We are encouraging you to take part in Generous Lent with resources to help you use lent to think about giving in your church context.
Generous Lent offers some 'out of the box' resources to help congregations explore generous discipleship this Lent. Over the octave of the first two Sundays of Lent churches have the opportunity to do two things:
- To celebrate the generosity of our God and to explore the spiritual discipline of generosity and the Gospel's invitation to generous discipleship
- Optionally, as a Lenten discipline, to invite generous giving as people are able, to sustain and grow the mission and ministry of the local church.
There is a natural rhythm in life that is essential to our human flourishing. There is also a rhythm in the spiritual life, just as vital to our personal and shared discipleship as followers of Jesus.
Lent is part of that rhythm, a special season in the life of the church. In Lent we not only wait for Easter, we wait upon God and do business with God. Lent is a season of self-reflection and self-discipline, Lent invites us to read God's word. Lent invites us to the spiritual disciplines of prayer and fasting and the giving of alms - what today we call generous giving. It is an invitation to generous discipleship.
Generous Lent Resources
Generous Lent offers a range of resources themed on the Baptism and Temptation of Jesus (the first Sunday of Lent) and the Feeding of the Five Thousand (the second Sunday of Lent). Background notes and sample sermons are offered to support preaching alongside themed liturgy for both sermons. A congregational leaflet and a creative range of prayer and all-age activities are also offered.
(Please note, the linked resources below are preparatory 'beta' versions to show what each resource looks like. They have full text but are not yet properly formatted. Final versions of most resources will be available from Thursday 11th January)
Sermon Notes
Liturgical Resources
- A Eucharist to celebrate generosity- Lent One
- A Service of the Word to celebrate generosity - Lent One
- A Eucharist to celebrate generosity - Lent Two
- A Service of the Word to celebrate generosity - Lent Two
Reflections on a Generous Lent
- A themed trifold leaflet offering a brief reflection, prayer and call to action
- To create a customised parish leaflet or for cost-effective printing contact resources.team@liverpool.anglican.org
Prayer Activities
- Lent Prayer Stations - developed with the deanery of Wigan. Flexible and adaptable prayer stations offer a focus for personal and family prayer over the Generous Lent octave or until Passion Sunday
- Group Activities - Linked to prayer stations, a range of interactive material adaptable to all age worship or the Ministry of the Word in separate children's groups. The resources include an all age Shrove Tuesday activity
Letters and response forms
Alongside prayer and fasting, generosity is a traditional spiritual discipline (Matthew 6:2, 5,16). If you want to use Generous Lent as an occasion to write to congregations inviting a prayerful review of giving please contact the resources.team@liverpool.anglican.org for customisable letter and response form templates.
Other useful resources
National Giving Team - Generosity Week
You may also want to note the comprehensive Generosity Week resources from the National Giving Team which can be adapted for Lent.
Acts of Kindness and Generosity
You may want to check out the archived random acts of kindness and generosity, resources developed for Lent for over ten years by the charity Stewardship www.stewardship.org.uk