The Generosity Ladder

The Generosity Ladder is a tool designed to help people look at their giving with an open mind. Each rung of the ladder represents growth in a lifestyle of generosity and sacrifice. These are not rungs you slowly ascend to get to God but simply a way to evaluate your growth in generosity.
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Initial Giver
Consistent Giver
Intentional Giver
Sacrificial Giver
Legacy Giver

Initial Giver

Who: Someone who has not yet given to Grace Community Church. This is the first step toward inviting God to be a part of your finances and becoming someone who invests their finances where they will have an eternal impact for God’s glory.

How: To become an initial giver, consider making your first gift to Grace Community Church.

Consistent Giver

Who: Someone who is a regular giver, giving many times through recurring payments online. Consistent givers start to think of their giving in the same way they would about other expenses in their budget that are paid regardless of seasons of feast or famine. To provide more clarity, we’ve classified this as someone who makes six or more gifts per year. To become a consistent giver, consider:

Recurring Payments

Setting up a recurring gift through Grace Community Church or Auto Bill Pay at your bank.

Make a Budget

Budgeting specifically for giving in the same way you would your other monthly expenses (1 Corinthians 16:1-2).

Schedule It

Proactively scheduling on your calendar when you are going to consistently give.

Intentional Giver

Who: Intentional givers think about their giving in relation to other things they spend their money on. They consider a percentage or amount they want to consciously grow in their generosity. Intentional givers look at their budget and consider how their giving reflects their view of God and commitment to build his Kingdom. To become an intentional giver, consider:

Make it a Priority

Giving in relation to your other monthly financial commitments (such as your cell phone, mortgage/rent, insurance, etc.) and determining an intentional step to grow the priority of your giving.

Choose a Percentage

Choosing a percentage that would represent a new level of giving for you, potentially a tithe (Malachi 3:10).

Sacrificial Giver

Who: Someone who is no longer thinking, “What am I supposed to give?” but rather “What am I not giving and why?” This person is less concerned about the 10 or 15 percent and more concerned about the 90 or 85 percent. Sacrificial givers decide to make changes that cost them something in their lifestyle. To become a sacrificial giver, consider:

Release it to God

Looking at the dollars you are not giving and prayerfully considering if God is asking you to release a portion of those over to him.

Does it Cost You?

Evaluating if your giving is really costing you something or if it has become comfortable or routine (2 Samuel 24:24).

Consider Other Resources

Determining if there are resources God has blessed you within the past (savings, stock, retirement, etc.) that God is asking you to release as a sacrifice to him.

Legacy Giver

Who: Legacy givers are thinking past this year and moving toward long-term impact for their local church, their family, and eternity. They make decisions in the short-term that have longer-term effects on their giving capacity. Legacy givers consider the impact that every personal asset has on their ability to be generous. This person is no longer asking the question, “God, how much are you asking me to give?” Instead, this person is asking, “God, how much are you asking me to keep?” To become a legacy giver, consider:

Cap Your Spending

Putting a cap on spending and saving so every additional dollar goes toward Kingdom giving.

Set a Lifetime Goal

Setting a lifetime generosity goal (a specific number) for your family’s Kingdom giving over the course of your life.

Estate Planning

Engaging in estate planning (or revise your current plan) to accurately reflect your Kingdom giving priorities.

Inspire Others

Leveraging your own journey of generosity to encourage and inspire Kingdom generosity in the next generation (Proverbs 13:22).