copyright © 2005, generous giving, inc. () “it is an anomaly of modern life that many find giving...

Copyright © 2005, Generous Giving, Inc. (www.GenerousGiving.org)

“It is an anomaly of modern life that many find giving to be a burden. Such persons have

omitted a preliminary giving. If one first gives himself to the Lord, all other giving is easy.”— John S. Bonnell (1893-1992), pastor and

author


Total Christian [including nominal] income in the United States is $5.2 trillion annually, nearly half of the world’s total Christian

income.— David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, “World Christian Trends AD 30-AD 2000:

Interpreting the Annual Christian Megacensus” (Pasadena, Calif.: William Carey

Library, 2001), 551 .


Remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.

— Deuteronomy 8:18


Evangelical Christians comprise an estimated 35 percent of the U.S. population, or about

100 million people.— Larry Eskridge, “Defining Evangelicalism”

(Wheaton, Ill.: Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals, n.d.).


The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.

— Psalm 24:1


“You hear a lot of strange things about tithing. Some say it is a church tax, and they expect me to pay it and that is the end of it. Others say that when I give God one-tenth of my income, He blesses the nine-tenths that is

left to the extent that the nine-tenths now goes as far as the whole thing used to go. This isn’t really true, is it? Suppose a farmer had

100 bushels of corn in the barn and he decides to plant 10 bushels in the ground. What

multiplies? Is it the 90 bushels that he has left in the barn? Oh, no. All of us ‘farmers’ know it is the 10 bushels you put in the ground that multiplies. Similarly, it is the 10 percent you

give to God that multiplies.”— Stanley Tam (1915-), American businessman and philanthropist


For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat … each of us will give an account of

himself to God.— Romans 14:10-12


From 1968 to 2000, members of U.S. evangelical Protestant denominations gave

larger dollar amounts and larger portions of income to their churches than did members of

mainline Protestant denominations.— John L. Ronsvalle and Sylvia Ronsvalle, “The

State of Church Giving through 2000” (Champaign, Ill.: Empty Tomb, 2002), 23.


Eighty percent of the world’s evangelical wealth is in North America—and the total

represents way more than enough to fund the fulfillment of the Great Commission.

— Ron Blue, “Generous Living: Finding Contentment through Giving” (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Publishing House, 1997),

201.


“One of the greatest missing teachings in the American church today is the reminder to men

and women that nothing we have belongs to us.”

— Gordon MacDonald, American pastor and teacher


“Wealth shines in giving rather than in hoarding: for the miser is hateful, whereas the

generous man is applauded.”— [Anicius Manlius Severinus] Boethius (480-524?), Roman statesman and philosopher and

Christian martyr


“I will place no value on anything I have or possess except in relation to the Kingdom of Christ. If anything I have will advance that

Kingdom, it shall be given or kept whichever will best promote the glory of Him to whom I owe all my hopes, both for time and eternity.”

— David Livingstone (1813-73), Scottish missionary and explorer of Africa


“Be charitable before wealth makes thee covetous.”

— Sir Thomas Browne (1605-82), English writer


[Moses] chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the

pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater

value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.

— Hebrews 11:25-26


The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span

is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

— Psalm 90:10


People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish

and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a

root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and

pierced themselves with many griefs.— 1 Timothy 6:9-10


“Liberality in giving is a good sign of a genuine revival.”

— Thomas E. Peck (1822-93), American preacher and writer


God loves a cheerful giver.— 2 Corinthians 9:7


Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured

to you.— Luke 6:38


“I never would have been able to tithe the first million dollars I ever made if I had not tithed my first salary, which was $1.50 per week.”

— John D. Rockefeller, Sr. (1839-1937), American industrialist and philanthropist


“The world asks, ‘What does a man own?’ Christ asks, ‘How does he use it?’ ”

— Andrew Murray (1828-1917), South African evangelist and writer


“We are rich only through what we give: and poor only through what we refuse and keep.”

— Anne Swetchine (1782-1857), Russian-French writer


Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.

— 1 Corinthians 4:2


Thirty-three percent of U.S. born-again Christians say it is impossible for them to get ahead in life because of the financial debt they

have incurred.— George Barna, “Barna Research Archives:

Money” (Barna Research Group)


Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase

your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on

every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to

God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession

of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.

— 2 Corinthians 9:10-13


“I was happier when I was doing a mechanic’s job.”

— Henry Ford (1863-1947), American industrialist


“I believe with all of my heart that God’s people possess God’s provision to accomplish

and fulfill God’s purposes in the world.”— Joel Vestal, founder of ServLife

International


“I was once young and now I am old, but not once have I been witness to God’s failure to

supply my need when first I had given for the furtherance of His work. He has never failed in His promise, so I cannot fail in my service

to Him.”— William Carey (1761-1834), Baptist

missionary to India


“The principal hindrance to the advancement of the kingdom of God is greed. It is the chief obstacle to heaven-sent revival. It seems that when the back of greed is broken, the human

spirit soars into regions of unselfishness. I believe that it is safe to say there can be no

continuous revival without ‘hilarious’ giving. And I fear no contradiction: wherever there is ‘hilarious’ giving there will soon be revival!”

— O.S. Hawkins, U.S. Baptist pastor


“If we believe heaven to be our country, it is better for us to transmit our wealth thither,

than to retain it here, where we may lose it by a sudden removal.”

— John Calvin (1509-64), French theologian and reformer


“I judge all things only by the price they shall gain in eternity.”

— John Wesley (1703-91), English evangelist and founder of Methodism


The average donation by adults who attend U.S. Protestant churches is about $17 a week.— George Barna, “How to Increase Giving in

Your Church: A Practical Guide to the Sensitive Task of Raising Money for Your

Church or Ministry” (Ventura, Calif.: Regal Books, 1997), 20.


A majority of people alive today do not know the Savior. This includes:

1.19 billion Muslims, 811 million Hindus,

360 million Buddhists, 228 million ethnoreligionists,

23 million Sikhs, 14 million Jews,

768 million agnostics, and 150 million atheists.

— David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, “World Christian Trends AD 30-AD 2000: Interpreting the Annual Christian Megacensus” (Pasadena, Calif.:

William Carey Library, 2001), 551.


The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of a

rich man permits him no sleep.— Ecclesiastes 5:12


“Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that

you will not have room enough for it.” — Malachi 3:10b


Of all the people who have ever lived, it is believed that half of them are living today.

— Bill Bright, quoted in Ron Blue with Jodie Berndt, “Generous Living: Finding

Contentment through Giving” (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Publishing House, 1997),

201.


About 1.6 billion people have never heard the life-saving good news in this sentence: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John

3:16).— David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, “World Christian Trends AD 30-AD 2000:


Library, 2001), 52.


Overall, only 3 to 5 percent of Americans who donate money to a church tithe (give a tenth of) their incomes though many more claim to

do so.— George Barna, “How to Increase Giving in

Your Church: A Practical Guide to the Sensitive Task of Raising Money for Your

Church or Ministry” (Ventura, Calif.: Regal Books, 1997), 20.


Each man’s life is but a breath.— Psalm 39:5b


More than 1 billion people live in absolute poverty.

This includes: 700 million people living in slums,

500 million people on the verge of starvation, 93 million beggars,

and 200 million children exploited for labor.— David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, “World Christian Trends AD 30-AD 2000:

Interpreting the Annual Christian Megacensus (Pasadena, Calif.: William Carey Library,

2001), 34.


Every year, 27 million people profess faith in Christ as Savior for the first time.

— David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, “World Christian Trends AD 30-AD 2000:


Library, 2001), 52.


Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope

in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they

will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

— 1 Timothy 6:17-18


Over the next 50 years, between $41 trillion and $136 trillion will pass from older

Americans to younger generations, suggesting that roughly $1 trillion to $3 trillion in wealth

will change hands every year.— John J. Havens and Paul G. Schervish, “Why the $41 Trillion Wealth Transfer Estimate Is

Still Valid: A Review of Challenges and Questions,” The Journal of Gift Planning 7, no.

1 (January 2003), 11-15, 47-50.


The church has grown more in the 20th century than in all the previous 19 centuries

since the time of Christ combined, with almost 2 billion adherents worldwide.



Library, 2001), 19 and 551.


The current ranks of 81 million believers in China are expected to swell to 135 million by 2025. The 50 million faithful in India could

mushroom to 125 million by 2050. And today’s census of 90 million Christians in Africa is

likely to explode to 1 billion in 2050.— David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, “World Christian Trends AD 30-AD 2000:


Library, 2001), 405ff .


In 2000, American evangelicals collectively made $2.66 trillion in income.



Library, 2001), 657.


Among evangelicals, almost 90 cents of every donated dollar goes to their churches. The

proportion drops, however, as people’s spiritual intensity and commitment to Christ

decline.— George Barna, quoted in “Survey Finds

Americans More Generous Last Year,” press release by World Vision, July 22, 2002.


It is more blessed to give than to receive.— Acts 20:35


His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a

few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s

happiness!” — Matthew 25:21


Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where

thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth

and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your

treasure is, there your heart will be also.— Matthew 6:19-21


The land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants.

— Leviticus 25:23


Worldwide, Great Commission Christians have personal income totaling $6.8 trillion a year.



Library, 2001), 659.


“The silver is mine and the gold is mine,” declares the Lord Almighty.

— Haggai 2:8


If members of historically Christian churches in the United States had raised their giving to

the Old Testament’s minimum standard of giving (10 percent of income) in 2000, an

additional $139 billion a year would become available.

— John L. Ronsvalle and Sylvia Ronsvalle, “The State of Church Giving through 2000”

(Champaign, Ill.: Empty Tomb, 2002), 51.


Our citizenship is in heaven.— Philippians 3:20


In 2000, nearly 97 percent of the entire income of all Christian organizations was spent on, and primarily benefited, other

Christians at home or abroad: $261 billion spent on ministering to

Christians, $7.8 billion on already-evangelized non-

Christians, and $0.81 billion on unevangelized non-

Christians.— David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, “World Christian Trends AD 30-AD 2000:


Library, 2001), 661.


“Watch lest prosperity destroy generosity.”— Henry Ward Beecher (1813-87), American

abolitionist and clergyman


“Things themselves do not remain, but their effects do. Therefore we should not be mean and calculating with what we have but give with a generous hand. Look at how much

people give to players and dancers—why not give just as much to Christ?”

— John Chrysostom (347-407), early church father


Among church members of 11 primary Protestant denominations (or their historical

antecedents) in the United States and Canada, per-member giving as a percentage of income was lower in 2000 than in either 1921 or 1933. In 1921, per-member giving as a percentage of income was 2.9 percent. In 1933, at the depth of the Great Depression, per-member giving grew to 3.3 percent. By 2000, after a half-

century of unprecedented prosperity, giving had fallen to 2.6 percent.

— John L. Ronsvalle and Sylvia Ronsvalle, “The State of Church Giving through 2000”

(Champaign, Ill.: Empty Tomb, 2002), 40.


“The gratification of wealth is not found in mere possession or in lavish expenditure, but

in its wise application.”— Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616), Spanish

writer


Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is

meaningless … I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of

its owner, or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when he has a son there is

nothing left for him.— Ecclesiastes 5:10, 13-14


In 2001 American evangelicals gave a mean of $3,601 per capita to nonprofit organizations,

which is high when compared to other demographic groups.

— George Barna, “Americans Were More Generous in 2001 Than in 2000,” news release

by Barna Research Group, April 9, 2002.


Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not

wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no

moth destroys.— Luke 12:33


In 2001, American evangelicals gave four times as much, per person, to churches as did all other church donors in 2001. Eighty-eight percent of evangelicals and 73 percent of all

Protestants donated to churches.— George Barna, “Americans Were More

Generous in 2001 Than in 2000,” news release by Barna Research Group, April 9, 2002.


But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel

in this grace of giving.— 2 Corinthians 8:7


For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him

shall not perish but have eternal life.— John 3:16


You are not your own; you were bought at a price.

— 1 Corinthians 6:19-20


“I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is

to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the

standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all

pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like

to do and cannot do because our charitable expenditures excludes them.”

— C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), English author and scholar


Every day 166,000 people hear the good news of Jesus Christ for the first time.



Library, 2001), 52.

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