The Joy of Giving in Community: Who's in Your Circle?
Think of the people you do life with.
They might be family or people who have become family. They might be people from all different backgrounds who share a hobby or interest. They might live close to you or be scattered around the world. But at the end of the day, you’d consider them to be part of your circle — the ones who see you through the ups and downs of life, who know your passions and your heartaches, who see the cries of your heart and the answers to your prayers.
God made us for community. Jesus Himself had a circle comprised of varying levels of intimacy — His closest circle with Peter, James and John, followed by His relationship with the other disciples. And when you think about it, God is innately, at His very essence, the definition of community: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
So if God Himself desires community, shouldn’t we?
There is something incredible about doing life with others. Yes, it can be raw and real, and at times, parts of you might be seen that you wish remained hidden. But there’s also deep joy and satisfaction to be found as you encourage and build each other up, carry each other’s burdens and sharpen each other, just as iron sharpens iron.
This is how God designed us to live. This is how God designed us to work. This is how God designed us to advance His mission.
Generosity, too, can be lived out in community. And one of the beautiful things about giving in community is that even small acts of generosity can grow into something far bigger than we imagine.
Faith Like a Mustard Seed
It started with dinner and a handful of invitations.
Steve and Deni opened their home to a small group of friends — from their neighborhood, their Bible studies, their golfing group — to share about the need for Bible translation. “It was more of a friend-raiser than a fundraiser evening,” Deni shared. Seven couples came together, and Steve and Deni shared about a world where people could finally experience Scripture in their own language.
Several months later, Steve and Deni’s friends Bruce and Barb attended a Wycliffe event, where they heard a story about a group of friends who had started a giving circle. They also heard clearly about the ongoing, pressing need for Bible translation in various languages.
“Once we started to understand what the need was for Bible translation, and then listening to people whose lives had been totally changed by having access to the Bible in their heart language, we started to realize that this was just an absolutely incredible endeavor,” Barb shared. “And the Holy Spirit was starting to push us pretty hard at that point.”
At that same event, they saw a presentation highlighting the impact of Pentecost, and Bruce immediately connected the two. “The very first miracle they did [at Pentecost] was to speak to everybody in their own language, and that was people from all over the world, from little countries, big countries, local, far away,” he said. “And that was a very moving moment for us.”
Bruce and Barb began asking themselves: What does this mean for us personally?
When Giving Became Personal
“We’re kind of introverts,” Bruce shared. “We’re good at reading the Bible, having an understanding of all that, being good to other people, trying to show people Christ through our behavior. But when it comes to talking to people about it or trying to bring them to Christ, we’re introverts, so that’s pretty tough for us.
“But we suddenly had the Holy Spirit whispering in our head, ‘Hey, this is an incredible outreach. I can let you talk not just to a few people but to thousands.’ And if we build this group big enough, it could be hundreds of thousands of people who get the Bible for the first time. That just blew us away.”
Completely convinced by the Lord, Bruce, Barb, Steve and Deni decided to start their own giving circle to increase access to Scripture around the world. Eleven people gathered, this time with a shared purpose. They called themselves the Mustard Seeds, a name that captured what they were becoming: small, but growing.
At their next meeting, they chose a new project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. By then, the group had grown from 11 people to more than 20 — all in less than a year! Their stewardship includes advocacy, prayer and financial support, and they do it together in community.
Along the way, they’ve experienced an unexpected source of joy — not just in giving but in giving together. In sharing a vision. In watching each other step forward. In knowing that they are doing side by side what none of them could have accomplished alone.
What started in a quiet evening over dinner has become a community — one that continues to grow, one seed at a time.
Watch how one community is experiencing the joy of giving together →
Who’s in Your Circle?
Starting a giving circle is easier than you might think! We’ve created a starter kit with resources to help your group grow closer to one another and to God as you give together. Inside you’ll find tools designed to make your experience simple, meaningful and fun.
The starter kit includes:
- Event planning tools to help you gather your group and host a meaningful time together
- Prayer prompts to guide your circle in praying for Bible translation and the communities you’re impacting
- Conversation guides to help you reflect on generosity, Scripture and God’s mission around the world
- Story ideas and activities to inspire your group and celebrate the difference you’re making
- Recipes from around the world — a fun bonus to help your circle share a meal inspired by the cultures you’re helping reach with God’s Word
When you start or join a giving circle, you’re part of a growing network of people helping share the greatest story ever told. Your circle doesn’t need to be limited to just giving, either:
- Become a prayer circle, interceding for communities and projects around the world.
- Become an advocacy circle, telling others about the need for Bible translation.
- Invite people to engage their church in ways that align with and expand their Great Commission activities.
- Consider joining the team through short- or full-time roles, volunteering and more.
Use these opportunities to rally your community for impact, doing together what you couldn’t do alone. And along the way, your circle will experience the incredible joy of advancing God’s Kingdom.
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