Contagious Generosity: Creating a Culture of Giving in Your Church

by Chris Willard, Jim Sheppard

What does it look like when pastors cultivate a culture of generosity in the church by actively teaching and mentoring people in the spiritual act of giving? It’s generosity that’s contagious. A growing number of leaders are beginning to discover that there are key factors that make some churches thrive with abundant resources while others struggle with shrinking budgets. Jim Sheppard and Chris Willard have spent years consulting with church leaders across a broad spectrum of church settings and have gathered their observations into this resource, part of the Leadership Network Innovations Series. Contagious Generosity highlights the best practices gleaned from real-life church leadership situations and shows how church leaders can effectively cultivate a culture of generous giving in the local church. It explains why some churches are experiencing unexplainable ministry growth and unprecedented church funding … even in the midst of tough economic times.

Genres: Christian Living, Church, Religion

192 pages, Paperback

First published June 26, 2012

Reviews

[Jonathan Beigle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I think it has so many things that are useful beyond the church. To me, the book is really about inspiring your organization (whether that be a church, business, etc.) to go beyond what they are doing now and make a greater impact. I heard Jim Sheppard at a conference last year, and he really knows his stuff. He's a numbers guy (analyzes them to death), which I love, but this book is really focused on inspiring pastors and church leaders to get more out of the congregation when it comes to being generous. I've already recommended this book to my brother that is a pastor.

My favorite quotes:
- p. 69 - "People today demand more information from the organizations they support and from the leaders they follow, and the members of your church will want access to reliable data to ensure that mission your church verbalizes matches how the church spends its money."
- p.95 - "Churches blessed with an abundance of resources are led by pastors who are bold in their willingness to preach and teach about money.
- p. 121 - "They (high-capacity givers) very much want to see a return on investment. Churches that do that – communicate vision and show accountability for the funds – experience success with these givers.
- p. 145 - "One of the most concrete expressions of spiritual growth or decline in a person’s life is not what a person says, how busy they are with church activities, or how many boards or committees they sit on but how they are stewarding the financial resources God has entrusted to them."
- p. 182 - "You never lead people to a place you haven’t already been."

[Jared Pilkington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Generosity is an arm of discipleship and is an essential part of our discipleship journey. It’s at the intersection of the great commandment and the great commission. It’s the thread that weaves God’s heart with ours and then the world’s.

- INVEST in the JOURNEY and game-plan generosity systems!

[John Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent, thought-provoking book that can revolutionize the way churches think about finances. Most pastors preach about money once a year, if that, because they are apprehensive about bringing the topic up for fear of being greedy. But Willard and Sheppard point out that churches must talk about healthy giving rather than assume congregants know anything about it. The more confident and comfortable a preacher is talking about money, the more generous givers will be. In fact, outrageously giving money away by churches often spurs people to be even more generous. The one drawback in the book is redundancy.

[Robert McKeehan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Generosity, or the lack of, is perhaps the most telling evidence of faith and character. When generosity becomes part of a church's culture it is contagious. For this to happen, leaders must have an intentional strategy, set the example, ask courageously, measure impact, and celebrate progress. This book is a very insightful and practical resource for anyone who desires to help the local church become a place of contagious generosity.

[Mike Weston · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is simultaneously a tremendously helpful yet damaging work for the leaders of the church. While providing tremendous insights into how to communicate clearly and leverage connectivity toward funding the mission of the church, the authors prioritize financial ability as the premier point of spirituality. If you're in production ministry of a church, you'll be really disappointed you've lost your top spot on the hierarchy. Sorry. :)

Pages 127-132, in which giving is intimately tied to increased influence and decision making suggest the church is for sale. Though the writers challenge leaders to help the wealthy avoid self-sufficiency, the very practices they encourage leaders to take with the wealthy undermine their warning. This book was honestly a very helpful tool, but a tool that should be wielded with care.

[Michelle Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I skim-read this book as I am familiar with many of its tenets. One of the thoughts I walked away with was how giving is an indicator of what else is happening in one's life. It is important individually to measure that and it is important as a non-profit to monitor that as well. Lessened giving may/may not be a reflection of your ministry but of other circumstances going on in the giver's life. As non-profits looking to help people give, we must always remember that givers are people with significant life-issues much in the same way that those our non-profit serves. Their growth and needs are as relevant, just different, as those our non-profit is trying to serve.

[Lydia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the first book I finished, but the first book I'll review. I would give this one 3.5 stars. It has some GREAT insight about shifting congregational cultures, developing tools and capacities, and some necessary come-to-Jesus advice. I will probably use it in my congregation. However.... ALL the quotes and ALL the examples were from male pastors in multi-pastor congregations (I have never heard of a stewardship pastor!) The theology is evangelism- adjacent. There's also a lot of references to the crash of '08. If the author would make a new addition just without all the dudes, I'd give it 4 or 4.5. A fast but good read (just skip all the dudes).

[Silvia Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars. I am not the intended audience so my low rating is biased.

[Kevin Casto · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book that explores and encourages the reader to move into generosity as a spiritual practice.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

(assigned reading for our consistory)

Thought-provoking as a how-to guide for pastors and church leaders re. creating a culture of generosity within their congregations. Willard and Sheppard are careful to cast a vision for how congregational generosity benefits the community at large, vs. just the church's bottom-line budget, and to spell out the role they see lead pastors taking in spiritually forming congregants in this particular way. I appreciated the continual vision-casting of "Look how much more your church could do for the community and the world if it were filled with generous people!" and the repeated message that God wants generosity for his people rather than from them.

Since the book is a how-to guide (and the authors are up front about what the book is and isn't), there's not much theological content or apologetic here. Willard and Sheppard work off the assumption that their readers assent to Biblical commands about giving, so this wouldn't be a great recommendation to give to people who want a more in-depth or robust theological take on money and generosity. Quite a few suggestions felt more Development 101, which I wasn't sure how to parse, because on the one hand maybe most people see churches as just one of an array of non-profits that they can choose to give to and thus churches should adopt business/non-profit strategies, but on the other shouldn't spiritual formation cover giving as a discipline that's not necessarily always tied to agreeing 100% with whatever cause or purpose that money is being put toward? Because the truth of the matter is that church budgets include "unsexy" line items like salaries, building maintenance, etc., so how do we tie those expenses more closely to charitable giving to the community in people's minds? And should we? I wished there was a little more in this book re. how learning to trust other people to use your money well can be part of learning to hold material things with a looser grip.

Finally, it would have been great to have had more in-depth case studies, maybe as an appendix. Examples of how small, medium, and large churches and their journeys toward becoming generous churches would have been really helpful, as well as more attention paid to how the strategies might differ based on size/geographical location/age of the church.

[Betsy Schwarzentraub · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Contagious Generosity: Creating a Culture of Giving in Your Church" is a treasure chest of ideas that get us out of the old assumptions and expectations related to giving to the church. It’s filled with high-impact examples of actual practices by top congregations in The Leadership Network.
Authors Chris Willard and Jim Sheppard address building a church generosity strategy; developing generous leaders and givers; showcasing changed lives; leveraging worship experiences; embracing the ministries of asking and thanking; and measuring and celebrating acts of generosity as an ongoing process.

My copy of the book is filled with tags on pages and notes in the margins for where I want to follow-up in my own ministry. With lots of current examples, the book shows that generosity is fundamental to the spiritual formation of every Christ follower. “We cannot separate our acceptance of God’s grace from the practice of generosity,” the authors say. “Generosity is the fullest expression of the life of a steward, one who has been given a gift that must be used wisely and for a purpose, bringing glory to God.”

Each chapter ends with a list of key ideas and discussion questions, making it perfect for either personal study or use in small groups. It’s a book well worth working with in both your personal life and congregation.
Betsy Schwarzentraub

[Keith Duff · Rating 5 out of 5]

OUTSTANDING book. It will challenge and encourage both your own personal generosity and will remind you of the great importance to be proclaiming the importance of generosity to your church in the face of our world-wide consumerism.

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A few quotes:

Generosity is something we want for you, not from you. – 67 (Andy Stanley)

Generosity comes from within, out of the overflow of your heart. It is more than just another task on your agenda. Generosity is, at heart, a response to the gift of God’s grace through Jesus Christ. As you spend time reflecting on the gospel, on what Christ has done for you, it awakens your heart to a new desire – to freely give what you have not received in order to help others in need. – 68

Generous people ask what God is calling them to do next, not what they can accomplish in their own strength and wisdom. Generous people live with hands wide open, knowing that God is the source of all we have, are and ever will become. The act of giving creates a contagious energy that draws people –even those with little or no faith – because it’s authentic and unexpected. It’s compelling evidence that God is at work. – 75

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contagious Generosity is a good resource for any organization, especially churches. The authors focus on the idea that developing a culture of generosity is a key element in ongoing successful stewardship. I found the aspect of being generous to organizations, not just to the church, enlightening. Many times church leaders speak of being supportive and generous in reference to the church. The authors offer the thought of teaching congregations to be generous, albeit primarily to the church, will can lead to areas of growth for the ministries of the church and beyond. Generosity is also to be celebrated - it is contagious!

I recommend this book to anyone working in a non-profit setting, and especially in a church. Good ideas for developing generous givers, congregations, and impacting local communities and beyond.

[John Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book for pastors and church leaders who are looking for a God-honoring way to change the culture of their church. Jim Sheppard and Chris Willard offer good insights into the role of generosity in churches and show how churches can actively practice generosity that touches the community.

[Si · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic and insightful fresh thinking on the link between generosity and spiritual formation. Well worth a read.

[Roger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book and challenged me as well as stirred a lot of thoughts forward for me!