“Giving to a Good Cause: Passion for the Passion”

The School of Philanthropy of the University of Indiana documented some of the top reasons people give. They listed:

• It makes them feel good.
• They are passionate for a cause.
• They care about something.
• Giving gives them joy and gladness.
• They are asked.

People give to those causes which connect with their interest and passion. Recently, I have been led to some fresh thoughts on this subject.

Let’s talk about things about which we as Christians are passionate. Two passages of scripture especially come to mind. First, there is John 3:16-17:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”  

The second passage is II Corinthians 4: 7-10:

“But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed but not driven to despair; persecuted but not forsaken; struck down but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our bodies.”

What is there to be more passionate about than the Passion of the Good News of the Gospel of God’s saving work in Jesus Christ?!

The doctrine of Christian grace speaks of the core of the faith in which we stand. We don’t earn it; we don’t deserve it; it is not something that we obtain by privilege or status. Grace is the free gift of God through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. Gratitude is a word that emerges from the same root word. It speaks of our response to grace. The experience of God’s grace in our lives, even in the midst of adversity, is what evokes in us a grateful and generous response. As II Corinthians 9:8 states:

“God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.”

Regrettably, as human beings living in an affluent world, we allow our attitudes toward giving to be seduced by the culture of “more is better” rather than “enough is best.” In addition, especially in the midst of the recent global recession, we let our anxieties about money (or the scarcity thereof!) trigger our fears in all sorts of ways. Returning to the roots of our faith helps us manage these fears constructively.

Speaking of anxiety also connects with another concern about giving today. In multiple ways we are experiencing symptoms of a basic anxiety and distrust of institutions in our society. This phenomenon has challenged much rethinking of how religious organizations can connect with this shift in giving patterns. This is where Missional Church thinking redirects me in some helpful ways. As Darrel Guder has written in The Missional Church:

“The priority for the church is not to preserve an institution but to cultivate a way of life based on a biblical understanding of the community Jesus fostered among his disciples and to explore the implications of that Way for life in the world."
    
This is where I think the “passion for the Passion” connects with the missional concept that we are “the sent people of God.” We are called by God to be vigilant for where God is at work in the world and join God in that work.

It is at this point that I become passionate about the ways that we in Northeast Georgia Presbytery, through our “A Peach Orchard in Bloom” image, are seeking to embrace this mission.  We are seeking to make real what it means to be a connectional church, called by God to stand together and produce a harvest of Christian charity, witness, and service. Some of the tangible expressions of this ministry currently include the following:

• Providing resources for evangelism and congregational transformation for our 57 congregations;
  
  
• Supporting the development of six new churches, two emergent model churches, and over thirty immigrant fellowships;
  
  
• Financially supporting various community ministries, including Friendship Multicultural Ministry, Cornelia Lao Ministry, GAP Ministries, the Neighborhood Improvement Project in Augusta, Westside Presbyterian Church in Elberton, and Casa de Amistad in Athens;
  
  
• Training Healthy Congregations Facilitators, providing Transition Consultants for Pastor Nominating Committees, responding to requests from Sessions desiring to address conflict constructively, examining candidates for calls, facilitating participation of newly-ordained pastors in the First Call Program, and providing Church Professional Retreats;
  
  
• Offering counsel, support, and guidance for twelve Inquirers and Candidates for Ministry of Word and Sacraments and facilitating the recruitment of persons who feel a call to church-related vocations;
  
  
•  Supporting youth attending the Montreat Youth Conference, Spring and Fall Youth Retreats, and a summer mission trip; providing leadership training and support through our Winter and Fall Leadership Events and an Officer Training Event; supporting the Presbyterian Student Center at the University of Georgia; supporting other campus ministries in the North Georgia region through the Tri-Presbytery Campus Ministry Commission, and a new Campus and Collegiate Ministry Action Team; and through Jubilee Adult Ministry (JAM) providing activities for senior adults;
  
  
• Offering resources and events for spiritual formation and discernment;
  
  
• Supporting regional, national, and international mission through the Synod of South Atlantic and the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

For all of these reasons, I believe there is much to be passionate about related to our ministry together as Northeast Georgia Presbytery as we seek to have “passion about the Passion.” Consistent with the reasons for giving cited by The School of Philanthropy, I sincerely request the prayerful consideration of these causes by individuals and Sessions within Northeast Georgia Presbytery.

Ken Meeks, Jr.