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THE GENEROSITY PROJECT�(TGP)

70+

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THE GENEROSITY PROJECT

�

Growing in God’s Grace from

Generation to Generation

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The Gathering Table

Write or draw one thing you love about WORSHIP!

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

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Gather

Worship God, who made us, God who has gifted us with all that we have, God who sustains us when we feel discouraged in wanting to live more generously

Make a commitment for generosity to be the core of who we are as households, individuals and as God’s children of every age.

Let it begin!!!

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Worship

Gather at the Lords table.
Blessed by viewing one another through God’s eyes.
Cross-generational, grace-filled, generous way of life goes beyond any boundary of age or stage.
Abundant joy from our hearts and households into all the world.
Trust in Gods grace and promise – there is more than enough!

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Ponder

How has each session been a “worshipful” experience?

How is our “table” overflowing?

What are the stories of “change” and transformation?

Where did we witness the work of the Holy Spirit among us?

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Fun Fact It

Bible is one book of 64 smaller books

Not one of them says; “THE END”

God’s stories of generosity will continue to live in you and me!

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Map It

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Song�

Take my Life, and Let It Be !

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Take+My+Life+and+Let+It+Be+Consecrated&&view=detail&mid=57E70FC19D973F75A23157E70FC19D973F75A231&&FORM=VRDGAR

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Gathering

Fountain Breath Three Ways

Learn the movement
Add meaning
Add a Blessing

“God is generous to me”

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

All Say:

“Blessings this day, at home and away”

Lets take a moment to calm and center ourselves as we prepare for out time focusing on God’s generosity.

“Stand up or sit up tall in a chair. Place feet hip-width apart and pointing forward. Press feet down into the earth. Hands can be at your sides or palms together at your heart. Lift your belly, head and heart. Move your shoulders back and down away from your ears. Your body is active and you are looking straight ahead. 1. Place palms together at the heart. Take a slow, deep breath through the nose and pause when the lungs are full. 2. Hold the pause as you bring your arms up overhead. 3. Exhale slowly, and ‘spray the fountain’, 4. Moving arms and to the side and then 5. Back together at heart center.”

Lets add meaning to Fountain Breath motion: “Each time we breathe in and bring our arms up overhead, it’s like we are breathing in the generosity of God; and as we move our arms to the side, we are sharing that generosity with others.”

Now lets add a blessing to Fountain Breath motion: “Stand up tall in Mountain Pose, sit cross-legged on the floor, or sit up tall in a chair. Place palms together at the heart. Take a slow, deep breath through the nose and pause when the lungs are full. Hold the pause as you bring your arms up overhead. Say, “God is generous to me,” as you ‘spray the fountain,’ moving arms and to the side and then back together at heart center.”

Lets wrap up saying: “Blessings this day, at home and away”

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Invitation

“We gather in the name of God, our Creator Jesus, our Savior, and the Spirit, our Sustainer. Amen.”

As we light the candle “You are the light of Christ.”

Together: “May we grow in God’s grace and generosity at home and away.”

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Connect It

“I AM GRATEFUL FOR ___________”

(Name one thing you are grateful for this day)

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

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“We trust in God’s promise – there is more than enough”

Let’s Read

Genesis 1:27-31a

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

We will join in a litany of generosity as we wrap up! The generations of faith – that’s us all – will respond to the reading declaring

“We trust in God’s promise – there is more than enough”

**Hand out reading and have someone in group read**

A READING FROM GENESIS

So, God created humans [in God’s own image]; [God] made men and women. [God] gave them a blessing and said: Have a lot of children. Fill the earth with people and bring it under your control. Rule over the fish in the ocean, the birds in the sky, and every animal on the earth. I have provided all kinds of fruit and grain for you to eat. And I have given the green plants as food for everything else that breathes. This will be food for animals, both wild and tame, and for birds. God looked at all [that was created]. All of it was very good!

“We trust in God’s promise – there is more than enough”

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Take my life, O Lord renew,

Consecrate my heart to you;

Take my moments and my days;

Let them sing your ceaseless praise

(Lutheran Worship, vs. 1, p. 404)

Sing

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God’s Story ~ John 6:8-13

“We trust in God’s promise – there is more than enough”

**Hand out reading and have someone in group read**

A reading from John

⁸Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the disciples. He spoke up and said, ⁹“There is a boy here who has five small loaves^[^a^] of barley bread and two fish. But what good is that with all these people?”

¹⁰The ground was covered with grass, and Jesus told his disciples to have everyone sit down. About five thousand men were in the crowd. ¹¹Jesus took the bread in his hands and gave thanks to God. Then he passed the bread to the people, and he did the same with the fish, until everyone had plenty to eat.

¹²The people ate all they wanted, and Jesus told his disciples to gather up the leftovers, so that nothing would be wasted. ¹³The disciples gathered them up and filled twelve large baskets with what was left over from the five barley loaves.

“We trust in God’s promise – there is more than enough”

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Take my hands and let them do

Works that show my love for you;

Take my feet and lead their way,

Never let them go a-stray.

(Lutheran Worship, vs 2. , p. 404)

Sing

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God’s Story

Acts 2:41-47 _(CEV)

“We trust in God’s promise – there is more than enough”

**Hand out reading and have someone in group read**

A reading from Acts:

On that day about three thousand believed his message and were baptized. They spent their time learning from the apostles, and they were like family to each other. They also broke breadand prayed together.Everyone was amazed by the many miracles and wonders that the apostles worked. All the Lord’s followers often met together, and they shared everything they had.They would sell their property and possessions and give the money to whoever needed it. Day after day they met together in the temple. They broke breadtogether in different homes and shared their food happily and freely,while praising God. Everyone liked them, and each day the Lord added to their group others who were being saved.

Let us say: “We trust in God’s promise – there is more than enough”

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Take my love and help it grow;

Let my loving over flow.

Take me now, and help me be

Part of Christ’s community.

(The New Century Hymnal, vs 4, p. 448)

Sing

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GENEROUS GIVING

Let’s Read

2 Corinthians 8:1-9 (CEV)

“We trust in God’s promise – there is more than enough”

**Hand out reading and have someone in group read**

A reading from 2 Corinthians

8 My friends, we want you to know that the churches in Macedonia^[^a^] have shown others how kind God is. ²Although they were going through hard times and were very poor, they were glad to give generously. ³They gave as much as they could afford and even more, simply because they wanted to. ⁴They even asked and begged us to let them have the joy of giving their money for God’s people. ⁵And they did more than we had hoped. They gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, just as God wanted them to do.

⁶Titus was the one who got you started doing this good thing, so we begged him to have you finish what you had begun. ⁷You do everything better than anyone else. You have stronger faith. You speak better and know more. You are eager to give, and you love us better.^[^b^] Now you must give more generously than anyone else.

⁸I am not ordering you to do this. I am simply testing how real your love is by comparing it with the concern that others have shown. ⁹You know that our Lord Jesus Christ was kind enough to give up all his riches and become poor, so that you could become rich.

Let us say: “We trust in God’s promise – there is more than enough”

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Take my silver and my gold,

Not a dollar I withhold.

Take my lips and keep them true,

Filled with messages from you.

(Lutheran Worship, vs 4, p. 404)

Sing

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God’s Story

Matthew

19: 21-26

“We trust in God’s promise – there is more than enough”

**Hand out reading and have someone in group read**

A reading from Matthew

²¹Jesus replied, “If you want to be perfect, go sell everything you own! Give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come and be my follower.” ²²When the young man heard this, he was sad, because he was very rich.

²³Jesus said to his disciples, “It’s terribly hard for rich people to get into the kingdom of heaven! ²⁴In fact, it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into God’s kingdom.”

²⁵When the disciples heard this, they were greatly surprised and asked, “How can anyone ever be saved?”

²⁶Jesus looked straight at them and said, “There are some things that people cannot do, but God can do anything.”

Let us say: “We trust in God’s promise – there is more than enough”

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Take my life, your will be done!

Make your will and mine be one.

Take my heart, and by your grace

Make of it your dwelling place.

(The New Century Hymnal, vs 3, p. 448)

Sing

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My Story – Your Story

Live it Out Covenant

Look for the one story, specific words, or phrase that captures your attention, represents how you intend to continue to live out God’s generosity.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

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Reach Out: A Glocal Story

Kids with character: Generosity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poiJv43MQZA

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Center It

TEAL

Let’s come back around the gathering table. �

In each of our sessions, we Started it Out making reflections on our cloth. This cloth reflects our gifts and understanding of generosity and joy! It now covers the table for the meal we share with Christ.

God has set the table for this gathering, in creating a world of beauty, glory, and abundance. God invites us to care for and be stewards of God’s creation.

Jesus has set the table, through His extravagant love and powerful example of what it means to share and sacrifice more than we think we are able. Jesus invites us to follow him.

We have set this table, through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit calls us to share our gifts and live our lives for one another.

As we gather and center ourselves around the Lord’s table, we remember, We remember when Jesus gathered at the table with his dearest friends, took bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying: “This is my body, given for you. Do this to remember me. After they had shared the meal together, he took the cup, gave thanks, and offered it for all of them to drink, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you. Do this to remember me.

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Our Father in heaven, help us to honor your name. Come and set up your kingdom, so that everyone on earth will obey you, as you are obeyed in heaven. Give us our food for today. Forgive us for doing wrong, as we forgive others. Keep us from being tempted and protect us from evil. Amen.

Lord’s Prayer

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Come to The Table

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Song�

Take my Life, and Let It Be !

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=jazzy+take+my+life+and+let+it+be+you+tube&&view=detail&mid=CD1C865B90489DA59D5ACD1C865B90489DA59D5A&&FORM=VRDGAR

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May this meal strengthen us for our work in God’s world, as we receive God’s grace and grow in generosity from generation to generation.

Amen.

Communion Blessing

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Share It

SHARE

The one story, specific words, or phrase that captures your attention, represents how you intend to continue to live out God’s generosity.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

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Generous God

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

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Thank you, God, for all that grows.

Thank you for your promise, seen in rainbows.

Thank you, God, for stars that shine. Thank you for these friends of mine. Thank you, God, for the moon and sun.

Thank you for all that’s given – for everyone! Help us, Lord, to learn to share, To be more generous everywhere. Amen.

Pray

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Blessed in God’s Image

“(Insert name), you are created in the image of a generous God.”

We are made in the image of (prompt all to echo or respond) God!

God is a (prompt all to echo or respond) generous God!

We are made to be (prompt all to echo or respond) generous too!

Go, be a blessing to others as you serve God with grace-filled, generous hearts and hands.

AMEN.

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Message

to Live By

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��THE GENEROSITY PROJECT: 5G�ELCA The Generosity Project �For Access to Curriculum and Resources�https://www.elca.org/generosityproject��Linda Staats� The Generosity Project Coordinator�linda@homegrownfaith.net��Stay connected on Facebook:�The Generosity Project Network ELCA�