The Village Church seeks to reflect the generous nature of God. We believe generosity is a distinct trait of believers in Christ, and Scripture encourages the Church to give joyfully and generously. Second Corinthians 9:6–11 reminds Christians that God loves a cheerful giver and exhorts us to give joyfully, abundantly, and in every way.
We believe the only way we can truly give joyfully is when we remember God’s generosity to us through Christ. John 3:16 tells us that God so loved the world that He gave His most precious gift, His only begotten Son, Jesus, so that anyone who would believe in Him would have eternal life. Jesus willingly laid down His life for His followers (John 10:15) for the “joy that was set before Him” (Heb. 12:2). Not only did Jesus generously give His life, He also freely gives the Holy Spirit to help believers walk in victorious living. It is out of the overflow of gratitude to God for His generosity toward us that we give cheerfully.
When we see our resources as gifts from a loving God to steward for His purposes, we will give freely and abundantly. God is the ultimate Provider who “supplies seed for the sower and bread for food” (2 Cor. 9:10). Anything we receive on earth, whether money, opportunities, or material possessions, is from God and for God. Since we know all things belong to Him, we can trust that when we give abundantly and sacrificially, He will supply all that we need and multiply the harvest of righteousness. We can receive what God has given us with gratitude and offer it back to Him as an act of worship. We see this exemplified in the extravagant gift that Mary pours out on Jesus in the days before His crucifixion and burial (Matt. 26:6–13; Mark 14:3–9; John 12:1–11). Out of the overflow of gratitude, she gave abundantly. Scripture also reminds us that those who sow sparingly will reap sparingly, and those who sow bountifully will reap bountifully (2 Cor. 9:6). The amount of our gift isn’t what makes it sparse or bountiful, but the proportion of our gift to the resources God has entrusted to us is. Jesus praises the poor widow for offering her mite compared to the abundant offerings of the rich (Luke 21:1–4). The harvest of her righteousness is Jesus’ acknowledgement of her humble generosity.
We believe generosity may be expressed in every way, including gifts of money, volunteering our time, sharing our resources through hospitality and material possessions, and imparting wisdom God has entrusted to us. In all these ways, we're to give joyfully and abundantly.
Over centuries, the joyful, abundant, multifaceted generosity of the Church has set her apart from the rest of the world. We believe it is our joy and responsibility to grow in generosity so that we may show what God is like to all the world.
Additional Resources on Generosity