When it comes to generosity, most of us instinctively think of money. But the Bible paints a much broader picture of whole-life generosity that overflows into every part of who we are and how we live.
Parade of the feather dusters
In rural Sussex where I grew up, my church community was involved in an ‘sale of work’ in aid of a charity supporting older people. Each year, a hall was hired and people from far and wide would visit to be generous with their money, eat together and reconnect with old friends.
My grandfather was a joyfully generous man and took great delight in slipping pound coins into children’s hands for them to spend at the sale. One memorable year, a child decided to buy a feather duster from the cleaning supplies stall, but as a weapon of mischief rather than for spring cleaning purposes. In a flash, it seemed like every child in the building was the proud new owner of a feather duster and the sale became a full-pitched battle of giggling children.
It has stuck with me as a wonderful memory of intergenerational generosity, marked with community, kindness and laughter.
Whether you are a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle or part of a church family, you have the chance to model generosity to the children in your life. Helping them see that giving and kindness are not occasional acts but part of a way of life enabled by God’s generosity to us is one of the greatest legacies we can pass on.
Five ways to introduce children to generosity
Children are often naturally generous. They love to share ideas, time and laughter, sometimes more freely than adults do. By nurturing and shaping that instinct, we can help them understand generosity in the same way God shows it to us: open-handed, joyful and whole-hearted. Here are five ways to start.
1. Whole-life generosity
Generosity is about more than giving money. It is giving time, talents, attention and kindness. Talk with children about the different ways they can be generous each day. That could mean sharing toys, helping a friend, including someone marginalised or praying for someone in need.
By celebrating these small, everyday acts, you show that generosity is a posture of the heart, not just a special occasion or a transaction.
2. Let them lead
Children often have a clear and compassionate view of the world. Give them opportunities to lead the way in generosity. Ask who they would like to help or what causes they care about.
It might be possible to connect generosity to their existing interests. For example, you could convert an passion for baking into support for a foodbank, or a love of books into supporting a literacy program. If they notice a lonely neighbour, help them write a note or draw a picture.
When they take the lead, they experience the joy of giving as their own choice, not just something adults do.
3. Do generosity together
Generosity grows best in community. Look for joyful moments where you can support churches or charities as a family or group, whether that be organising a fundraiser for a charity together, volunteering at a local event or taking food to new mums or the sick.
Pray together about the people you want to bless. When children see generosity modelled and shared, they begin to understand that it is a shared value and part of following Jesus.
4. Consider personality types
Not every child will express generosity in the same way. Some are natural givers who will happily share everything sacrificially while others are more cautious and need time to learn. These starting points both have their risks attached to them, so provide a great teachable moment for coaching them through the process of generously stewarding resources.
Talk about how God made each of us different and how generosity can look different too. Encourage them to find ways to give that align with who they are, whether that is serving, encouraging, giving or creating.
5. Model impulsive as well as considered giving
Planning to give is important and modelled often in the Bible, but spontaneous generosity is powerful too. This could range from the small (how about a family ninja-raid to leave chocolate in their friend's porch, unnoticed?) to the significant (perhaps agreeing to respond sacrificially to a need shared at church).
Let children see both the times you give carefully and the times you give quickly because your heart is stirred. Show them that generosity is not a transaction to meet a minimum requirement but a response to love.
When we weave generosity into everyday life, we pass on something lasting, a vision of God’s abundance that shapes the next generation.
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James Bishop
James is our Digital Marketing Manager and works within our Purpose team to connect Christians to the causes they care about and to inspire them to live out the freedom that active generosity offers. He works on website content and email newsletters, advertising on social media and making sure people using search engines can find us. James also contributes to campaigns such as 40acts and the Generosity Report.
Before joining Stewardship in 2025, James worked in marketing departments of all sizes, from a biotech startup to a large civil engineering consultancy and most recently a learning disability charity.
James lives in Surrey and serves in a local church as a director of their non-profit community café and on their AV team. James is reluctantly making a middle-age transition from football to golf and loves making homemade pizza and good coffee.
