Igor served with Every Generation Ministries in Minsk, Belarus, and—like all EGM workers—was very involved in his local church.
One of his many ministry commitments was leading a Bible study for several elderly “sisters” who lived in the same apartment building and could no longer travel to the church services. They were all babcias (grandmothers) who loved Igor and his wife, Natasha.
Naturally, over time, these dear women became interested in Igor’s work with EGM. At one point Igor told them about EGM’s newest ministry launch in Mexico. Somehow it came up that there was a matching grant for all gifts dedicated to the start of the new ministry in Mexico. These sisters in Christ prayed and decided they wanted to participate.
Each of the eight was on a fixed income: they received about 1 million Belarusian rubles each month, which amounted to less than $50 US. Nevertheless, they told Igor that they would have an offering for the new EGM ministry in Mexico on the first Sunday of the following month.
When Sunday came, the sisters handed Igor the offering: they had collected nearly $100. Igor then learned that two of the sisters hadn’t yet received their monthly stipend and were planning to give.
The next week the total eclipsed $125, and—with the matching grant—$250 was donated to EGM-Mexico. When the EGM-Mexico board of directors met and found out that eight shut-in Belarusian grandmas had given $125 and the amount had been matched, they wept.
The chairman of the board stood up and said, “We should be ashamed of ourselves. We eat fish tacos and drink Coca-Colas while Belarusian grandmothers are concerned about Mexican children. About our children.”
Compelled to support the ministry in his own land, he passed a basket right then and there in response to God’s conviction. Enthusiastic and generous giving inspires others to do the same!
Double the Impact or Double the Glory?
God wants and is glorified when His people give generously… when we see our giving as ministry… and when we spur one another on, motivating each other to give. Our enthusiastic giving is contagious—and all for God’s glory.
As you’ve probably noticed, I haven’t been super-positive about the road well traveled. Many of us in the Christian community have been inundated by matching gift programs and challenge grants that encourage us to give because the amount we give will be doubled or even tripled. This is a staple on the well-traveled road.
For years, I thought that this was just some stale but effective marketing strategy to encourage greater philanthropy. Hey, if my $50 gift is worth $100, I’ll be motivated to give. And if I can build a well with a $500 gift, then my $500—doubled—can build two wells.
Years ago, however, I discovered that this matching-grant approach was actually a biblical notion. (The road-well-traveled camp just never made the biblical foundation clear!)
In 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, Paul first used the Corinthians’ commitment to motivate the Philippians, and then he turned around and used the Philippians’ example to inspire the Corinthians to give. Paul’s wasn’t exactly a matching gift program, but the principle of making the desire to give contagious is definitely there.
Paul’s motive in the matter appears to be two-fold.
First, the giving of the primarily Gentile churches in Macedonia and Galatia to the primarily Jewish Christians in Jerusalem would be a concrete example of the reconciling power of the gospel. The offering would be a concrete expression of unity and a statement that all are welcome in the new Kingdom of God, Jew and Gentile alike.
Second, giving is associated with the heart of people (Matthew 6) and associated with spiritual renewal (Nehemiah 10). For Paul, the offering would bring spiritual vitality to the infant Christian movement in Corinth, Macedonia and Galatia.
Unfortunately, on the Road Well Traveled, this focus has been seconded by the “leverage” your giving can have when it’s matched. Rather than focusing on spiritual matters as Paul does, Pastors and fundraisers focus on the “doubling” or even “tripling” of your gift, making your “investment” in God’s Kingdom all the more significant.
When the emphasis could be on the hearts of people, the expression of the gospel and the spiritual renewal of lives it is instead placed on the impact of your gift, “stewardship” of your resources and increased income to the church or ministry.
So, when we walk the road less traveled, let’s enjoy some friendly competition in our giving. Let’s spur each other on in ever more generous and cheerful giving. When we do so, we give glory to God and enrich our fellowship with our “friendly competitors”.
Finally—and interestingly—in the matter of contagious generosity, the road well traveled and the road less traveled generally converge. Giving truly is a life-giving ministry. So may our giving be highly contagious!