David Bell

“There is so much we can do when we open our hearts and minds to faith and learn how to live generously,” says Sheri Meister, president and CEO of the Dakotas United Methodist Foundation. “Generosity is more than the offering plate. It is a continuum of our faith, a way of living out our faith.

That is why Meister is excited about the upcoming opportunity for United Methodists to learn from David Bell, who is a consultant across the United Methodist connection, and the president and executive director of the Michigan United Methodist Foundation.

“I have had the opportunity to learn and grow in stewardship for 30 years,” says Bell. “I was able to grow in faith and stewardship by serving as a pastor. Generosity grows out of the story. Today’s culture is learning to give in new ways. We are still grounded in Wesley’s philosophy of earn, save, give.

Bell sees the future of the local church banking on stewardship that moves from a personal level to an organizational level. The responsibility to help the next generation to give is value-aligned and focused on becoming generous people.

Many believers participate in faith-based personal budget courses, such as Financial Peace University. These courses impact the generosity of many.

“One of the best ways to impact stewardship is to get involved in a faith-based personal finance course,” says Bell. “An important step for all believers is to move from a personal level in stewardship to an organizational level. That is where the impact happens. Together we are better.”

Living out his faith through generosity started with Bell’s grandmother, who was dedicated to family pastoral care ministry. 

“As a very young boy, 5-6 years of age, I would go with my grandmother as she visited people who were new to the church, needed a visit because they were not well, or had something happening in their family,” Bell says. “When my grandmother passed away, she left a gift to continue that ministry. It is still going today because of her commitment and generosity. It was a powerful example for me. “

Today he practices generosity by listening to where God is calling, extending his gifts through financial planning to live out the ministry on his heart.

Bell will lead The Generosity Journey Seminar for clergy and lay leaders at Sunnycrest United Methodist Church, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on March 25, 2020, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. He will share ways to live out your faith through living a life of generosity and stewardship—view details and register here.

The seminar will provide practical advice on living generosity grounded in scripture and the Wesleyan tradition.  

“We often give or live by a scarcity and sufficiency model of giving. I want to invite people to year-round, long-term giving, grounded in the Wesleyan tradition,” says Bell.

The day after the seminar, on March 26, 2020, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., clergy are invited to learn from Bell. Clergy taxes, compensation, personal finance, and retirement planning for pastors are topics that he will address with participants—view details and register here.

“Come and learn ways to engage in conversations about money. It is a way of living out faith and being in ministry,” says Meister.