LIVING GENEROUSLY

Published by: Saint Andrew Press Price: £9.99

Stewardship conjures up thoughts of money and finance, but this new book, with its heart firmly in the Church of Scotland offers a guide to show the importance of giving, but not just financially.

Brought together by the Church of Scotland’s stewardship team, this handbook draws on real life examples of stewardship from within the Church itself to resource and inspire readers.

Based around themes of stewardship, the book can be used individually but is a useful tool for all those involved in stewardship within congregations for prompting discussion and study in forming and revising plans.

Each chapter contains a themed article, prompts to encourage sharing, a case study and signposts to useful resources.

Each theme is enhanced by the real-life case studies which show stewardship in action within the Church.

The book also includes templates for prayer and music suggestions to help those considering themed services or partservices centring around giving generously.

An introduction from the team of authors makes it clear that stewardship is not a ‘one sizes fits all’ application, but rather a tool for use by individuals, those new to or considering faith, for small groups studying stewardship or for consideration by new expression of church, including café church and forest church.

The authors make it clear that the conversation is not a one-way street and encourage readers to engage and share their experience of the book in moving forward.

In a message to readers, they write: ‘However you choose to use the book, the hope is that it will bear fruit in your life and in the life of the church, and bring glory to God in ways that we can’t even imagine.’

Endorsement of the book has come from a former Moderator of the General Assembly, the Very Rev Dr Martin Fair who describes the work as ‘a delight to read’. Commending the book and with a clear message that stewardship is not simply about money, he writes: ‘Generosity for Christians really is about the way we choose to live – so much more than, but not less than, how much we decide to drop into the offering on Sunday mornings. The attitude of gratitude moves us a million miles away from an approach that is fashioned around ‘crumbs from the rich man’s table.’ It’s a lifestyle that begins, not from ‘what have I got left’ but from ‘what have I got to start with.’’

Lynne McNeil