This Lent season, Christian charity Stewardship is relaunching its generosity challenge, 40acts, in partnership with Gospel Entrepreneurs, The Way UK, and Sanctuary Foundation.
Following a temporary hiatus, 40acts returns as an award-winning initiative that has grown right into a movement of over 100,000 individuals dedicated to remodeling their communities through acts of far-reaching generosity.
Leaders from Stewardship and the Sanctuary Foundation say that 40acts isn’t merely a brief commitment during Lent but a shift in perspective, encouraging individuals to actively give to others reasonably than simply giving up personal indulgences.
It serves as the start of a lifelong commitment to sharing the grace believers have received from Jesus while also fostering meaningful conversations about faith by highlighting the deeper motivations behind this radical generosity.
Janie Oliver, CEO of Stewardship said hoped it might encourage “a lifestyle that may embrace living generously: acts of kindness and caring that may transform our lives and the lives of those we connect with”.
“40acts was much-loved since it brought a lot joy to so many. It flips the standard Lent mindset of giving stuff as much as certainly one of giving stuff away and that stuff includes your time, talent, and resources, not only your money,” she said.
“It is perhaps so simple as a chat with someone who’s lonely or taking a meal to a neighbour in need.
“Jesus said: ‘It is more blessed to provide than to receive’ – our prayer is that many will know the enjoyment of that blessing this Lent, because of 40acts.
“Living generously will at all times provoke questions from those around you so ‘Always be prepared to provide a solution to everyone who asks you to provide the explanation for the hope that you’ve 1 Peter 3:15’ (NIV). 40acts is an incredible tool that might be used to impress those conversations.”
She added, “The impact could possibly be phenomenal.”
Krish Kandiah, Director of Sanctuary Foundation, said he was “so excited” in regards to the 40acts challenge.
“Often at Lent we take into consideration what we’re giving up. Wouldn’t or not it’s great if we could take into consideration what we’re giving back?” he said.
“We’ve received a lot mercy and charm and love from God and Lent is a terrific time to be eager about that but in addition eager about how we are able to pour that grace and love into the lives of other people.
“I hope you’ll need fun, excitement, and challenge in getting involved in 40acts this yr.”
Individuals keen on participating within the 40acts challenge can enroll online www.stewardship.org.uk/40-acts-sign-up by choosing a level of engagement starting from small day by day acts to more substantial commitments. Throughout the 40 days of Lent, from March 5 to April 19, 2025, participants will receive day by day emails from various contributors featuring reflections, prayers, and challenges, all geared toward encouraging the spread of the love of Jesus through purposeful acts of generosity.
The initiative’s launch might be marked by a 20-minute Great Big Live Assembly, streamed by the Sanctuary Foundation to UK primary schools, encouraging students to hitch the challenge, supported by a downloadable resource pack for teachers.
Additionally, churches can access all-age service plans from Roots for Churches and the Evangelical Alliance, a small group study from the Big Church Read, and six-film based youth group sessions from The Way UK.
