The Rev. Dave Jagger writes that this is a unique time for many older church members to make a greater impact than ever before.
It continues to surprise me. As I approach 60, I have the most financial resources of my life. At this point in our careers, my wife and I are at our highest earning levels yet, and at the same time our expenses are relatively low. Our kids are out on their own and the mortgage is paid off. There are days this strikes home and we wonder how it happened.
Of course, I understand that this is not everyone’s experience. However, for a lot of people, this is in fact the case. Statistics Canada reports that in 2021, people between 45 and 55 years of age had the highest average individual income of all age groups. Also, by age 55, household expenses are dropping and by 65, they are at the lowest of all age groups. By comparison, those 25-34 years old had the lowest individual average income and household expenses of everyone except those over 65.
Think for a minute about your own circumstances. Is this the case for you?
Yet, when it comes to inviting generosity, why do we so often treat those 50 and older as if they have the same financial resources as a 25-year-old? We say things like, “Any little gift will do” or that it’s OK to give as little as possible from the leftovers. During COVID we found out that a “fixed” income was an advantage over those who lost jobs or had their hours cut. Many “fixed” incomes are still higher than those whose earnings are more precarious.
Personally, I don’t expect to be invited to be generous now in the same way as when I was newly ordained 34 years ago, with a young family and being the sole income earner. My situation now is radically different.
Now I need my church to challenge me to give more – to remind me that generosity is still a factor in growing my faith as well as a visible way to express it. At every stage of life, I should be thinking about what I give, and how I can share radically.
After all, our communities of faith have benefited from the gifts of older generations who gave as much as they were able. We have built upon their legacies, and now it is my turn, and our turn--with our greater access to wealth--to give meaningfully.
As a person of faith, as your age and your financial resources change, how generous can you be? Really. Push yourself a bit. Try being extra generous and see what happens.
Looking back, it’s been quite the journey. Hard times, lean times, times of plenty. Yet, in them all, there has always been both the opportunity to be generous and the means to do so. And for that I am thankful – and I’m not done yet.
— the Rev. Dave Jagger is the Community of Faith Stewardship Lead within the Philanthropy Unit of the General Council and is not as young as he used to be.
The views contained within these blogs are personal and do not necessarily reflect those of The United Church of Canada.