Initiative #2: Operation Generosity

Our second stop on this road trip that we all need to take together is Operation Generosity. If reproducing campuses is who we are; generous is who we are becoming! This last year we saw a 38% increase (counting general fund and NEXT) in giving at Community Christian Church! I think this last year is indicative of what is to come - us becoming a more and more generous church in the future.

 A couple months ago we had someone stand up at one of our campuses and say, “what have this church ever done for this community?”   While I don’t want to encourage heckling at CCC, I want the answer to that question to be blatantly obvious! So here is how we will answer this question in the next year.

First, we are asking every CCC campus to identify a project in their surrounding community; set a goal and ask their people to give “above and beyond” a one time gift to that under-resourced need. I think this is the kind of church Jesus wants us to be and I think this is the kind of church the world is waiting to see. I see us in the next year through a single offering we are calling Operation Generosity (Above & Beyond) – investing over $250k in the under-resourced within CCC communities.

Secondly, Operation Generosity is also going to be an ongoing challenge through out the year to see us increase our generosity factor. I believe that God wants us to have 200 locations in the Chicago area that are “helping people find their way back to God.” One of the big barriers to big dreams is resources. So we are going to give more and more people an opportunity to be a part of a dream that will change the eternities of thousands and thousands of people. Our goal is to double the number of people that are tithing (10%) off their income to Community Christian Church so we can see that dream come true!

Comments

[Doug]

How do you see the 250k broken down over the campuses? Does Comm 4:12 or another known entity qualify for consideration or are you looking for new projects in each campus' community? Who is giving the input for each campus - leaders or is it open to the general church population? What's CCC's estimate of the percentage of people that call CCC their church home that currently tithe? Good ideas. Looking forward to your next 2 initiatives.

[Dave Ferguson]

The $250k is a goal and I hope that we can leverage it with local businesses and "matching" strategies to see it increase. The money that is raised at a campus will stay with that campus. Tim Bakker is currently thinking about giving all that they raise through the Naperville Yellow Box to something in the East Aurora community and partner with Community 4:12. The ultimate decision will be made by the Campus Pastor and their team but they are looking for creative ideas from everyone at the campus. We don't know the percentage of people tithing; but we are considering a survey that asks a number of spiritual development questions.

[DL]

Thought this was interesting - From Steven Furtick's blog. I know you did something similar a few years back. Not sure it ties in here exactly - except for the giving part.

http://www.stevenfurtick.com/elevation/bless-back-project/