POD 022 | Living Generously: Our Open-Handedness and God's Faithfulness
Download MP3Join us as we delve into stories of divine provision and the transformative power of generosity within the church community. Get ready to be inspired by the impact of open-handedness and stewardship as we journey through the remarkable experiences of Christ Community Church. In this episode of theFormed.life podcast we explore the theme of "Financial Generosity" with special guests Kevin Harlan and Tom Nelson.
THREE KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- The impact of financial generosity and open-handedness within Christ Community has been instrumental in shaping the church's growth, sustainability, and impact, demonstrating the power of generosity in the local church.
- The importance of faith, trust in God's provision, and acknowledging divine providence in overcoming financial challenges and achieving a flourishing life with others through generosity.
- Encouragement for listeners to embrace a generous posture, commitment to the mission, and stewardship for God's glory and kingdom, highlighting the transformative power of collective engagement and generosity within the congregation.
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GUEST BIO:
Kevin Harlan serves as the vice president of philanthropy at Made to Flourish. He works to build a broad base of philanthropic support and guide philanthropic endeavors to invest financially in pastors and churches.Kevin played a role in the formation of Made to Flourish, and served on the senior pastoral team at Christ Community Church in Kansas City for 15 years. He and his wife, Sharon, have been involved at Christ Community in many leadership capacities since 1994. Prior to his work with Christ Community, Kevin served with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). During his 19 years with FCA, Kevin held many roles, and served as the executive vice president at the end of his tenure.
Tom Nelson is the Lead Senior Pastor of Christ Community Church and founded the church over 30 years ago. He also serves as president of Made to Flourish, a network that seeks to empower pastors to lead churches that produce human flourishing for the common good. Tom is the author of Work Matters: Connecting Sunday Worship to Monday Work, Economics of Neighborly Love: Investing in Your Community’s Compassion and Capacity, and The Flourishing Pastor: Recovering the Lost Art of Shepherd Leadership. Tom speaks regularly on faith, work, and economics around the country. Tom has served on the board of regents of Trinity International University and is also a council member of The Gospel Coalition. Tom graduated with a master’s of theology degree from Dallas Theological Seminary and received his doctorate of ministry degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Tom and his wife, Liz, have two grown children and live in Leawood, Kansas.
QUOTES:
“Our loaves and fishes in our life may not be that cool or exciting or the best, but God can take Even little crusty loaves and fishes and multiply to multitude, and we're seeing that.”
— Tom Nelson
"It's the generosity of our congregation, everyone. They are deeply committed to forming the new pastors in generation."
— Tom Nelson
"The ideas are now spreading across the country in a variety of denominations and sizes and geographies, and, it's a really beautiful picture, I think, of, again, another example of Christ Community's open handedness that is now bearing fruit in remarkable ways."
— Kevin Harlan
RESOURCES:
The Economics Of Neighborly Love - Tom Nelson
TIMESTAMPS:
05:57 Discussion on human experience, generosity and acknowledgment.
08:33 Sensitivity to institutional practices, emphasizing generosity, gratitude.
10:20 Elder team considering loan, then church in Romania.
14:46 Left Dallas in 24 foot truck.
16:59 God spurs generosity, stories inspire others.
20:21 Teamwork, stewardship, financial difficulty
26:02 Church building refurbished.
29:35 Importance of funded residency program.
32:10 Excited about church leaders forming work programs.
36:03 Generosity and church planting.
39:09 Encouraging generosity and investments for shaping the future church.
42:59 Organizing life, trusting God for provision, memories.
46:05 Memories from pastor, staff, congregants.
