“People that give are so blessed by their giving that it’s contagious. They want to talk about it. They’re excited to talk about it.” – Pastor Chris Seay at Compassion International chapel
“Contagious” is a word not often associated with generosity. And when it is, it’s often not in a positive way. I remember a moment several years ago when I purposefully made a call on my cell phone as I walked past a Christmas bell ringer, wanting to bypass the bell ringer completely as if I might catch a disease if I walked too close. Perhaps you’ve had a similar reaction to a fundraising support letter or a panhandler in your town. But when Seay describes contagious giving, he’s not articulating a pie-in-the-sky notion that it’s possible for generosity to be positively contagious. He’s seen it in a profound way.
In 2006, Pastor Chris Seay linked arms with two pastor friends and created Advent Conspiracy, a campaign to encourage Christians to recapture the story of Jesus when we celebrate Christmas. Advent Conspiracy invites Christians to kick the commercialized Christmas message to the curb and hold fast to the “reason for the season.” In doing so, Advent Conspiracy encourages us not to focus on the next great trinket, but to fix our eyes on our Savior and Lord. Their challenge: “Worship fully. Spend Less. Give more.”
Practically, Advent Conspiracy asks us to give more of our time, talent, and treasure toward significant moments and meaningful gifts for our family, friends, neighbors, and ministries. The message of Advent Conspiracy is a message of generosity. And it has been contagious … in a good way. What started as a simple experiment in 2006 with five churches has grown to a movement in over 1,500 churches around the world.
This month, HOPE is privileged to host Pastor Chris Seay at our annual Celebrating HOPE spring dinner on May 17. Join us in discovering the contagious joy of generosity as we commemorate the great work God has done through HOPE around the world.
