In a time of economic uncertainty, the UK Church continues to demonstrate remarkable generosity. This is the heartening conclusion drawn from recent announcements by Stewardship, the Christian giving and philanthropy platform that has been supporting believers in their financial discipleship for 120 years.

As the organisation celebrates this significant anniversary in 2026, it continues to find "new and revolutionary ways for generosity to grow." Two recent developments highlight this ongoing mission: the revealing findings of their Generosity Report 2026, and the launch of their popular 40acts challenge for Lent.

**The State of Christian Giving**

The Stewardship Generosity Report 2026 has provided a fascinating and encouraging snapshot of how Christians approach their finances. The headline finding is striking: committed Christians in the UK give away over four times the national monthly average. While the average UK adult donates around £20 per month to charity, committed Christians give an average of £84 per month. This remarkable statistic underscores the profound impact that faith has on financial priorities.

The report also identified five distinct giving personas among Christians — the Planner, the Responder, the Sacrificial Giver, the Cheerful Giver, and the Relational Giver — helping to understand the different ways believers approach generosity. For many Christians, giving is not merely a charitable obligation but an integral part of their discipleship and worship. Last year alone, Stewardship received over £100 million from donors, which was then distributed to support over 12,000 charities, churches, and Christian workers doing incredible work across the world.

**Flipping Lent Upside Down**

While the Generosity Report looks at the big picture, Stewardship's other major recent announcement focuses on practical, daily action. The organisation has launched its award-winning 40acts generosity challenge for Lent 2026. Traditionally, Lent is a season associated with giving things up — chocolate, social media, or other comforts. However, 40acts "flips the traditional idea of giving stuff up for Lent to focus instead on giving stuff away."

Running for 40 days from Wednesday 18 February to Thursday 2 April, the challenge invites participants to perform small, creative acts of radical generosity. Subscribers receive a daily email containing a reflection and a specific challenge designed to bless people with their money, time, and talents. Last year, around 50,000 people took part, spreading kindness and joy in their communities through moments of radical generosity.

New for 2026, Stewardship has introduced a dedicated giving app, a weekly podcast featuring Christian influencers including BBC Radio 1's Swarzy Shirey, and broad partnerships with the Bible Society, LICC, and the Church of England. Swarzy Shirey captured the spirit of the initiative well: "I like 40acts' upside-down approach to Lent where you give stuff away rather than up... I think more people would be like, 'Who is this God? Who is this generous, generous God that you talk about?'"

As Stewardship enters its 120th year, its vision — "A thriving Kingdom economy where God's people steward resources generously to advance the Gospel" — remains as vibrant and necessary as ever.