What We’ll Cover

Lauren France, founder of the Lydia Network, encountered the Gospel after graduating college and was immediately captivated by its transformative power. Her passion for sharing Christ and making disciples quickly took root, leading her to serve in various capacities where she honed her skills in organization and fundraising. As she grew in leadership, she recognized how these gifts could be leveraged for the advancement of God’s Kingdom.  

With a deep calling to empower global church leaders, Lauren now serves as Director of Development and Marketing with Equipping Leaders International, which provides theological training to indigenous pastors across 38 nations. Along this journey, she became increasingly aware of the vital role of women in fueling Kingdom work through generosity. This realization inspired the founding of the Lydia Network—a nationwide movement equipping and empowering women to step boldly into their God-given calling as givers. Today, the Lydia Network unites women from all backgrounds, mobilizing them as catalysts for the extraordinary work God is accomplishing around the world.  

Major Topics Include:

• Lauren’s inspiring backstory
• Gaining the pinhole-to-panoramic view of missions
• Why Lauren is so passionate about women givers
• The Lydia Network story
• The desperate need for theological resources and training for global church leaders
• The cost of training and equipping indigenous pastors
• Powerful stories of how God is moving in the nations 
• Encouraging women to help fulfill the Great Commission through giving
• Crossing denominational, racial, and generational lines to further the gospel
• Stories of women leveraging their passions and skill sets to enable generosity
• What’s ahead for the Lydia Network

Quotes to Remember

• “Long before I ever knew God, God knew me.”
• “We get the privilege of living this adventurous, generous life with God. God has that for His daughters and He wants them to live whole-heartedly.”
• “About 95% of global church leaders have no theological training.”
• “If you transform a leader, you transform a church. If you transform a church, you transform a community.”
• “God is building the next movement of generosity in the Church.”

Links from the Show

• The Lydia Network
• Julie Wilson, President of Women Doing Well (see our past interview here)
• Equipping Leaders International
• When Women Give by Kim King
• The Generosity Gap by The Barna Group
• Generous Giving (see our interviews with cofounders Todd Harper and David Wills and CEO, April Chapman)
• Polished Network
• Women & Work by Courtney Moore
• The Finish Line Community Facebook Group
• The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group

Bible References from the Show

2 Timothy 2:2 | Making Disciples  

And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”  

2 Corinthians 9:8 | Sufficiency in All Things  

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.  

Matthew 18:20 | There I Am  

For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.

We Want to Hear from You!

If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebook and LinkedIn.

The post Lauren France, Founder of The Lydia Network, on the Pivotal Role of Women in Fueling the Great Commission appeared first on Finish Line Pledge.

What We’ll Cover

Speaker and author Brian Kluth has been deeply involved in the generosity space for decades and has thought deeply about how to effectively communicate the joy and adventure that is to be had in the generous life. For the last forty years, Brian has been teaching biblical financial principles and helping countless people discover the joy of living a generous life through international seminars, books, and other written materials.  

Brian and his wife, Mary Ellen, have also begun many works as generosity mobilizers. In partnership with many other organizations, these works are helping to improve the lives of millions in Africa and around the world by providing solutions for basic needs and sharing the Gospel. Brian is overflowing with stories of generosity and risky faith that are sure to build faith and inspire.  

Major Topics Include:

• Brian’s transformative salvation story
• Seven simple, biblical keys to generosity
• Why to separate your giving money from your living money
• How he and he wife give according to God’s blessings
• How living with a finish line prepared him for life with a pastor’s salary
• The evolution of the modern generosity movement
• Becoming a “donkey for Christ” in Africa
• The magnifying impact of partnerships
• Tips for staying focused when you’re growing tired

Quotes to Remember

• “Generosity is God’s crazy mathematics. when you honor God, you’re inviting Him into your financial life.”
• “God helps you in ways you can’t even imagine.”
• “You cannot buy your way to contentment. Contentment doesn’t come from getting everything you want; it comes from being thankful for everything you already have and sharing it.”
• “I have one goal in life: to one day hear ‘Well done good and faithful servant.’”

Links from the Show

• Global Generosity Pledge
• 30-Day Devotional and 40-Day Devotional (Generosity Pledge)
• Gospel Lights
• Sandi House
• Healthy Charity
• National Christian Foundation (see our interview with President Emeritus, David Wills)
• Generous Giving (see our interviews with cofounders Todd Harper and David Wills and CEO, April Chapman)
• Crown Financial Ministries
• Ronald Blue and Co., CPA (see our interview with founder, Ron Blue)
• Generosity Path
• Generous Church (see our interview with founder Patrick Johnson)
• Kingdom Advisors (see our interview with founder, Ron Blue)
• Faith Driven Investor
• Faith Driven Entrepreneur
• Christian Economic Forum
• Compass Financial Ministries
• The Finish Line Community Facebook Group
• The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group

Bible References from the Show

Ephesians 4:28 | A Thief No More  

Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.  

John 7:38 | Rivers of Living Water  

Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”  

1 Corinthians 16:2 | First-Fruits Giving  

On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.  

1 Timothy 6:6-7 | Contentment

But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.

We Want to Hear from You!

If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebook and LinkedIn.

The post Brian Kluth, Speaker and Author, on the Foundation of a Fulfilling and Generous Life appeared first on Finish Line Pledge.

What We’ll Cover

Alisa Hoober has been connected with Hope International since her elementary school years. During that time, her family and church began partnering with a sister church in Ukraine, which laid the groundwork for Hope’s mission today. Through family trips abroad and a strong foundation of biblical values, Alisa was raised in a culture that emphasized stewardship, generosity, and contentment.  

As an adult, Alisa spent 10 years on Hope International staff before transitioning to spend more time with her young children. Currently, Alisa serves on several boards, including that of Hope International, and is actively involved in the generosity community alongside her husband. She has valuable insights to share about finding one’s calling, establishing priorities, raising generous children, and setting a financial finish line.  

Major Topics Include:

• Learning and teaching the principles of “Earn, Save, and Give”
• Growing in generosity as a couple
• Intentionally raising children in a culture of generosity
• Balancing motherhood with other meaningful passions
• Practicing generosity through hospitality
• Practical tips for traveling to the nations with children
• How to know where God has you right now
• When to say yes to something new and the self-care of saying no
• The challenge of raising kids with a heart of contentment in a world of consumerism

Quotes to Remember

• “How can we be generous with our whole selves?”
• “Generosity can be huge and generosity can be really simple.”
• “When we can learn from each other and spur each other on in living generously and giving cheerfully, we all are better for that and grow from it.”
• “The best way to figure out how to be a good steward is to ask the Owner.”
• “It’s a calling to love God, to love others, and to live generously.”
• “When we practice generosity, we see growth.”
• “The joy of giving is contagious.”
• “At the root is a heart of contentment.”

Links from the Show

• Hope International (see our interview with founder, Jeff Rutt or CEO, Peter Greer)
• Tomorrow Clubs
• Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World by Kristen Welch
• Julie Wilson, President of Women Doing Well (see our past interview here)
• Journey to Generosity (JoG) with Generous Giving (see our interviews with cofounder, Todd Harper and CEO, April Chapman)
• I Like Giving
• The Finish Line Community Facebook Group
• The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group

Bible References from the Show

Matthew 6:19-21 | Treasures in Heaven

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

We Want to Hear from You!

If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebook and LinkedIn.

The post Alisa Hoober, on Creating a Strong Family Culture of Generosity and Mission appeared first on Finish Line Pledge.

What We’ll Cover

Kurt Avery, founder of Sawyer Products, began his business career as a top MBA graduate and found himself working for two Fortune 500 companies. With a vision to reach success by making things that people need and solving world problems, Kurt branched out and founded Sawyer Products which manufactures outdoor products for enthusiasts and military applications.   

In particular, Sawyer is the maker of the world’s most advanced personal water filter which is now providing clean water access to some of the hardest to reach parts of the world. Sawyer produces and gives millions of filters annually around the world through partnerships with over 140 nonprofits, many of whom are equipped to share the gospel. Sawyer was also a forerunner in the research that led to the development of insect repellent mosquito nets which have saved thousands of people from malaria around the world.  

Major Topics Include:

• Kurt’s faith and professional journey
• The story of how Sawyer came to be
• Lessons from the first difficult decades of the company
• How Kurt got involved in repellants, mosquito nets, and sunscreen
• Four lesser-known ways to give from your business
• What makes Sawyer water filters unique
• The impact of pairing clean water access with the gospel
• A framework for aligning a for-profit company with life-changing impact

Quotes to Remember

• “With tithing, 10% isn’t the limit, it’s the starting point.”
• “God helped you build that business, now what are you gonna do with it?”
• “If you have a big God, you can do big things.”
• “Know your skill sets. If you’re going to do something big, it’s within your skill sets.”

Links from the Show

• Sawyer
• The Bucket Ministry (see our interview with founder Christopher Beth)
• Mission Drift (see our interview with author Peter Greer)
• Filter Best Practices
• The Finish Line Community Facebook Group
• The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group

We Want to Hear from You!

If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebook and LinkedIn.

The post Kurt Avery, Founder of Sawyer, on the Filter That’s Ending the Water Crisis appeared first on Finish Line Pledge.

What We’ll Cover

Davis Powell, CEO of Seed Company, was raised in a Christian home in South Carolina and at a young age, decided to become a medical missionary. However, in his junior year of college, he felt led by the Spirit to follow a different path. Through a series of providential events, Davis was exposed to the work of Bible translation and a passion was ignited within him.

Davis now serves as the CEO of Seed Company, a Bible translation company with two primary focuses—collaboration with other Great Commission organizations and impact acceleration with the help of indigenous community leaders and technology. Davis was full of stories about how fast the work of Bible translation is moving, with a particular emphasis on the brand new integration of AI into the process. You won’t want to miss this one!  

Major Topics Include:

• The history and heart behind Seed Company
• How Bible translation models have changed in recent years
• The challenge of engaging hard-to-reach language communities
• Empowering indigenous communities to work together toward full Bible translation
• Working with indigenous speakers to tailor the process for their community context
• A walk through of the cyclical, community-centric translation process
• Transformative stories from working with non-believing translators
• AI as a tool in Bible translation
• Collaboration with other translation agencies
• Exciting projections for Bible translation in the next decade

Quotes to Remember

• “Missionaries have to deal with borders, the Word of God doesn’t. Missionaries have to figure out how to start the church; the Word of God gives the perfect blueprint for starting the church.”
• “When the Word of God is planted, it transforms everything.”
• “We can, in our generation, see the Word of God get to every language community. But may it not be said that we didn’t let the Word of God be in our heart language.”
• “Scripture must be clear, accurate, natural, and acceptable.”

Links from the Show

• Seed Company
• Young Life
• Wycliffe Bible Translators (see our interview with CEO John Chesnut)
• Unto
• Operation Christmas Child
• International Mission Board (IMB)
• Jesus Film Project (see our interview with Executive Director Josh Newell)
• Faith Comes by Hearing (see our interview with VP Morgan Jackson)
• Meta–No Language Left Behind
• IllumiNations Bible Translation Alliance (see our interview with Todd Peterson or John Chesnut)
• The Finish Line Community Facebook Group
• The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group

Bible References from the Show

Proverbs 3:5-6 | Trust In the Lord  

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.  

Psalm 19:1 | Creation Declares His Glory  

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

We Want to Hear from You!

If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebook and LinkedIn.

The post Davis Powell, CEO of Seed Company, on the Explosion of AI in Bible Translation appeared first on Finish Line Pledge.

What We’ll Cover

Russ Crosson is the former president and CEO, and current chief mission officer of the financial advising firm Blue Trust. For over 40 years, Russ has helped individuals and families to grow in generosity and wisely steward what God has entrusted to them. Ken Boa is a well-known author and theologian, and founder of Reflections Ministries. Ken has an inspiring personal testimony and powerful biblical insights on the generous life.

Together, they are coauthors of the book Leverage which is packed with practical wisdom and frameworks for understanding our calling and invitation into the generous life. In the book, Ken lays out many spiritual and foundational principles to help people think more deeply and biblically about generosity. Along with each concept, Russ outlines practical ways to put principles into practice. You don’t want to miss out on all the wisdom they had to share.  

Major Topics Include:

• The story of the book’s inception
• How generosity breaks the power of money
• Six reasons for giving
• How to shift into a generosity mindset
• The concept of reverse compounding 
• Deciding where and how much to give
• Practical ways to give anonymously
• Giving from assets 
• Thinking through wealth transfer to the next generation

Quotes to Remember

• Russ: “Stewardship is the use of God-given resources to accomplish God-given goals.”
• Ken: “You can always be more generous than you think.”
• Ken: “[In the parables,] the ones who were condemned were the ones who failed to take a risk because obedience requires risk-taking.”
• Russ: “Do you want to hear ‘well done’ or just ‘you may come in’?”
• Ken: “God never tells us to give up something without giving us something better.”

Links from the Show

• Leverage: Using Temporal Wealth for Eternal Gain by Kenneth Boa and Russ Crosson
• Ronald Blue and Co., CPA (see our interview with founder, Ron Blue)
• Blue Trust (see our interview with founder, Ron Blue)
• National Christian Foundation (see our interview with President Emeritus, David Wills)
• Kingdom Advisors (see our interview with founder, Ron Blue)
• The Finish Line Community Facebook Group
• The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group

Bible References from the Show

Luke 16:1-13 | The Parable of the Unrighteous Steward  

1 Timothy 6:17-19 | Be Rich in Good Works  

As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.  

Ephesians 2:8-9 | The Gift of God

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

We Want to Hear from You!

If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebook and LinkedIn.

The post Russ Crosson and Ken Boa, coauthors of Leverage, on Using Temporal Wealth for Eternal Gain appeared first on Finish Line Pledge.

What We’ll Cover

Rachel McDonough, an experienced financial advisor, was raised in a missionary family in Kenya. At a young age, Rachel had a deeply impactful encounter with poverty in Africa which led her into an unexpected calling as a financial advisor. Today, Rachel has a particular interest in impact investing and strives to help others align their hearts and finances in taking risks for Kingdom impact.

Wes Lyons, General Partner at Eagle Venture Fund, was also raised in a missionary home and felt called into financial advising. While leading a military deployment, Wes saw firsthand the evils of human trafficking and the horrific treatment of children. He now leads the Eagle Freedom Fund, a venture capital fund dedicated to investing in companies that combat human trafficking and slavery through scalable business models. This groundbreaking model is shaking up the human trafficking global network by exposing the trafficking supply chain and placing heavy market pressure on the trafficking ecosystem.  

Major Topics Include:

• Connecting financial planning with the work of the Kingdom
• The purpose of stewardship
• Blurring the lines between giving and investing with a head-and-heart approach
• Break the engines of the human trafficking machine through economic pressure
• Having both great impact and a great financial return
• An achievable goal to end human trafficking
• Viewing risk and return as a faithful steward

Quotes to Remember

• Rachel: “I started to realize that worship and investing could go hand-in-hand.”
• Wes: “I think sometimes when we’re living in the American Church, the evil and the darkness can feel very far away, and I just got smacked in the face with it. So that started informing how we do our impact investing.”
• Rachel: “I did nothing to deserve the position I was born into.”
• Rachel: “There is both an opportunity and a responsibility to be a Christ follower who is stewarding resources that we know rightfully belong to the King, and to do it in a way that aligns with His values, and His heart is for the poor.”
• Rachel: “Human trafficking is too big of a problem to solve without business. Business needs to be part of the solution for it.”
• Rachel: “God created us as holistic beings with a head and a heart. We get better outcomes in our giving and our investing when we take a head-and-heart approach to both.”
• Wes: “Our dream is that within 10 years we would have our first day in anybody’s lifetime when we didn’t lose the fight. And that would be the day when human trafficking started to go down.”
• Rachel: “I’m going to choose to willingly embrace risk for the sake of love and for the sake of sons, daughters, and image bearers set free.”
• Wes: “Christians should be the ones who are ready to take risks on behalf of the vulnerable.”

Links from the Show

• Eagle Venture Fund
• Money, Possessions, and Eternity (see our interview with author Randy Alcorn)
• International Justice Mission (IJM)
• Brightlight
• Inspire Insight
• Talanton
• Sound of Freedom Movie (Angel Studios)
• Wealth Squared
• Donor Advised Fund: The Freedom & Justice Impact Fund
• The Finish Line Community Facebook Group
• The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group

Bible References from the Show

Joel 3:10 | I Am A Warrior  

Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, “I am a warrior.”  

Galatians 6:9 | Don’t Give Up  

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

We Want to Hear from You!

If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebook and LinkedIn.

The post Rachel McDonough and Wes Lyons on How Investors are Taking Down Human Trafficking appeared first on Finish Line Pledge.

What We’ll Cover

David Hazell was raised in a religious home, but his relationship with Jesus truly began in the Jesus Revolution in the 1970s. With a mindset of radical obedience, David felt called into an adventure with God and moved his family to Siberia to help with Bible translation. During his time on the mission field, he was awakened to the power of business to fuel the work being done.  

Since then, David has launched many successful businesses, generating millions to fuel gospel work around the world, all while continuing to live in a modest mobile home with his wife. David has much to share on obeying the voice of the Spirit, wisdom in stewarding God’s money, and the importance of walking out your unique calling.  

Major Topics Include:

• David’s story of redemption and calling
• How he went from Bible translation into the business world
• A mindset of whole-life stewardship
• Practice obeying the Spirit’s voice by responding to little nudges
• Spirit-led investing with God’s money
• Stories from the mission field of using businesses to reach people with the gospel

Quotes to Remember

• “When we start to see God’s mercy and His love, we want to be with Him every day.”
• “We set our lives up to give more than 50% away, even before we knew we could.”
• “When you give your life to Christ, you’re giving Him all aspects of your life, and you become a steward of everything you have.”
• “Nothing we own, nothing we have, nothing that belongs to us doesn’t belong to God.”

Links from the Show

• Wild at Heart by John Eldridge
• Wycliffe Bible Translators (see our interview with CEO John Chesnut)
• My Father’s World
• The Finish Line Community Facebook Group
• The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group

Bible References from the Show

Ephesians 2:10 | His Workmanship  

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

We Want to Hear from You!

If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebook and LinkedIn.

The post David Hazell, Serial Entrepreneur, on Building a Gospel Pipeline Through Business appeared first on Finish Line Pledge.

What We’ll Cover

Ed Michaelson, founder of The 500k, was raised in the UK by parents who regaled him with adventurous tales of missionaries for his bedtime stories. As he grew in his relationship with Jesus, he became inspired to become a physician to serve on the mission field. But after a trip to India, Ed realized that his greatest capacity to move the gospel was to empower native missionaries who were already reaching the unreached in that region.  

Ed founded the 500k as a pipeline to connect givers in the West with rapidly expanding indigenous church planting movements in India seeking to reach the remaining 500,000 villages that have never heard the name of Jesus. Now with thirteen Bible training centers, over 1,000 missionaries, evangelism training for new Believers, and collaboration with other ministries, this goal is closer than ever to becoming a reality.  

Major Topic Include:

• Story of how 500K was born
• The necessity and effectiveness of indigenous missionaries
• The balance between earning to live and earning to give
• Stories from the mission field
• Training new Believers to share the gospel
• Collaborating with other ministries to further the gospel in India 
• Keys to effective giving in the mission space
• An exciting look at what can be achieved in fulfilling the Great Commission in the next few years
• The adventure of giving to the point of total dependence on God

Quotes to Remember

• “The thought that people aren’t being sent to unreached villages because of a lack of money is crazy to me because that’s a resource that we do have. And it’s really encouraging because that’s a problem I can easily help with.”
• “Forty percent of all the world’s unreached people are in India.”
• “There is no treasure that compares to knowing Jesus Christ as Lord”
• “If you don’t want Jesus, that’s your choice, but everyone should have that choice.”
• “It puts the things that we call sacrifices into perspective when we see people putting their health, their lives, on the line to share the gospel.”
• “Everyday can be like Christmas when we’re depending on the Lord.”

Links from the Show

• 500k
• Joshua Project (see our interview with Director, Dan Scribner)
• Mission India
• The Finishing Fund (see our interview with founder Doug Cobb)
• The Timothy Initiative (see our interview with CEO, Jared Nelms)
• The Finish Line Community Facebook Group
• The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group

Bible References from the Show

Psalm 34:8 | Taste and See   

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!  

1 Peter 1:18-19 | Redeemed by the Blood  

Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.  

Matthew 18:6 | Guarding God’s Little Ones  

But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.  

Luke 12:33 | Eternal Treasure  

Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.

We Want to Hear from You!

If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebook and LinkedIn.

The post Edmund Michaelson, Founder of the 500k, on Radical Generosity Empowering the Indigenous Church appeared first on Finish Line Pledge.

What We’ll Cover

Cherise Vermeulen, Executive Director of Generous Generations, had several childhood experiences that radically impacted her faith and her understanding of generosity. At the age of six, she woke from a coma following a severe car accident, where she felt the healing touch of prayer. This life-altering event left her with visible scars, but it also prompted her to explore her identity in Christ and discover her intrinsic value. Later, as the recipient of an incredibly generous gift, Cherise came to recognize the immense impact of generosity in changing the course of someone’s life.  

Through these experiences and Cherise’s background in children’s educational television, God laid the foundations for Generous Generations, which now provides generosity programming, videos, and content for children and youth across 26 different countries. By collaborating with localized ministries and training local leaders, Generous Generations has reached millions of children with the message of generosity in a culturally contextualized way.   

Major Topics Include:

• The amazing story of how Generous Generations was born
• Different strategies for teaching children to young adults about generosity
• Collaboration as a central strategy for sharing the program
• How Generous Generations is affecting families and communities
• The challenge of contextualizing stories and examples to share generosity concepts with different cultures
• Tips for families to incorporate generosity into the daily lives of their children

Quotes to Remember

• “Even in times of need, it’s not about what you can get, it’s about what you can give.”
• “I used to think you had to have a lot in order to give.”
• “Let’s decide how much we want to give and let God work out the details.”
• “Generosity is transformational. Why do we wait until we’re grownups before we learn about these beautiful values?”
• “Children learn quickly because they’re not afraid to fail.”
• “Teenagers need to feel like they have a voice and a role to play in deciding how to give.”
• “We want children under the age of twelve to begin to understand that generosity is an adventure.”
• “With the great wealth transfer being underway, we have the opportunity to speak to children and youth now to instill these biblical values of generosity and stewardship into their lives so that by the time they reach adulthood, they will be able to make huge decisions about how money is spent.”
• “When a child discovers the joy of giving, it’s not a duty to them or something that they have to do, it’s something they get to do. And the joy is contagious!”
• “Generosity is a new way to spread the gospel because it’s a universal language. It’s a concept that’s understood across cultures.”

Links from the Show

• Generous Generations
• Journey to Generosity (JoG) with Generous Giving (see our interviews with cofounder, Todd Harper and CEO, April Chapman)
• Scripture Union
• Global Children’s Forum
• The Finish Line Community Facebook Group
• The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group

Bible References from the Show

Philippians 4:8 | Think on These Things  

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

We Want to Hear from You!

If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebook and LinkedIn.

The post Cherise Vermeulen, Executive Director of Generous Generations, on Seeding Generosity in Children and Youth appeared first on Finish Line Pledge.