In the Diocese of Leeds from September 29th - October 6th
Generosity Week is an annual event where we invite your church to explore God’s generosity through eight days of service and worship materials. Together we reflect on God’s generosity to us and explore how we can grow generosity in our churches. Developing a generous culture is essential for enabling our churches to have a sustainable and growing ministry and we hope that by the end of Generosity Week you’ll have a deeper understanding of God’s generosity towards us and how we can live more generously in our daily lives.
What is Generosity Week?
Generosity Week provides an opportunity for churches to focus on giving and generosity, providing ideas and resources to engage the whole church community. The week is book-ended by two Sunday services, focusing on generosity and gratitude.
Click on the image below for more details.
Although the national Generosity Week runs from 29th September through to 6th October 2024 you can run Generosity Week at any time! The dates are chosen to fit the Harvest season, but you can run your Generosity Week to coincide with your own Harvest Festival. If that doesn't work for you, don't let it put you off. We are called to be generous 365 days a year, so run it whenever suits you!
In the months leading up to Generosity Week, there will be newsletter updates pointing out resources and going through the steps to building a generous church. Find copies of these newsletters here:
Generosity Week Resources
There are many resources available to help you hold a Generosity Week in your church. Walk through the resources in this document.
There are resources for children and young people, the community, small groups and service materials. Check out all of the resources on the Church of England website here.
Living Generously
This year, churches are encouraged to explore the different ways we can be generous with everything we have. The new 8 session course, 'Living Generously', explores the simple, powerful moment in which Mary, a friend and follower of Jesus, displays the kind of astonishing generosity God himself pours on us. Each session has a study guide and 10 minute video to begin the discussion, with small groups or can be used privately for individual study. Click on the image above to find out more.
See what Generosity Week looked like in 2023:
Generous Church Check Up
The Generous Church Check Up is a simple task that will help PCC members to talk about and explore how to encourage giving and generosity in churches and the wider community.
The Generous Church Check-up list helps churches work through a series of short questions and relaxed group activities enabling a review of giving practice, acknowledging the positive steps already taken to encourage giving in church and growing a generous culture, but will also help to identify new opportunities to grow further.
An annual review of giving is recommended for all PCCs but it may seem daunting and difficult to know where to start.The Generous Church Check Up offers PCCs an easy introduction giving a "snap-shot" of what giving is currently like in their church.
Resources from Generosity Week 2023:
- Generous Church Check Up
- Generous Church Review
- Generosity Week 2023 Launch
- Generosity Week 2023 Newsletter Issue 1, Newsletter Issue 2, Newsletter Issue 3, Newsletter Issue 4
- Walk Through Generosity Week 2023 Resources
- Generosity Week Newsletters 2022
- Guide to Launching the Parish Giving Scheme During Generosity Week
- Generosity Week Resources (including Living Faith Materials, Weekly Services and Marketing Resources)
- Generosity Week Podcasts
- Resources for Children and Young People
- Engaging with the community
A Generosity Fika
In Swedish culture, a fika is a break from activity during which people drink coffee, eat cakes or other light snacks, and relax with others. A Generosity Fika is a half day programme, for small groups to explore God's generosity to us, biblical generosity and generosity around the world. Through short films, reflections and discussion we can be inspired and encouraged to live more generous lives. Fikas can be an enormously effective way of developing a generous culture within your church.
You can run a Generosity Fika in your church and we have a handbook to help guide you through your session. You will need to download the following resources:
Generosity Fika Facilitator's Handbook
Generosity Fika Participant's Handbook
Generosity Fika Reflections
Generosity Fika PowerPoint