Interview

BECOMING GENEROUS DISCIPLES

The Give to Grow programme is changing to become Generous Discipleship. But it’s more than just a new name, as Generous Discipleship Co-ordinator Denise Wilkinson (THQ) explains to Salvationist

WHAT WAS GIVE TO GROW AND WHY IS IT CHANGING? Give to Grow has been running since 2008, after having been introduced as Planned Giving in the 1990s. It is a biblical resource to help people understand the importance of giving generously and sacrificially. Over the past five years around sixty corps have taken part at some point, and it has definitely made a difference, helping people to consider their monetary giving. One corps is undertaking its tenth renewal this year, which is an excellent achievement as the corps family has taken ownership to ensure that giving remains an essential part of its spiritual development.

However, comments from corps across the territory highlighted the need for change, so some corps leaders met with a group from THQ to discuss what was working well and what needed to be changed to make the teaching more relevant.

WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME? Traditionally, when we talked about giving, it was about giving our money. In reality it’s about giving ourselves back to God so that he can use everything we have to offer to support our corps. As followers of Christ we should talk about giving in terms of our time, skills and abilities as well as our money. That’s what came out of the discussions.

The people we heard from still wanted the four principles of Give to Grow: biblical teaching; lay-to-lay teaching, which means getting people within the U CO we talked about giving our money. In ng ourselves back to use everything we ort our corps. As e should talk about r time, skills and ur money. That’s e discussions. ard from still wanted Give to Grow: -to-lay teaching, people within the corps to talk to others in the corps; an act of hospitality that brings people together, usually a meal; and an act of commitment or pledge. However, it was felt that the emphasis should be broadened so that all areas of giving were included.

This new emphasis is reflected in the new name, Generous Discipleship. While the theme of the teaching will be under the banner of ‘Generous Living – Generous Giving’, exploring what it means to use the ‘currencies’ God has given us – our time, skills, abilities and money – we still need to remember that being generous in other ways does not negate the need to be faithful in the giving of our financial resources.

Just think about God’s creation and how he has provided everything we have. His generosity sets the example we should reflect in our own giving.

WILL IT BE RUN IN A NEW WAY? We will still invite corps to do a threeyear cycle, as it’s about the journey of developing and growing in our understanding of what God expects from us. We now suggest that the whole corps community should be involved, as we have people connected to our corps who might not be part of the worshipping community. Some of our most generous people, particularly with time and skills, are those that are not there on a Sunday, yet they come and share with us by volunteering, helping with foodbanks or serving in a café. There is much that we can learn from their generous natures. The advisers now work in a much more flexible way with corps. This enables us to tailor what is required to meet the specific needs of a corps, thus negating ‘one approach fits all’. In most cases the conversation doesn’t start with a question about money, it starts with: ‘Tell me about what you do here and why you’re doing it.’ It’s a missional conversation not a financial conversation, and it opens up all the different areas that corps might need to look at. Sometimes that will be about money, but we hope it will include other areas of mission and interaction with the community.

WHAT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE? We already have a number of resources on the Enabling Mission website and are looking to include additional Bible studies and links through to other resources that corps can download and use.

WHEN IS GENEROUS DISCIPLESHIP BEGINNING? It’s available now! We’re already in conversation with corps, the divisional mission enablers are getting the word out and we’re going to introduce it at a number of divisional events.

Over the past couple of years I have regularly returned to the words of Paul, writing about the Macedonian churches: ‘They gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability’ (2 Corinthians 8:3). They gave everything they had, despite having very little, because they had placed themselves completely in God’s hands and allowed him to direct their lives and their giving – even then they didn’t think it was enough! It would be great if we could follow the Macedonians’ example and become the generous church that God wants us to be. Co t a s 8 they had, des because they completely in him to direct – even then t enough! It wo follow the Ma become the g wants us to b

O For more information about Generous Discipleship visit enablingmission.org. uk or call Denise on 020 7367 4935 O For more in Discipleship v uk or call De

Suffering and death

Major Roger Batt explores the differing responses onlookers have to Jesus

STUDY PASSAGE: LUKE 23:26–49

WHEN one of our children was young, they had to go to a dental hospital to have a number of teeth extracted. As they lay on the bed waiting for the operation, I had an overwhelming desire to take their place. I wanted to take their pain rather than see them suffer. If ever I needed an up-close reminder of what Jesus went through in his suffering and death for me, then here it was.

QUESTION O What experience has led you to consider what Jesus went through in his suffering and death for you?

In our Scripture passage, we see how a number of people got caught up in the suffering and death of Jesus and how their stories connected with Jesus’ story.

The first person we read about is Simon from Cyrene. Here was someone who lived a long way from Jesus – Cyrene was more than 700 miles from Jerusalem – yet, in carrying the cross, Simon came very close to Jesus in his suffering.

QUESTION O How do you seize moments to celebrate how Jesus has taken you from a distant place of suffering without him to a place of rejoicing and living with him?

In the crowd, some women saw Jesus and responded to his suffering as they ‘mourned and wailed for him’ (v27). Jesus noticed them and their reaction. He engaged with them, saying: ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children’ (v28).

These women were different from those who had called out for Jesus to be crucified. However, in calling them ‘daughters of Jerusalem’, Jesus identified them as part of this crowd and this city.

Although they witnessed his suffering, they failed to see their need to mourn over their sins and

Through the week with Salvationist – a devotional thought for each day by Lieut-Colonel Ray Oakley SUNDAY When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals – one on his right, the other on his left.

(Luke 23:33)

MONDAY There is a green hill far away,/ Without a city wall,/ Where the dear Lord was crucified/ Who died to save us all.

(SASB 203) TUESDAY Jesus said: ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

(Luke 23:34)

Prayer Lord Jesus, thank you for dying that we might have our sins forgiven. We have a debt of love that we can never repay. Help us to share the knowledge of that love with our family, friends, neighbours and others we meet.