Proverbs 21:17 says, “He who loves pleasure will become a poor man; He who loves wine and oil will not become rich.” Solomon offers a telling observation – people focused on pleasure and consumption will be poor because they spendRead more…
Giving It All: Alan Barnhart and his brother Eric owned a $250 million company. Owned. Past tense. Because they gave it away.
In 1986, Alan Barnhart was 25 and planning to go into business with his brother. An evangelical Christian, he wondered what Scripture had to say about the profits he hoped to make. So he combed the Bible for whatever adviceRead more…
Transforming Scrooge – How do you shift the culture in a church from greed to a way of generosity?
During the last Christmas season I reacquainted myself with Charles Dickens’s Ebenezer Scrooge, one of the nastiest, mean-spirited old men in English literature. He’s found, of course, in A Christmas Carol(published 1843), Dickens’ short novel about a man addicted to moneyRead more…
Progress & Challenges in Africa
Africa made significant progress the last 20 years, but there are still significant challenges for the African church to engage with. The infographic that can be downloaded through the website gives an insight into these challenges. Modeling generosity in theRead more…
How to Make Giving a Part of Your Company Culture
When we started our company, it was important to me to bring the concept of giving into everything that we do, as it has always been a fundamental aspect of my life as a person. I’ve always believed that youRead more…
King David on the Heart of Christian Stewardship
We live amid unprecedented economic prosperity, and with the promise of globalization and the continued expansion of opportunity and exchange, such prosperity is bound to grow. Yet if we’re to retain and share these blessings, such gifts need to beRead more…
‘The Business of Generosity’ Book Giveaway
Download your free copy of ’The Business of Generosity’ from the website before 19 April 2014! Generosity is big business in the 21st century. Just count the number of new companies whose central offering is attached to the concept ofRead more…
Theology That Works: Making Disciples Who Practice Fruitful Work and Economic Wisdom in Modern America
“Theology That Works,” ’Theology that Works’ is a 60-page manifesto on discipleship and economic work written by Greg Forster and published by the Oikonomia Network (http://oikonomianetwork.org/). It includes a flowchart diagram that shows the overall interconnectedness of stewardship and economics. The flowchart andRead more…
How Do You Define Success?
How do you define success in your church or ministry setting? In The Choice: The Christ-Centered Pursuit of Kingdom Outcomes, R. Scott Rodin, Wesley K. Willmer, and I suggest that most people define success in one of two ways, and thisRead more…
Charitable Giving in the U.S. vs the UK
“The UK should not aspire to a U.S. model of philanthropy and tax incentives — it is not replicable and is a unique product of social, political and historical factors,” a report released by the UK-based Charities Aid Foundation back inRead more…