This article was excerpted from the concept paper The Genesis of Generosity: First Steps Toward Creating Cultures of Generosity in Churches.

A growing number of church leaders today are taking bold steps to help their people become truly generous.

Gripped with a sense of accountability before God for the enormous wealth we enjoy in our culture, these leaders teach, preach, celebrate and model the perspective that giving is much more than financial stewardship and tithing.

Rather, they understand that God calls us to generous living in all aspects of life in response to his overwhelming generosity to us.

From his study of the motives and methods of some of these leaders, Leadership Network's Christopher Willard observes that these churches use different models, but they share some common convictions.

"Churches that are becoming known for their generosity are moving away from a campaign mentality that focuses on giving primarily in response to needs such as building programs," Christopher says. "Instead, these leaders are creating a pervasive culture of generosity that captures hearts, reinforces values, and connects a wide range of resources with needs in specific, tangible ways."

Senior pastor Brian Tome of Crossroads Community Church (Cincinnati, OH) is an example of one of those leaders. When Brian became the first pastor of the church, he learned some valuable lessons from other church planters.

"They regretted that they hadn't talked about money early enough,"Brian remembers. "By not talking about God's perspective of money and possessions, they conditioned people to become consumers instead of givers."

Brian learned from their mistakes. From the beginning of Crossroads, he spoke often about money, sent out quarterly giving statements and motivated people by telling stories of changed lives through their generous giving.

About five years ago, Brian sat in the atrium of the church's new building. The church had doubled in three months, and that day God gave him an important insight. They would soon outgrow the building they'd just built, so they'd have to build a bigger facility . . . and then a larger one, and later a still larger one.

"It looked like an endless treadmill,"he remembers. He and his leadership team developed a larger vision, one for the kingdom instead of for their church.

"We realized we're not here just to fund our local church ministry,"Brian relates. "We're part of a revolution God initiated to change the world. The revolution starts with every person at our church being a blessing to people around them—and eventually, being a blessing to people around the world. That's what God promised Abraham in Genesis 12."

Brian believes that all people want to be about something bigger than themselves. Instead of talking about tithing as a moralistic obedience to give 10%, Crossroads regularly presents "bold asks" that challenge people to love God and their neighbor with greater devotion, energy, and generosity.

At its core, the culture of Crossroads gives every person who walks through the door an opportunity to fulfill his or her God-given desire to make a difference and change lives. Generosity isn't a program--being a blessing is a passion that permeates everything they are, everything they say, and everything they do.

Churches that are known for their generosity began this emphasis from a variety of first causes, and they use different models to teach and equip people to be more generous. However, they have several perspectives and practices in common:

They look to God's generosity as the ultimate example. "We become what we behold, so we behold God to become like him," says Sam Crabtree, executive pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church (Minneapolis, MN)
They realize that stewardship is not just about money. As people know and love Christ, he changes them from the inside out and gives them a generous heart in every aspect of life.
They recognize the corrosive effects of our consumer culture, and they speak about it often and well.
They use available resources from credible Christian organizations.
They celebrate church-wide and individual steps forward as they see God change selfishness and complacency into true generosity.

Each of these church leaders has a myriad of stories to tell about men and women, young and old, whose lives God has transformed and who experience the joy of generosity. Beyond the concepts, theology, principles, and strategies, changed lives motivate these leaders to keep pursuing generosity in their own lives and throughout their congregations.