This is episode 4 of 5 of the Next Sunday Podcast Summer Session: five focused conversations to help pastors and church leaders arrive at fall with a congregation of ready hearts. Download Beyond The Generosity Gap Workbook, a free guide designed to help you put these conversations into action before the season arrives.

The data is encouraging. Gen Z's propensity to give is at or above that of Boomers. Their faith is growing. So why isn't their generosity keeping pace in most churches?

In this episode, Jim Sheppard and Frank Bealer name the gap honestly and place the responsibility squarely where it belongs. Frank introduces the idea of "checkmatic giving," the way automated digital giving, while convenient, has quietly removed generosity from everyday family life and eliminated the natural discipleship moments that used to happen around the kitchen table.

Jim traces the larger pattern: Boomers didn't disciple Gen X well in this area. Gen X didn't disciple Millennials. And now the gap has compounded into Gen Z. The good news is that their willingness is there. The question is whether the church will disciple that willingness before the window closes, and whether it will start building the formation pipeline for Gen Alpha before it is too late.