One at a Time: A Journey to Generosity
“Jesus taught His followers to be fearless…compassionate….centered….and focused. There is one glaring attribute of these revolutionaries that not only transformed them and their hearts, but transformed the world. That attribute? They were generous. Generous with their wealth and their possessions.” – Senior Pastor Dave Rodriguez
What is One At a Time, A Journey To Generosity?
To hear the entire context, please take the time to listen to the sermon from Dave Rodriguez on November 7, 8. In short, each household at Grace is being asked to embark on a journey to generosity by increasing their giving to the ongoing ministry of Grace Community Church by one percent of their annual income this year, then continuing to increase giving each year by one percent.
What are the 3 reasons to increase the ongoing giving at Grace?
1. The ongoing generosity level at Grace must increase because our spiritual lives depend on it.
Giving is as crucial to your spiritual life as your faith in God, as knowledge of His word, and as your love for one another. Giving is a spiritual issue and it is a prime reflection of the condition of your heart. As your heart grows deeper with God, your generosity will grow, too. As your generosity increases, you’ll notice a deepening walk with God.
2. The ongoing generosity level at Grace must increase because we must make an epic impact beyond the walls at Grace.
For every dollar that comes into the Grace Community Church ministry fund, four percent will go to partner ministries beyond our walls. We intend to increase that number by one percent each year for the next several years up to ten percent.
3. The ongoing generosity level at Grace must increase because it is time to launch a new worship venue – Sanctuary.
Sanctuary will be a contemplative worship experience that will combine prayer, Eucharist, sermon, a more meditative musical style, and a worshipful place for healing and growth. Sanctuary will be in Central Auditorium on Sunday mornings.
What is the state of our current giving at Grace?
- There are over 5,000 households at Grace.
- The median income of Hamilton County is $83,000.
- The median income of Grace Community Church households is approximately $93,000.
- 45% of the 2400 Grace households give nothing to Grace.
- 36% of Grace households give less than $100 per month.
- 81% of all Grace households give less than $100 per month.
- We’re grateful for the $7 million given to Grace in the past year. However, combined annual household giving to Grace is 1.6% of income - below the national average of between 2% and 2.5%.
What are you asking me to do?
Join in this journey of generosity by increasing your giving by One at a time! It’s really pretty simple. Think of it this way: One percent at a time, one household at a time, one year at a time.
Increase your giving by 1% of your annual income over the next year, then continue up to 10% or beyond as God leads you.
What will the result be if we all increase our giving one at a time?
If each of our households increases our giving to this church community by 1% of our annual income over the next ministry year, then we would increase our overall giving from 1.6% to 2.5% of our annual income. And importantly, we will be growing more spiritually, giving more to Grace partner ministries beyond the walls of Grace, and we will be resourced to effectively launch the new Sanctuary worship venue.
Links to other important information related to giving at Grace
Stories
If you’re taking seriously the challenge to increase your giving by one percent of your annual income, we’d love to hear about your journey to generosity. Let us know how it’s going for you!
Grace in Giving
If I see the gift as mine alone to give,
I might give hesitantly, even grudgingly,
considering my options,
then giving from a sense of ought.
If I see the gift as God’s,
who allows me to use it for a time,
then the gift can flow more freely,
as I join with others to be a channel for
God’s love and mercy.
