A 40-Day Journey to Discover the Joy of Generosity
This Lent, Epiphany Lutheran Church is embarking on something special: a 40-day journey to explore what Jesus actually said about money, generosity, and living with open hands and hearts.
What Is the Red Letter Giving Challenge?
Jesus talked about money and generosity more than almost any other topic, not because He needed it, but because He knew that how we handle what we have reveals our priorities. The Red Letter Giving Challenge is a daily devotional program that walks through Jesus’ teachings (the “red letters” in many Bibles) about living generously.
But before you worry—this isn’t just about writing checks. The daily challenges include activities like:
· Writing an encouraging note to someone
· Going a whole day without complaining (harder than it sounds!)
· Buying coffee for a stranger
· Intentionally, telling someone why you’re grateful for them
Through this 40-day journey, we will discover and uncover five key themes that help us better navigate our fear of scarcity in the midst of God’s generosity: Giving Happily (trading comfort for contentment), Giving Eternally (trading ownership for stewardship), Giving Abundantly (trading scarcity for abundance), Giving Regularly(trading control for obedience), and Giving Today (trading grasping for gratitude).
Important Dates
· Sunday, February 22 – Bible Study begins in the Community Room (continuing through Palm Sunday)
· Ash Wednesday, February 18 – Official 40-Day Challenge kicks off
· Daily devotionals take about 10 minutes each day
For Families
We also have The Giving Challenge: Kids Edition for children in kindergarten through 5th grade—perfect for family devotions or dinner table conversations.
Get Your Book
To participate, you’ll need a copy of the Giving Challenge book ($24.99). Books are available by emailing Connie Gillet at congillett@elcsh.org or letting us know at the first Sunday Bible Study meeting on February 22.
Why This Matters
We haven’t done anything like this together as a community in years. There’s something powerful about a whole church working on the same thing at the same time. This Lent is the perfect opportunity to focus on becoming people who give freely, trust deeply, and find joy in generosity.
This isn’t about the church budget—it’s about you becoming freer, more joyful, and more like Jesus.
Let’s do this together.
