Watch
Listen to people across the Diocese of Winchester explain, in their own words, why generosity is important….
Read
Please try and read ‘Generous God Generous People’
Please view… Generous God
This is a five week set of Bible readings for your personal devotions. The theme is ‘generous God, generous people’, or more simply, our calling as stewards of all that God has given us.
Each week tackles one aspect of the overall theme. Each day follows the same simple format of a reading, the main verse, a brief reflection followed by a response to consider, a passage for further study and a simple prayer.
The fives themes are:
- Generous God
- Generous people
- Generous giving
- Generosity towards others
- Principles for generous people to live by
At the end of each week you might want to spend a little time reflecting on what you have learned.
- Which themes or issues made a special impact on you?
- What challenged you and perhaps made you uncomfortable?
- What excited you?
- What will you do as a result of this?
- How does this affect your attitude to your faith, the church, those around you?
Pray
Just as you excel in all things….so we want you to excel also in this grace of giving
(2 Corinthians 8:7).
As Christians we are to ‘excel in this grace of giving’. Please pray for Giving and Generosity across the Parish of the Resurrection:
- To meet the financial challenge of the day to day costs of running our Parish and its activities
- To abundantly resource, ministry and mission in our local community
- To help each of us to respond by giving generously as followers of Jesus and in gratitude for all God has given to us
- For wisdom, guidance and encouragement for all those leading our Parish
‘each should give as their heart decides not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver’
(2 Corinthians 9:7)
A prayer for Generosity
Heavenly Father, give grace to us, the living stones who form your Church,
to reflect prayerfully at this special time on our love for you and our neighbour.
Make us mindful of the many gifts You bestow upon us and we ask that
your Holy Spirit will inspire and direct us in our choice of giving,
remembering that we are only giving back that which is truly yours.
Strengthen us, Lord, to meet this challenge according to your will.
Through Jesus Christ our Lordwho has given all that we may live.
Amen.
Understanding expenditure
The Common Mission Fund
The largest chunk of expenditure we give each year goes towards something called the ‘Common Mission Fund’. To understand what this cover please view the following which includes a short video that lasts just over one minute.
https://www.winchester.anglican.org/common-mission-fund/
Why do we ask people to give?
‘…when we seek to raise funds we are not saying, “Please, could you help us out because lately it has been hard.”…
….rather we are declaring, “We have a vision that is amazing and exciting. We are inviting you to invest yourself through the resources God has given you – your energy, your prayers and your money – in this work to which God has called us.”’
Henri Nouwen, The Spirituality of Fundraising