A study in the UK reveals that devout Christians offer five times the typical amount in charitable contributions.
In September 2024, a comprehensive online survey was conducted among 6,011 Christian adults in the UK, revealing insights into the relationship between Christian practice and generosity. The survey, focusing on the concept of stewardship as a spiritual discipline, demonstrated that Christian generosity is a joyful, holistic response to God's gifts, involving the sharing of time, talents, and resources in service to others.
The survey results underscored the notion that stewardship is grounded in gratitude for God-given gifts. Parishioners who engage in Christian stewardship recognise their unique talents and resources as blessings from God and respond by nurturing and sharing these gifts generously with others. This generous practice aligns with their vocation and brings real joy, serving others as a way of serving Christ himself.
The survey highlighted that generosity in Christian practice is not limited to financial giving but extends to acts of service. The metaphor of the five barley loaves and two fish in John’s gospel serves as a powerful example, demonstrating how even small gifts, when given in generosity, can have a profound impact when offered in faith.
The survey categorised participants into four groups: committed Christians, practising Christians, church-going Christians, and cultural Christians. The youngest age category (18-24) were nearly twice as likely as other age groups to be in the 'committed Christian' group. On average, they give £98.26 per month, a higher proportion of their income than any other age group. The average monthly giving for Christians across all levels of practice is £124 a month, or 5% of their income.
The survey indicated a link between regular Christian practice and increased generosity. Interestingly, 'committed Christians' were more likely to feel joy about their charitable giving compared to 'cultural Christians' (42% vs 10%). The majority of 'committed Christians' (34%) cited gratitude for blessings as the greatest motivation for giving.
Other causes that Christians give to include Christian charities (82%), secular charities (71%), and Christian workers (51%). The survey does not suggest that a commitment to a Christian faith precludes supporting causes that are not explicitly driven by faith.
Trust is a "key driver for giving" for regular church-goers, with 73% reporting they trust their church "a lot". For 'committed Christians', trust factors drop for the other causes they support, with 50% saying they trust Christian charities, followed by secular charities (27%), Christian workers (30%), and secular charities again (27%).
On average, 25% of Christians give regularly to Christian charities compared to 22% who give regularly to secular charities. 'Committed Christians' are more likely to give regularly, with 61% giving regularly to Christian charities and 44% to secular charities, compared to 5% of 'cultural Christians' giving regularly to Christian charities and 9% to secular charities.
Over 90% of Christians who attend church at least once a month give regularly to their church. Those belonging to independent churches were more likely to feel a sense of responsibility about their charitable giving.
In summary, the 2024 Stewardship survey demonstrates that Christian generosity is a joyful, spiritual response to God’s gifts, involving the sharing of time, talents, and resources in service to others, which is central to practicing one’s faith in daily life. This understanding is consistent with broader stewardship initiatives within churches that emphasise abundant giving from a place of faith rather than scarcity.
The survey findings suggest that stewardship, as a spiritual practice among Christians, encompasses more than just financial giving and extends to acts of service, personal-growth, and education-and-self-development, reflecting a holistic response to God's blessings in both personal-finance and other areas of life. The survey also indicated a correlation between increased generosity and regular Christian practice, with committed Christians reporting higher levels of joy in their charitable giving compared to cultural Christians. This joy stems from a strong motivation of gratitude for God's blessings, illustrating the interplay between personal-finance, business, education-and-self-development, and personal-growth within the context of Christian stewardship.
