A fundraising consultant for churches approached me with a problem: “How do I help church people understand that generosity is not just a one time thing, but a constant journey?” This wasn’t a unique teaching, but an important one. But how can we show that to them in a new way so they remember it?

The answer was a 24 page printed booklet with a story showcasing the journey. The client will sell hundreds of these books to each church they work with. I decided to make it 6” by 6” which made it unique in its size, small enough to carry or display, yet large enough to showcase the photography.

Here’s what made it one of my favorite projects: the analogy of an olive tree. There are five steps within this journey. Each step is mapped out following the life of an olive tree from the olive pit to the healthful oil, relating it to the journey of generosity we can all take.

Olive trees are mentioned throughout scripture and were an essential crop around the Mediterranean. It only takes about 40 days for an olive tree to germinate, but it is five years before the tree can bear fruit. Even then, the olives aren’t ready for eating right from the tree but must go through a transformation process to be eaten or extracted for oil.

 

The big takeaway for us on this project is that our growth in generosity is less about a financial transaction and more about a transformation; a transformation of the heart.