"Generosity is Connecting" - Romans 12:1-18

There is an African proverb that says, "Because we are, I am." It is a profound confession of the need for community, for others, in order for us to know who we are, in order for us to live out our life's purposes. Because we are, I am. This is the heart of Paul's words found in Romans 12:1-18.
Click here to read the full article, "Generosity is Connecting"...

Keep alert for an upcoming webinar with General Secretary Roy A. Medley on "Generosity and the Future of the Church." This conversation will be moderated by ABCUSA Stewardship Facilitator Rev. Stacy Emerson and Rev. Nancy Forsstrom as we discuss the current challenges churches are facing in regard to stewardship and future hope as we explore how best to meet those challenges.  Details will be announced soon through the Generosity Newsletter and ABCUSA website.

Check out our recently published Footprints of Generosity bulletin insert, "Here God, Take All of It," here! 

I first went through Financial Peace University at Mystic Union Baptist Church in 2010 with my ex-husband. We worked through each chapter and made some changes in our savings and spending habits. We were so impressed with the information and Dave Ramsey's plan that we committed to coordinate a class in the future. My life situation changed and this time I coordinated the class at Union Baptist Church as a single 60 year old woman who needed to revisit the lessons I learned before and to listen carefully and ask more questions because I could no longer depend on a partner to explain things I might not completely understand. I also bought a set materials for my 31 year old son and he has come to almost every class. Dave Ramsey's funny and understandable lessons appealed to him and we can now discuss my financial situation as well as his. We have the same vocabulary and the goal of being in control of our money and investing it so that we can be anxiety free about our money and hopefully someday can give more generously to others and to our church.

I loved working with this class and the questions at the end of each lesson generated some very personal discussions about our impulsive buying habits, our difficulty delaying gratification and the absolute necessity of budgeting and planning where each dollar will go. After cleaning out a home of a lifetime of souvenirs and useless things that I "just had to have" I wanted to make it clear to the young couples in the class that they needed to work hard to spend money carefully and invest wisely to avoid the anxiety that goes with a lot of debt. The power of this program is the change that happens when we meet, learn and talk with each other. I appreciated the input from each of the 15 people in our group. The thirty year olds cut up a bunch of credit cards and the 70 year old retirees looked into changing their insurance plans. The program is well designed to meet each of our needs no matter where we are in our financial journey. I look forward to coordinating another class because I will need the support and the group to stay focused on my financial goals and I enjoy sharing the great resources that Dave Ramsey offers in Financial Peace University.