

Eugene C. Roehlkepartain, Elanah Dalyah Naftali, Laura Musegades in Growing Up Generous: Engaging Youth in Living and Serving (Rowman & Littlefield: Alban Institute, 2000) 153.

How are you influencing generosity for the next generation?

“I can easily feel secure in and place my trust in what I can see. I can see money; therefore it is easy to trust in money. I can see the privileged position of power; therefore it is easy to trust in power. Nothing is wrong with either money or power unless my trust is in them. But trusting in what I can see creates such a need to control my life and such pressure! The “what I can see” approach promises what it cannot fulfill — meaning, purpose and hope for my life.

If sight cannot fulfill, what can faith offer? Can the invisible world of God be made visible to me with “spiritual” sightedness by faith? Stepping out in faith in Jesus opens my eyes to totally new vistas. The invisible becomes clear. Since Jesus is The Way, The Truth, and the Life — He can fulfill all that He promises. Security, satisfaction, and salvation are possible in God alone. Control of my life is replaced by a humble dependence on Him — sweet relief.”

Bob Snyder, M.D. in “Faith Versus Sight” blog post dated 13 August 2015.

It’s fitting that after considering God as our gracious and generous Healer yesterday to see what “the doctor orders” for living the generous life today. He nails the disease and diagnosis: Don’t trust in money but in Jesus to find life (and sweet relief)! “For we live by faith, not by sight.” 2 Cor 5:7