CAPTION: Surprised by Generosity has been created by Brigit Kiyaga and Dave Hopwood, shown here presenting one of the course videos
New Generosity Lent Course 2022 Aims to Help Devon’s Churches Encourage Generous Living
Brigit Kiyaga, the Diocese of Exeter Mission Resources Advisor, says she is excited by the launch of the new diocese Lent course Surprised by Generosity.
She says she hopes the seven-week course will help people have “a greater understanding of God’s generosity to us and also the joy there is in responding to him and our church communities generously.
“To be rooted in prayer and understand that God’s Spirit is at work in us when we answer that call to be generous.”
“It’s practical, Biblical, challenging and professionally produced. It makes a great resource for churches, study groups and individuals who want to rediscover the God of surprises.” Bishop of Plymouth
Brigit, who works with churches in Devon to explore gratitude, generosity and giving as well as providing practical advice about fundraising, has collaborated with Dave Hopwood, a Devon-based Christian writer and speaker, to create the new resource.
It comes at a time when many parishes are facing financial uncertainty and anxiety as a result of the pandemic.
The course videos were filmed at locations across Devon, including St Michael’s chapel in Torquay
The free course includes seven weeks of small group resources, including videos produced by diocese Communications Officer, Matt Prior, as well as church service plans to follow throughout Lent.
Everything is available to download from the Diocese of Exeter website.
The Bishop of Plymouth, the Rt. Rev’d Nick McKinnel, says “Praise and thanksgiving lie at the heart of our faith, the inevitable response to discovering the grace, mercy and truth of God.
“Surprised by Generosity opens our eyes afresh both to all that God generously gives us in Jesus and to how we might live generously in return.
“It’s practical, Biblical, challenging and professionally produced. It makes a great resource for churches, study groups and individuals who want to rediscover the God of surprises.”
Dave Hopwood adds, “God has been generous to us in so many ways, most of all through Jesus’s life and Easter, and that calls us to be generous too.
The resources includes a study guide, videos and service plans
“This course explores generosity through stories, questions and Bible bits.”
He says, while generosity might seem an unusual subject for a Lent course, the Gospels are full of examples of God’s provision.
“One of the responses Jesus makes during his temptation in the desert is that he says ‘Man shall not live by bread alone but by the word of God.” (Matthew 4:4)
“We often think of Lent as being about giving-up something and a time of deprivation, but that quote comes from a passage which is all about God providing bread and that reminding people of the presence of God and the generosity of God.”
Brigit says that the ultimate example of generosity is in the account of Good Friday “When we think about Lent and the cross, we often think about John 3:16, “For God gave his one and only son.”
“I think about this giving, this generosity from God.”
Rev’d Steve Jones, from Exmouth, is one of the video contributors to the course
The course has been created with the help of clergy and lay people from across the Diocese of Exeter and Brigit says she is thankful for their support, “I think it is important that the people who have contributed to this course are from Devon and they understand the challenges faced by local parishes.
“We have tried to really capture the diversity of the churches in Devon – we have filmed at seaside churches, village churches and urban churches, as well as at places like Lee Abbey.”
Practical support for churches
Brigit’s role at the diocese includes advising churches on financial sustainability, including the installation of contactless giving devices and QR codes, encouraging regular online giving and sharing innovative fundraising ideas through the Love Your Church campaign.
She says she knows that many churches are struggling with a drop in funds over the past two years: “It’s so important to remember that we serve a God who listens to our prayers.
“I spent a bit of time in South Africa and often I would visit churches where there was lots of poverty and they would sing the song Cast Your Burdens onto Jesus Because He Cares for You and they would repeat and repeat and repeat it over again.
“I think it is so true for each one of us, we are invited today to cast our burdens onto him because he cares for us.
Buck the trend
Dave says in his work he tries to use “contemporary and relevant and immediate ways to help people think about biblical themes and stories and how they affect our daily lives.
“I’m trying to say to people let’s get away from the idea of religion or even spirituality, let’s think about life with God in it.
I hope Surprised by Generosity strengthens and inspires people to buck the trend a bit, because the attitude of the age we live in can be very judgemental and critical.
“The generosity that we are called to live with in Jesus, is actually to see people in a very different way and look for opportunities to uplift other people and help others.”
