This page is to help people understand and grow in the gift of giving.

Developing the Gift of Giving 

Video of a sermon given by Mako Nagasawa to Rescued Church, Nov 16, 2014.

Motivated by Grief

A blog entry.  Grief is very different from guilt as a motivation, and appropriate

Witnessing Through Ethics and Ethical Life (TBD)

Towards a Jubilee Economy: Christian Financial Discipleship & Collaboration Curriculum

A biblical discipleship curriculum designed for church-based cohorts. It focuses on four areas: (1) God’s shalom and justice for all people; (2) how racism affects the American real estate and financial markets; (3) practical financial literacy; (4) Christ-centered emotional development so we can respond collaboratively to partner with people in debt-reduction, asset-building, and home-ownership. The curriculum can be customized to your community and its financial goals and needs.

Lazarus at the Gate / Global Poverty Impact

Economic discipleship curriculum. See also Lazarus at the Gate testimony, a short video from a small group of young adults who gave $55,000 towards global poverty.

Economic Discipleship blog site

A blog site dedicated to fostering a learning community around the gift of giving and the Lazarus at the Gate curriculum.

Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Spirituality of Fundraising (pdf, 2004)

Leah MarieAnn Klett, Dave Ramsay Says Pastors Must Stop Telling "Broke" People to Tithe, Must First Address Debt, Budget. The Christian Post, Nov 15, 2018. An essential perspective for wholistic care and church development. 

Jonathan Walton and Sy Hoekstra, Equitable Financial Education with Irene Cho. Keep the Faith Press, Jul 7, 2023.

Money and the Desire for More Money is our page on patterns of charitable giving, the psychological impact of wealth, etc.

Michelle Singletary, Want to Save More Money? Try These Three Financial Fasts. Washington Post, Jan 19, 2018. Singletary is an African-American Christian woman who writes about financial stewardship in an engaging, thoughtful, and challenging way. See also Michelle Singletary, The 21-Day Financial Fast: Your Path to Financial Peace and Freedom. Zondervan | Amazon page, Jan 2014. See summary from her website.

Michelle Singletary, Structural Racism Helps Schemers Attract Blacks to Fake ‘Sou-Sou’ Scams. Washington Post, Aug 14, 2020. Singletary highlights a sad reality, but informative in designing real programs (e.g. church-based) that are truly beneficial and transparent.

Michelle Singletary, Black Americans Donate a Higher Share of Their Wealth Than Whites. Washington Post, Dec 11, 2020. “Despite lower net worth, they have a culture of charitable giving. They are philanthropists investing in their communities.”

Elizabeth Ralph, Why Women Give Away More Money. Politico, Dec 18, 2020.

The Young Turks, Dave Ramsey Calls Stimulus Checks "Absolutely Ridiculous". The Young Turks, Feb 13, 2021. Ramsay’s individualistic approach to personal finance leads him to underestimating systemic debt and larger forces.