All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had (Acts 4:32).

The Christian school that I used to teach at in Uijeongbu, South Korea, was very unique. Every teacher who worked there came as a missionary and saw their students and families as their mission field. This mindset created a very special culture of generosity and sharing among the teachers, staff, parents, and students.

When one teacher left their assignment, they gave all of their resources, furniture, etc. to the next teacher. People would also donate dishes, food, and furniture from their own homes to help the new missionary-teachers who were moving in. We shared the material possessions that we had freely and happily.

This was also true of people’s time. When I was new at the school, there were so many people who voluntarily helped me. Even the principal came and helped for a couple of hours setting up my classroom. Other people put a welcome bag of groceries in my apartment. Some even offered to take me around the city. We got together outside of school too and were like a family.

As a school, we often did outreach in our local community. There were also many staff members who led students on mission trips. None of us had much money, but this group of people was far more generous with their time and resources than any other group I’ve been a part of.

This reminds me of the congregation described in Acts 4:32. They were of one heart and soul; they were open-handed with their belongings. You can tell that their church was a place filled with love and generosity. We know this because verse 34 says that there was not a needy person among them.

This kind of generosity builds resilient communities. People are naturally drawn to kindness, giving, and love. Once you are part of a community like this, it’s contagious and spreads. People who weren’t accustomed to being generous (myself included) become more open-handed. This kind of generosity doesn’t stem from legalism or trying to be obedient. Rather, it is a response to experiencing being loved both by God and each other. This also makes it easier to share the good news of Jesus because people are more open to receiving it.

If we want our church to be even more amazing, like the church in Acts, I think the first step is to thank God for anyone who was generous and loving to you. Then respond by doing that for someone else. Before you know it, this kind of genuine generosity will become contagious and spread throughout our church community as well.