Nurturing Generosity: Partnering with Parents to Teach Kids About Giving

As pastors and church leaders, we must equip the next generation with godly character traits, including generosity. Of course, the home is the primary influence for teaching these values. However, when churches also partner with parents in providing a learning environment of generosity within their faith communities, the outcome can be powerful. Generosity teaches kids beyond simply giving financially. It also imparts a heart attitude that encourages an outward posture towards others and develops individuals who serve selflessly.

The parents in your church want their children to have happy and healthy lives. No parent intentionally starts teaching their kids how to be selfish. Selfishness is innate. Kids don't typically start out wanting to share but instead have the attitude of "mine" and "no." Parents have to help shape their children into generous individuals. As a pastor or church leader, you can partner with parents in this journey by helping them understand the importance of teaching generosity.

Children of all ages need to learn how important it is to be generous. This is a trait that we all need to understand and follow. We see this as one of God's character traits: "For God so loved the world that He gave..." (John 3:16). If we don't teach our kids how to be generous, they will not learn how to give to others. And if they know this when they are young, it will be easier for them to change their behavior later.

So, what can we as pastors and church leaders do to partner with parents and help teach them to live a life of generosity? Here are 7 strategies you can implement immediately to see transformation in your kids and youth ministries:

1. Talk about Jesus and His teachings.

One way to help kids understand why they should give is to ensure that your children and youth curriculum talks about Jesus and His teachings in generosity. This teaching must become part of your teaching cycle for kids, youth, and adults.

A great way to do this is by having an all-church campaign that focuses on generosity and unites the entire congregation. This does not have to burden you or staff and volunteers. It can be as simple as doing the Convoy of Hope, a "One Day to Feed The World" campaign, or "Lord of the Fries," a series that One Voice Ministries partnered with Tithely to produce and is available for free.

Jesus gave His life for us, so teaching our children and youth this powerful example will go a long way in establishing the importance and value of selfless living as followers of Jesus. Additionally, by doing these things, you will empower parents in your church to have conversations with their kids regularly. Emphasizing how God wants us to treat each other with kindness by being generous will help young people internalize these lessons.

2. Lead by example.

If you are a pastor or church leader and have kids, talk about giving openly with your family. Share the real-life stories that come out of those conversations in your messages. Whatever tools you use for your family to be successful in teaching and leading in generosity, make sure the parents in your church have access to them.

As a pastor, my most potent and impactful illustrations for teaching my congregation about living a life of generosity have come from my own real-life examples.

Teaching your kids and youth to give is one way to show them how to be like Jesus. Teach them about giving money, time, and resources. By being generous with all three of these things, we, as pastors and parents, will set an example for our children to follow.

3. Have young people participate.

A pastor or church leader must focus on having kids and youth actively participate in events such as food drives or other community efforts. Teaching kids and youth to volunteer encourages saying no to selfishness. Remember, no parent wants to raise selfish kids. Instead, we want to raise children who share, give, and care. Teaching kids to give is teaching them to be like Jesus. He gave His all for us; we should seek to do the same for others in need.

Let me give you a quick example of living this out in real-time. Each year we set a goal for a Christmas offering and make it clear that we are giving it all away to needs outside our walls. And each year, God has blessed us to reach the goal and exceed in most cases. This past year our goal was $75,000. After our campaign ended, our people had given $77,264.55. Before our team announced the end result, I made sure that they said the exact number and did not round it up. I told them many of our kids gave cents or a few dollars, and they need to know that they are a part of seeing lives transformed through this offering, regardless of the amount. And as we announced the offering total, we made sure the congregation knew why we were not rounding up. The entire church celebrated that the kids were taking ownership.

Teaching your children to give their time and energy to help others is integral to generosity. As we train our young people to follow Jesus, we want them to learn that helping others is a valuable, Christlike thing.

4. Share how you feel when you give.

Not only should you, as a pastor and church leader, talk about how you feel, but you should teach the parents in your church to do the same with their kids. They need to know how adults feel when they donate, volunteer in a charity event, or spend time helping out. We must tell them why we made that decision. When kids know the feelings you experience – and they are good feelings – they'll begin to understand why giving is necessary and a part of God's character.

From a Christian standpoint, we must consider God as the ultimate Giver. He gave us His only Son, Jesus, to die for our sins and restore our relationship with Him. As followers of Jesus, we must strive to be like Him and give our all in every situation. As churches, we can't wait until adulthood to teach this. We should teach our kids this biblical truth so they can learn to be generous and show kindness to others. In doing so, they will live much fuller lives. When people obey Jesus, their lives will change for the better.

5. Be clear with your expectations.

As a pastor or church leader, you must cast the vision with your staff or volunteers who lead the kids and youth areas. They need to be on board with this as a part of your discipleship process.

Teach and discuss with kids and youth what constitutes a gift - money, time, or items. It can help provide examples of how others have given in their lives. It's also important to let them know that it doesn't have to be a large sum of money; even the smallest gifts can make a difference. We see this in Jesus' actual teaching in Mark 12. As followers of Jesus, we are called to give generously from the resources He has entrusted us with. We must teach and lead our children to see themselves as managers of all God provides. Ensure your kids get the reports of all the church is doing with what they give. Track their giving and celebrate just as you do with the adults.

When children learn the habit of giving, they gain valuable lessons that last a lifetime. Studies have shown that when people give, they naturally experience positive emotions such as joy and satisfaction. In addition, giving may lead to greater feelings of purpose and self-fulfillment because it allows us to develop meaningful relationships with those we help. It can also help them learn empathy, compassion, and understanding as they practice seeing from another person's perspective and responding appropriately.

6. Start small and build from there.

Starting small and becoming regular givers is a great way to teach young people the biblical truth of generosity. The Bible teaches us that God gives us so much and wants us to give back in return. But, it also teaches us that giving should be done out of love, not an obligation or just for show.

One of the best ways to start small with giving is through pocket money. This doesn't have to be a large sum; even a few coins will do. Start by showing the kids and youth in your church how to use their pocket money to help others in need, like donating to a charity or sponsoring someone in need. Then, as they get older and their pocket money increases, you can encourage them to divide their coins into different categories – some for spending, some for saving, and some for giving away.

Once the kids and youth in your church have started giving little bits here and there, you can begin encouraging them to become regular givers. Maybe help families to set aside one day each month or quarter where you as a church provide a way for families to focus on giving back – whether it's packing bags at a food bank, helping out at a charity, or simply writing kind letters to those who could use a boost in spirit. Being consistent with giving helps the next generation learn that this is part of life as a follower of Jesus; it's integral to being compassionate human beings who care about others as much as ourselves.

Generosity can also act as a form of self-care for children because it allows them to use their resources to bring light into someone else's life. It can encourage them to step outside their comfort zone and reach out in love without expecting rewards or recognition. This act alone is gratifying on its own merits. It has positive long-term effects on emotional intelligence and personal growth.

7. Provide tools.

Gone are the days of simply putting change in an offering plate. There are now creative, interactive tools churches can use to engage kids and their families in generosity. One of the best tools that I recommend is Tithely (And no, I am not receiving anything from Tithely to say this. But, as a pastor, I see the benefits and power of this tool for our church). Tithely is a powerful online giving platform that has helped our church streamline the donation process and make it easy for parents to give confidently. 

With Tithely, parents can help their kids track their progress and see how their donations make a difference in people's lives. And it allows us as pastors and church leaders to know the heart of generosity that God is developing in our Next Generation ministry and how we can move forward in the future. Suppose the spiritual disciplines of generosity are learned at a young age. Saving them from this struggle remains a part of their faith journey throughout their lives.

Significant Benefits for Their Entire Lives

Teaching kids and youth about giving provides valuable financial education lessons that will serve them well later in life. Kids learn skills such as budgeting, living within their means, and making wise decisions when donating money or volunteering time – all invaluable components of having a healthy financial mindset in adulthood. They can also reap significant rewards from experiencing true joy from helping others without expectation or requirement for reciprocation.