TENS - The Episcopal Network for Stewardship

[A] difference that comes clear in the church in times of economic hardship is where the focus is on giving (behavior modification) and where it is on generosity (a core value). When stewardship is defined within a local church as ‘what people give to the church,’ economic hardship always translates to congregational hardship. People tend in our culture to give what they can from their surplus, not from their first fruits. Our church efforts to increase giving works well when the economy is strong, but often falls apart when financial times are tough. Teaching people to give doesn’t necessarily make them more generous. However, when people adopt a generous lifestyle, it always has a positive impact on giving. For people focused on giving, the main question is “what can I afford to give?” When the focus is on generosity the question becomes, “where can I do the most good to meet the most needs?” Congregations that cultivate a culture of generosity weather economic distress much better than those that focus on the practice of giving.