Extravagant Generosity Leading Congregations from one

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Extravagant Generosity

• Leading Congregations from one reality to another
• From their story to Gods Story

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Extravagant Generosity

• Money will buy you a pretty good dog But, it
  wont buy you the wag of its tail
• Unknown
• EG is not just about money

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Every generous act of giving, with every perfect
gift is from above James 117a

• Our giving mirrors our God
• Our extravagant giving mirrors our extravagantly
  generous God
• Who Is Our God?

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Every generous act of giving, with every perfect
gift is from above James 117a

• A Tithe Is it an example of extravagant
  generosity?

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Every generous act of giving, with every perfect
gift is from above James 117a

• Consider Jesus comparison of what the widow gave
  with what the man of means gave
• Mark 12 41-44

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Every generous act of giving, with every perfect
gift is from above James 117a

• Extravagant Generosity not about what or how much
  one gives -- BUT -- of the faith in which the
  gift is given.
• Consider John 668a

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Every generous act of giving, with every perfect
gift is from above James 117a

• Simon Peter answered
• Lord, to whom can we go?
• Investment of faith
• The response of one who has invested their
  complete and total self (identity)
• Is an unalterable commitment

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Every generous act of giving, with every perfect
gift is from above James 117a

• Total commitment implies the setting aside of all
  other choices
• Extravagant Generosity
• Scary Stuff!

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Transformation Process
Understand the Obstacles
Future Reality Vision

• Actions

Resources
Current Reality
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Every generous act of giving, with every perfect
gift is from above James 117a

• Team Purpose Impart the Vision of Biblical
  Stewardship
• Teams Approach
• Provide intellectual support for teaching and
  preaching
• Identify and create a list of Subject Matter
  Experts to resource local congregations
• Collect and compile personal stories of EG

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Every generous act of giving, with every perfect
gift is from above James 117a

• Some Resources
• http//www.gbod.org/stewardship/article.asp?id118
  49
• http//www.daveramsey.com/fpu/home/
• http//cornerstonefund.org/learn/church-finance
• http//www.vaumc.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid88
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• http//www.umportal.org/print_article.asp?id5790
• Others to be added to web

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Every generous act of giving, with every perfect
gift is from above James 117a

• Our task is to be so deeply and intimately
  connected with our Christ that the world will
  experience the resurrected Christ -- the newness
  God intends -- whenever it touches our corporate
  life
• Gordon Crosby Church of the Savior Washington DC

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Every generous act of giving, with every perfect
gift is from above James 117a

• Our Church budgets (and our home budgets) are
  perfect examples of our corporate life
• That is Life together

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Every generous act of giving, with every perfect
gift is from above James 117a

• How do our budgets exemplify the resurrected
  Christ?
• Do our line-items speak clearly of the God we
  worship?

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Every generous act of giving, with every perfect
gift is from above James 117a

• NARRATIVE BUDGET
• Points the direction we are going
• It is Flesh on the skeleton
• It Reveals our true selves
• It Shows where we are faithful
• It Indicates where we are in need of
  transformation

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Every generous act of giving, with every perfect
gift is from above James 117a

• Look at example narrative budget

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• A Narrative Budget is
• The sacred story of the ministry of the parish
• One of the most important ways to effect
  on-going stewardship education
• An essential element in educating congregations
  about how money is used to show the face of
  Christ

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• Just as individuals have sacred stories of Gods
  providential care for them
• a narrative budget is your congregations sacred
  story

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• Line item budgets are an accounting tool
• Narrative budgets are an educational and
  visioning tool
• Narrative budgets provide direction
• We need both but we must be intentional in how we
  use them

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• Line Item Budgets are limited
• They only show where money is allocated / spent
• Do not show real cost of volunteer time
• Do not inspire
• Narrative Budgets
• Do show how money answers the Gospel imperatives
• Shows real ministry having a measurable impact.

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Each parish has several key components to their
ministry

• Your churchs ministry might be segmented into
  these five components
• Radical Hospitality
• Passionate Worship
• Intentional Faith Development
• Risk-Taking Service and Mission
• Extravagant Generosity

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• Where to begin?
• Start by asking staff to do a time-diary
• Allocate time among the five areas of ministry.
• Allow ministry areas to direct how expenditures
  in the line item budget are allocated

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Typical Organizational Example
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NarrationTell the story of individual pie slices
of the parish ministry

• Stories of the individual pie pieces undergird
  the macro story of your budget

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Tell the stories of real people touched by your
ministry

• For each category of ministry
• shares impact the ministry of the parish is
  having on peoples lives
• inspires greater ownership and risk taking

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• Check-in and Respond
• Briefly share with your neighbor a new learning
• See handouts
• Using the frame of the five practices for sharing
• Lets share our budgets

Second, share how you will take this home with
you