How to Encourage Generosity in a Culture of Consumption

Churches rely on the generosity of their members. They need people to volunteer on Sundays, run Bible studies, and lead worship services. But perhaps more than giving their time and talents, churches rely on members to give their hard-earned money.

The strain that many of your church members feel on giving may partly be the result of a culture of consumption. While groceries, rent, retirement savings, and insurance payments are needs, remember that your church members are also daily (and hourly) being bombarded with opportunities to purchase products–many of which they don’t actually need. 

In this article, we’ll talk about how to encourage more generosity in a buy-hungry culture. Namely, we’ll discuss how generosity leads to a true sense of freedom!

What is a Culture of Consumption?

What is a “culture of consumption”? Simply put, it’s a culture that places the highest value on buying items–whether that’s a fancy donut, an e-bike, a new pair of jeans, or the latest iPhone. 

A culture of consumption is pervasive and near-universal, but it’s most strongly felt in developed countries where consumption is imminently possible (i.e. America). Where people used to escape the lure of purchasing by getting outside or turning off the television, the advent of the iPhone and social media has made a culture of consumption impossible to escape. 

A culture of consumption doesn’t just practically prevent or limit your church members from giving; it also traps them in cycles of credit card debt, habits of overspending, shopping for a dopamine kick, and addiction to their phones. It breeds comparison, covetousness, and idolatry. In short, it affects your flock at a heart level–and can get in the way of surrender to Jesus. 

How to Inoculate Against a Culture of Consumption

While you may not preach an entire sermon series on a culture of consumption, I guarantee your church members will be relieved to hear you talk about it. Remember that the pressure to buy more is actually quite stressful for the vast majority of people–acknowledging these pressures can feel incredibly freeing!

That being said, here are a few ways to inoculate against a culture of consumption. 

1. Give perspective. 

You might have heard people talk about how we were able to buy more in the 80’s and 90’s, or that people used to have better lifestyles. But is that true, or has a culture of consumption–elevated by the mobile device in your pocket–tricked us all into believing that a “normal” budget includes the ability to fly to Europe on a whim, buy a $300 pair of jeans, and spend $30/month on subscription tea? 

The reality is, we all need a perspective shift. “Lifestyle creep,” or the tendency to allow our spending habits to expand to fill growing budgets, can make people feel that money is tight no matter how much they make. 

Gently remind your church members that simplicity reigned supreme in the past. For example, the average woman owned around 9 outfits in the 1950’s…versus 103 items owned by the average American woman today. It also helps to bring light to the fact that so-called lifestlye influencers on social media are sometimes hiding mountains of debt or are living in unfinished homes disguised as immaculately renovated house projects. 

2. Talk about debt. 

Some of your church members may be sinking in credit card debt as a result of overspending. In fact, Americans are defaulting on their credit cards at the highest rate since the 2008 recession. While there may occasionally be legitimate reasons for debt (i.e. medical bills or a loss of employment), the numbers indicate the hard truth: Our culture wants to normalize spending money that you don’t have.

Debt is not only unbiblical (Proverbs 22:7), but it can be cripplingly stressful. Encourage your congregation to get out of debt, starting with recognizing spending patterns that are rooted in a culture of consumption. 

3. Dive into the psychological drawbacks of over-consumption (and the benefits of giving). 

High value for consumption is inevitably linked with a love of money–after all, you need more money for more stuff! There’s a reason that Jesus said, “You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24). He wanted His followers to know that the love of money actually prevents us from giving our hearts to God.

On the contrary, giving is inextricably and inexplicably linked to greater joy. In fact, giving actually results in an increase in hormones like serotonin and dopamine–the same chemicals that are released in our brains when we fall in love or dig into chocolate cake. Scripture confirms this! Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35). In other words, giving brings greater happiness than getting. 

Tips for Encouraging Greater Generosity 

Let’s say that your church members are now successfully persuaded against a culture of consumption. Now, you need to help them build a plan for giving. 

Encourage budgeting 

If you’re seeking to inoculate against certain aspects of our culture, then you might as well leverage the parts of our culture that can be helpful. One cultural value in the West is the ever-present desire to self-improve with “life hacks.” It may feel silly to call a budget a life hack, but that’s essentially what it is: a relatively straightforward solution for mitigating over-spending, staying organized, and preventing debt. 

A budget can also be a great introduction to giving. Ideally, a spreadsheet (or these days, an app) allows you to portion out your income so that you can leave room for generosity. Remember that many of your church members want to give, but they haven’t learned how to designate a portion of their livelihood to generosity. 

Start small 

Encourage incremental change. When a church member begins to give 1%, for example, they will discover the joy of generosity–and with the help of the Holy Spirit, earnestly desire to give more. 

Give first 

When your church members wait until the end of the month to donate, they may not reach their giving goals. But the Bible actually encourages us to give first. The “first fruits” offering described in Proverbs 3:9 says, “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the First Fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” 

Portioning out the first tenth (or a fraction) of our paychecks to the Lord demonstrates trust…and brings manifold blessing. 

Make it Easy to Give with Tithely

Tithely is a free online giving platform that makes it fast and simple to be generous. Your church members give with just one click, and you have the benefit of organized and trackable giving receipts. To learn more about how Tithely can help you create a culture of generosity at your church, click here. 

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