Disciples' Generous Response

Disciples' Generous Response or A Disciple's Generous Response was announced in April 2002 as the name given by the Community of Christ to a major rethinking of its stewardship theology and practices [ [http://www.cofchrist.org/generosity/ A Disciple’s Generous Response] , webpage, retrieved June 24, 2006] . Based in part on teachings by writers such as Walter Brueggemann and Leonard Sweet, A Disciple's Generous Response can be traced to a theology or liturgy of abundance, as well as the principle of receiving God's abundance. Like many recent enhancements of church doctrine and practice, it is described as belonging to a postmodernism trend in thinking within the church. [ [http://www.cofchrist.org/templeschool/Curriculum/te231.asp Stewardship: An Old Path Made New] , webpage, retrieved June 24, 2006]

The new stewardship thinking in Disciples' Generous Response is referred to indirectly in the book of Doctrine and Covenants 162:7c as "the principle of generosity, rightly interpreted for a new time. [ [http://www.cofchrist.org/wc2004/section162.asp Doctrine and Covenants Section 162] , webpage, retrieved June 24, 2006] " The six principles of Disciples' Generous Response call on Christian disciples to practice generosity as a spiritual discipline, respond faithfully to the blessings of God, to give financially as appropriate to our unique personal circumstances and desires, to share in mission tithes and community tithes, to save wisely for the future and to spend responsibly. Responsibility for interpretation and teaching of Disiciples' Generous Response lies principally with the Presiding Bishopric.

Prior to this program, members of the Community of Christ were taught that a stewardship principle known as "increase" determined the base amount for tithing. While carefully built upon the many differing stewardship principles in both overall Christian and specific Community of Christ traditions, the new thinking emphasizes a natural generosity in all of life lived as response to the overwhelming and incomparable generosity of God. As such, tithing is not limited to World Church giving as in the past, or even to the church at all. Through the principle of community tithes, almost any charitable organization to which a disciple contributes could be considered tithing. While most giving is now seen as tithing, the typical interpretation is that a majority of one's tithing should be given in Mission Tithes (Tithes to Local and World Church) and the minority to Community Tithes (Organizations like Outreach International, Graceland University, Restoration Trails Foundation, World Accord, etc.) The church teaches the principle of community tithes believing that it will not decrease giving to the church, but rather increase it as more members embrace a fully generous and responsive way of living.

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