Since the outbreak of COVID-19, financial giving has experienced a severe strain due to the global economic uncertainty. But within our 40acts community, we have seen a fresh outpouring of generosity for the charities featured in this year’s challenge.
We spoke with Acts 435 director, Jenny Herrera, and Ambassadors Football intern, Bronnie King, to find out how their causes have benefitted during this difficult time from the donations of 40acts readers.
Giving is costly – but it is also a great blessing. 2 Corinthians 9:8 says that we should give what we have decided in our hearts to give, ‘not reluctantly, or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.’ I love the promise, earlier in that verse, that we will reap what we sow. By the end of 40acts, I felt that I had reaped more than enough already.
Another Lent has come and gone and once again we bore witness to thousands of acts of generosity.
It really is a privilege to sit behind the screen and produce a challenge that inspires a ripple of goodness into sometimes dry and tired lives. Though I can’t always feel the tangible impact of what we do, I know that the acts we have done over this Lent are causing a chain reaction of generosity that will hopefully keep picking up momentum.
Thousands of people across the world joined us to do Lent differently, and to every person we say a massive thank you and well done!
We’re over halfway through the 40acts 2018 challenge - woohoo! This year thousands of people have joined us from all across the world to do something different this Lent. Our theme is Faith in Deed, focusing on putting our money where our heart is and our faith into action.
On 13th July, some of the 40acts community gathered in a rustic coffee shop in the heart of London to hear stories of entrepreneurial generosity. Ed Vickers, the founder of Jollies was sharing his story alongside Menekse Stewart, the pioneer of Cheerfully Given.
“Actually, the best thing you could do would be to pray for her...”
As a 7 year old, this was my introduction to the concept of praying for ‘enemies’. There was another child at school who had been continually nasty to me for no apparent reason. And whilst being comforted by my mum, this was the suggestion she’d made.
At the end of 40acts we’re often flooded with messages saying "I wish it happened all year round!" so this year we’re taking up the challenge with a plan to keep the generosity going for the rest of 2017 and right through to Lent 2018.
It started on the first day of March – over 100,000 people lined up ready on the 40acts starting line. Armed with a pen and two pieces of paper, they scribbled down what might be holding them back from living a generous life on one sheet and on the other everything they had to give away—time, skills, resources. Then came the crunch: rip up the first list; pray over the second.
40acts may be coming to a close for another year, but don’t panic! We’ve got plenty of other great stuff here at Stewardship to help you turn your Lent habits into a lifetime of abundant generosity.
Here are a few things we’d recommend to help you get started...
Over the last few years I’ve listened to so many people who have powerful testimonies to share. People like Ray, the 95 year old WW2 veteran whose faith was the thing that pulled him through injury, capture and a stint in a German POW camp. Though still plagued by nightmares, Ray is full of gratitude for all God has done.
blogs by the Stewardship team and selected guest writers.
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