Wesley K. Willmer, A Revolution in Generosity: Transforming Stewards to be Rich Toward God. Moody Press, 2008.
Referenced in: Giving and Financial Stewardship
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
This is the closest thing to an “Encyclopedia of Christian Generosity” available today. Willmer offers over 400 pages of the best wisdom on most conceivable areas of financial stewardship development, distilled from over twenty leading scholars and practitioners. For this reason, it is my top recommendation overall for financial stewardship development.
Section One begins by drawing a clear distinction between transactional and transformational giving. Transactional means “give to us so you can get something good in return.” Transformational means an emphasis on changing one’s heart and life so that giving flows from the core of one’s being. The former is fundamentally promotional, the latter is essentially spiritual. From there, authors Craig Blomberg, who wrote Neither Poverty Nor Riches, and others such as Scott Rodin, present a rich practical theology of possessions. They include several comparative tables that show how a sharpened biblical emphasis redefines every piece of the stewardship development process.
Section Two discusses the church’s role in transforming stewards. It covers how to organize and implement a church stewardship ministry, teach financial principles in the church, and conduct generosity initiatives and capital campaigns. Section Three covers the asker’s role as a facilitator of heart transformation. The emphases here is on aligning stewardship to God’s calling, practicing God’s presence, discipleship, and organizing and communicating in a way that people are spiritually transformed. Section Four discusses the leader’s/advisor’s role in raising up stewards. This discusses the role of church boards, consultants and financial advisors. Section Five and the Appendix offer helpful information as well.
It would be hard to overstate the value of this volume for church leaders. It is the top resource on the subject. It is full of substantive teaching, practical strategies, helpful charts and checklists, and resource suggestions (web and print). It has a few weaknesses, such as not covering the sociology on the state of giving in churches, or developing the social conscience of wealthy Christians. Also, one may want to consult the full range of recommendations on financial stewardship development on LifeandLeadership.com for more information on select topics. Still, no church leader will want to begin a stewardship emphasis without this book.
From the Publisher
Give over $100 today and get this personalized state-of-the-art fountain pen free! Become a gold sponsor and your name will be featured on our exclusive “wall of fame”! Send in your donation by December 31st and enjoy the benefits of giving on your next tax return! Who hasn’t heard fundraising gimmicks like these? Or, who hasn’t used these gimmicks on others? As Wes Willmer writes, “Generosity is the natural outcome of God’s transforming work in individuals when they are conformed to the image of Christ.” Fundraising and giving are not simply “drops in the bucket.” Capital campaigns and raising funds go deeper than the money. They are spiritual activities in becoming more like Christ. A Revolution in Generosity is a work by some of the best shcolars and practitioners on the subject of funding Christian organizations. As Willmer writes, “The foundation for realizing a revolution in generosity is understanding the biblical view of possessions, generosity, and asking for resources.” With over twenty expert contributors, this book is a must-read for organizations striving to rid themselves of secular asking practices and gain an eternal approach.
About the Author
Wesley K. Willmer is vice president of university advancement and a professor at Biola University. He has been author, co-author, editor, or editor-in-chief of twenty-one books and many professional journal publications. Two recent books include God and Your Stuff: the Vital Link Between Your Possessions and Your Soul and The Prospering Parachurch: Enlarging the Boundaries of God’s Kingdom. He resides in Fullerton, California, with his wife, Sharon. He has three grown children and two granddaughters.
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