Core Principles

Giving in Grace began life as a giving initiative in the Anglican Diocese of Liverpool in 2005. Since then it has been used by churches in Liverpool and across the country large and small, urban, suburban and rural and reflecting a wide range of churchmanship. The web site retains an Anglican feel but the resources and principles of biblical stewardship mean that a Giving in Grace programme can be comfortably used in churches of all denominations.

Giving in Grace builds upon a rich and varied tradition of Christian stewardship and this is reflected in the material on this web site. Effective stewardship is built upon the priority of prayerfulness and the importance of biblical preaching and extensive resources are provided in both of these areas. Written communication has been and remains a key element of any stewardship programme and again extensive resources are provided. Building on this rich tradition three core principles shape the approach of Giving in Grace.

• The principle of differentiation is fundamental to Giving in Grace. A one size fits all stewardship message fails to recognise the varied experience of a congregation. Differentiation impacts upon the written communication and the preaching resources and it is essential that the principle of differentiation is understood by planning and leadership groups preparing for Giving in Grace
• The importance of leadership has long been recognised. Giving in Grace puts a premium on the committed involvement of both clergy and lay leadership from initial inception of the programme, through consultation as part of the planning and down to leadership teams making and modeling their own personal commitment before the programme is launched in the church.
• The work of the planning group is structured around a third core principle which is the preparation of a case statement. The concept of a case is commonplace in the discipline of capital fund raising and is adapted here to suit the needs of Christian stewardship. It underlines the pivotal role of leadership and puts the focus upon giving resourcing ministry and mission.