Generosity has become a way of life for the members there.  It has become a part of who they are, “a natural part of their DNA.”
 

In the fall of 2008, several lay members of the church attended a generosity conference in Atlanta and brought what they learned back to the church leadership.  From there, the pastoral staff decided that they wanted to present a concept to the church that went way beyond filling out a commitment form once a year. From those discussions, Generous Living was born.
 

Generous Living is not merely a concept, but a way of life that church leaders want all who connect with Valdosta FUMC to embrace.
 

“Usually when people talk about being generous it comes back to money and stewardship campaigns and things like that,” said Rev. Shannon Clark Patterson, associate pastor of Valdosta FUMC and lead staff person for Solomon’s Porch, one of the 11 o’clock services held at the church. “But with Generous Living we want to help our church family see that there are hundreds of opportunities to live generously around us every single day.   Whether it be picking up the lunch tab of a stranger in the drive-through lane or giving away a car that isn't needed, from the smallest act to the most extreme imaginable, we have opportunities to live generously and make a difference in someone else's life.” 
 

As soon as the idea was presented, it was embraced, and Rev. Patterson says that she began to hear the word "generosity" in everyday conversation among the people of Valdosta FUMC.
 

In March, a young adult member of the church approached Rev. Patterson and told her that she felt convicted for owning an expensive vehicle.  She said that she wanted to give her one-year-old SUV to the church so that it could be used to bless someone else.  The church took the vehicle and was able to trade it in for two cars, and two people were blessed by the one person’s very generous gift of her SUV.   
 

 The benefactor, who asked to remain anonymous, said that she is just an ordinary person trying to live the way God wants all of us to live. 
 

“Generous living is not about giving away things you don't need or want anymore,” she said.   “It’s about making sacrifices and realizing that the things you possess are not really yours to begin with; they belong to God.”
 

After sharing that story of generosity, another church member was led to give two additional cars.  As more and more people in the church lived out the Generous Living lifestyle, more items were given, including appliances, furniture, computers, baby clothing and accessories, toys, children’s clothing, and gift cards.  Before long, Rev. Patterson was coordinating a massive effort and people’s needs were being met.  At the end of July, a fifth car was given to the church. 
 

Needs were certainly being met, but most miraculous was that people were practicing proactive generosity.  Instead of waiting for a need to be made known and then acting on it, they were moving ahead of the need.  One such story of proactive generosity is about a woman with a full set of bedroom furniture.  The set included everything – a bed, a dresser, a chest – but no mattress – and she wanted to give it to the church to bless someone.  Later that week, another woman called the church and said that she needed bedroom furniture and that she had only one thing to her name – a mattress. 
 

On May 3, the church hosted a large outdoor service to celebrate generosity, and during the service gave away four cars, appliances, computers and more. 
 

“I hope and pray that this pattern continues to grow and expand because this is how we are meant to live,” said the anonymous SUV donator.  “We are supposed to take care of each other. It has truly blessed me to see so many people receive what they need from God.  It is my prayer that some day generosity will come so naturally that I won't give it a second thought before helping others in whatever way I am capable. God is so good, and I am just happy that I was in a place where He could use me to further His kingdom.”
 

“Our goal is for people to make generosity not just about money but about their lifestyle,” said Dr. Bob Moon, pastor of Valdosta First UMC.  “It’s not about what they can get in life but what they can give. It’s about God putting in us the generous heart of Jesus who loves the world so much that he gave himself for us.”

--By Kara Witherow, South Georgia Advocate editor

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