A New Way to Teach Biblical Giving and Financial Discipleship

For many churches, the topic of generosity feels like the finish line of discipleship. The last hill to climb after salvation, community, and service. Once giving is mentioned, pastors often move on quickly, wary of making people uncomfortable or being misunderstood.

But what if we've had it backward all along?

What if giving is not the end of the discipleship journey, but the beginning?

Generosity University (GenerosityU) is built around this transformative idea. It shows believers how to live it, starting with biblical foundations and moving toward financial freedom, spiritual growth, and life-long stewardship.

In a time where giving is down and many churches rely on short-term church fundraising ideas or a passive donation box model, Generosity University offers a discipleship-first strategy that goes beyond transactions. 

Generosity University is a church giving curriculum that teaches financial literacy through the lens of biblical stewardship. It equips believers to give joyfully and consistently as disciples, helping churches move from fundraising to formation using scalable video lessons, group discussions, and hands-on application.

Most financial discipleship programs end with a giving challenge. GenerosityU starts with giving, then walks participants through the broader journey of managing God’s resources in every area of life. It is more than a curriculum. It is a reimagining of what financial discipleship can and should look like in the local church.

What Is Generosity University? A Church Giving Curriculum for Financial Discipleship

At its core, Generosity University is a church giving curriculum, designed as both a stewardship curriculum and a discipleship pathway - not in the traditional sense. Many people today struggle with financial literacy, which makes consistent, joyful giving difficult. This program addresses that by pairing spiritual truth with practical training.

Rather than zeroing in on debt-elimination or basic budgeting alone, GenerosityU begins by grounding people in the spiritual "why" behind giving. It connects financial habits to heart transformation, helping people see that generosity is not about fundraising for the church. It's about forming followers of Christ.

Inside the 8 Core Lessons of Generosity University

The curriculum includes 8 video-based sessions, a true video-based giving curriculum that blends biblical teaching with practical financial tool:

1. Giving - Biblical foundation and purpose of generosity
2. Vision - Understanding God’s bigger picture for money and mission
3. Budgets - Creating a plan that reflects kingdom values
4. Margin - Building breathing room and resilience
5. Debt - Escaping the trap and walking in freedom
6. Investments - Stewarding wealth for long-term impact
7. Major Purchases - Honoring God in big decisions
8. Overflow Living - Making generosity a lifestyle, not a season

Each session pairs financial literacy with activation, ensuring people not only learn what Scripture says but apply it to real financial decisions. Whether someone is paycheck-to-paycheck or financially stable, GenerosityU helps them grow toward joyful, sacrificial, and sustainable giving.

A Turnkey Curriculum for Pastors

If you’re a church leader, you probably feel the tension: you want to disciple your people financially, but the time, tools, and theological nuance required often feel out of reach.

That’s where Generosity University shines.

Rather than asking pastors to become financial planners or stewardship experts overnight, GenerosityU provides a fully built curriculum that is video-driven, scripture-centered, and easy to implement. Everything a leader needs is packaged and ready to go.

Here’s what’s included:

• Video-Based Lessons: Each of the eight sessions includes professionally produced teaching videos that engage both head and heart. These aren’t dry lectures; they’re visually dynamic and spiritually rich.
• Facilitator’s Guide: Designed for small group leaders, ministry staff, or pastors, this guide walks facilitators through how to host meaningful conversations. No expertise in finance required.
• Hands-On Activities: Each lesson includes action steps, from creating a budget to setting generosity goals to help participants apply what they’ve learned in real life.
• Discussion Prompts: Because transformation happens in community, GenerosityU encourages deep reflection and accountability through guided group conversations.

“We’ve done all the heavy lifting so you can simply host,” said one GenerosityU facilitator. “The curriculum is so thoughtfully built that I didn’t have to be a finance person. I just had to care about discipling my people.”

This plug-and-play model makes GenerosityU ideal for churches where staff capacity is limited but the hunger for discipleship is real. It’s structured, simple to launch, and spiritually impactful.

Built for Modern Church Rhythms

Church life today looks different than it did even ten years ago. Between shifting attendance patterns, digital discipleship models, and increasingly busy families, church rhythms are less predictable and more flexible. A one-size-fits-all program simply won’t work.

Generosity University is intentionally designed to fit the real-life flow of modern churches:

Multiple Formats

Whether you're looking to launch any of the following, GenerosityU adapts:

• Churchwide discipleship campaign
• Small group series
• Midweek teaching track
• Staff development course
• Standalone workshop on biblical finances

GenerosityU adapts. Churches can use it over eight consecutive weeks or stretch it across a quarter. Whatever fits your flow.

Any Size, Any Stage

From rural church plants to multi-campus megachurches, GenerosityU scales up or down.

• Small Church? Run GenerosityU in Sunday school or home groups.
• Large Church? Launch a full churchwide initiative with coordinated preaching, group content, and digital support.

Compass City Church, for example, implemented GenerosityU during a pivotal moment, their transition to becoming an independent church. In a season marked by structural change and vision casting, they sought a solid and spiritual foundation to unite their people. GenerosityU provided both.

“GenerosityU wasn’t just another class,” one Compass Church leader said. “It became part of our identity, a way to say, ‘This is what we’re about: generosity, discipleship, and trust in God’s provision.’”

That’s the power of a tool built for the actual pace and priorities of today’s churches.

Why Churches and Nonprofit Organizations Choose GenerosityU for Stewardship Training

Church leaders don’t turn to Generosity University just to see an uptick in offerings. They see it as a form of church financial education, equipping members to live out generosity as discipleship. 

One pastor put it this way:

“We realized we had classes for prayer, for marriage, for theology… but when it came to money, we were either silent or reactive. GenerosityU helped us disciple our people where they live every day, in their wallets, their spending, and their generosity.”

For too long, giving has been treated as a private choice rather than a public discipleship path. GenerosityU reframes giving not as an annual campaign, but as a way of life that flows out of gratitude, trust, and biblical obedience.

Even outside traditional churches, nonprofit organizations are discovering how this new framework helps instill a giving culture grounded in values, not just fundraising tactics. Here’s what makes GenerosityU resonate with churches and nonprofits across the spectrum:

Church Giving Statistics: Why Generosity Is Declining

The need for this kind of tool is greater than ever. The data paints a clear and humbling picture:

• Church giving statistics show giving is down 15% year-over-year among evangelical churches.
• The average Christian gives just 2.5% of their income, lower than the 3.3% average during the Great Depression.
• Only 3-5% of churchgoers tithe regularly.
• Many church budgets are increasingly dependent on a small group of high-capacity givers, making long-term sustainability a growing concern.

But these aren’t just financial issues. They’re discipleship indicators.

When giving is low, it often reflects:

• A lack of teaching on biblical money management
• A misunderstanding of the role of generosity in the Christian life
• A disconnect between Sunday theology and Monday living

That’s why Generosity University matters. It addresses the root, not just the symptoms. By embedding stewardship into the heart of discipleship, it helps churches close the gap. Not just in dollars, but in spiritual formation.

The Impact of Financial Discipleship in Churches

When a church implements Generosity University, the impact is felt far beyond the offering plate.

Stewardship training becomes part of the discipleship ecosystem, not an isolated conversation for a stewardship team or finance committee. It changes how people see money, but more importantly, how they see God’s provision and purpose for their lives.

What Happens When People Are Discipled in Generosity?

1. They Gain Financial Confidence

Many believers carry shame, confusion, or anxiety about money. Whether from past mistakes, cultural pressure, or a lack of education, finances are often a hidden struggle. GenerosityU gently and biblically opens that conversation, equipping participants with:

Clarity on budgeting and planning

A biblical view of wealth and ownership

Confidence in managing resources for God’s glory

“For the first time in my life, I created a budget that honors God. I didn’t feel guilt. I felt freedom,” shared one GenerosityU participant.

2. They Grow Spiritually

Generosity is more than an action, it’s an overflow of a transformed heart. When believers begin to align their finances with biblical values, they often experience deeper spiritual renewal:

Trust in God’s provision increases

Idolatry of wealth is broken

Mission becomes more personal and practical

As one church leader noted,

“We watched people connect their giving to their walk with Christ. It wasn’t about church expenses anymore. It was about worship and obedience.”

3. The Church is Strengthened

Increased generosity leads to increased ministry capacity. But more than that, it leads to ownership.

When members understand that giving fuels the mission, they lean in, serving, praying, and leading with a new sense of responsibility.

At Gold Creek Community Church, GenerosityU became a key component of a broader culture shift. Leaders noted that GenerosityU gave them something more powerful than church fundraising ideas: it gave them a shared language for biblical stewardship and generosity as worship

“We were entering a new season of growth and wanted our people rooted in generosity from the start. GenerosityU helped us set that tone,” said one pastor.

Similarly, at Compass City Church, implementing GenerosityU during their transition to independence wasn’t just a financial move. It was a discipleship decision. It gave them a shared language for generosity, a shared experience in small groups, and a shared understanding of how to trust God with our resources.

Quick Start Checklist: How to Launch Generosity University

Launching GenerosityU is refreshingly simple. No large upfront planning teams or months of development. Here’s what you need:

• One committed leader or pastor to facilitate (or empower others to do so)
• A launch format: small groups, staff cohorts, or a churchwide campaign
• Curriculum access: includes 8 video lessons + downloadable Facilitator’s Guide
• A commitment to disciple people in both finances and faith

Whether you're a church of 75 or 7,500, GenerosityU is designed to scale to your needs, spiritually and practically. And if you’ve been relying on a donation box, annual pledge drives, or seasonal appeals, this program offers a holistic alternative that creates long-term transformation.

Ask Yourself: Is GenerosityU Right for Our Church?

Take a moment to reflect:

• Do we have a clear discipleship pathway for financial stewardship?
• Are our people confident in handling money biblically?
• Do we avoid discussing giving because we lack the necessary tools or training?
• Are we seeing a decline in giving, and unsure how to respond?
• Could our church benefit from a spiritual reset around money and generosity?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, Generosity University could be the right next step.

Generosity University: Where Giving Becomes Living

Generosity University isn’t just another financial class.

It’s a pathway toward overflow living. Where the spiritual discipline of giving becomes a joyful lifestyle rooted in worship, gratitude, and eternal impact.

In a time when generosity is declining and financial anxiety is rising, churches have a choice: stay silent on money or speak boldly into discipleship. GenerosityU equips you to do the latter with confidence, clarity, and care.

Because when giving becomes living, the Church becomes stronger.

Take the Next Step

Are you ready to build a deeper culture of generosity in your church?

Discover how Generosity University can empower your team, enhance your mission, and foster long-term discipleship.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Generosity University only for large churches?

No. GenerosityU is fully scalable. It works in small group settings, staff teams, Sunday schools, and churchwide campaigns, whether you’re 50 people or 5,000.

What is the tithe?

It is a formative spiritual practice that teaches trust, obedience, and worship. Part of the reason modern tithing has declined is a lack of clarity around what it really means. The biblical meaning of the tithe goes far beyond financial support. 

Do pastors need to be financial experts to lead GenerosityU?

Absolutely not. Trained communicators handle the video teaching. The Facilitator’s Guide equips any pastor or small group leader to host with confidence. No finance degree required.

What makes GenerosityU different from other stewardship courses?

Most courses end with a lesson on giving. GenerosityU begins with giving and then builds out the full theology and practice of financial discipleship. It’s not about transactional generosity. It’s about transformational living.