Testimonials
A.J. is a refreshing gift of enlightened mission and ministry. He is unapologetic in addressing the financial and personal gifts needed to accomplish our call to be the Body of Christ. Can I also say he is simply fun to be around and work with? He and his team are joyful and positive message of the accountable stewardship of being a disciple. We are stronger as a church due to our trust in A.J. as he helped us clarify our vision and direction.
- Rev. Dan Martin, West Market Street United Methodist Church (Greensboro NC)
Joyful Giving Group has helped our church to see where we are now and how we can move ahead in the future. Through interviews with families, research into our churches history, strong biblical principles, and a willingness to hear and give people a voice, A.J. was able to help us see ourselves as we are. A.J. clearly brought a passion and love of Christ and a strong desire to see our church thrive and be the church that God is wanting us to be. His recommendations will help our church grow a stronger culture of generosity.
- Rev. Allan VanMeter, Archdale United Methodist Church (Archdale NC)
Our congregation recently had the pleasure of working with A.J. Thomas of Joyful Giving Group. He brought talent, creativity, wisdom, and experience to this coaching relationship. From the beginning A.J. developed trust with our leadership through his non-threatening, servant-leadership style. A.J. quickly gained the confidence of our lay leaders as he freely shared his vast knowledge and helpful guidance during every coaching session. The best recommendation I can give is to tell you that at our final session I asked A.J. to send us a proposal for how we could continue our coaching relationship past our initial contract. If you want a slick, flashy, silver-bullet kind of consultant who will have your church swooning in awe, A.J. is not your man. But, if you want an expert servant of the Lord who will jump in the trench with you and help your church work on some of the real stewardship challenges we all face, A.J. is the coach you've been looking for.
- Rev. Howard Fleming, First United Methodist Church (Granite Falls NC)
A.J. listens first. He works to understand the context of a pastor and a congregation. He hears the stories, the experiences, and the emotionality around giving (or the lack thereof). After listening he goes to his deep well of wisdom and best practices. The result is that one comes away with a bespoke suit rather than a one-size fits all solution.
- Rev. Dan Hester, St. Andrew's United Methodist Church (Charlotte NC)
Joyful Giving Group is an excellent ministry partner and resource. I found the work with the group to be practical, formational, and theologically rich. The one-on-one sessions with A.J. allowed for time of intentional work around topics of generosity. The sessions with the leadership team helped to give the church a framework and language for continuing to think about generosity. Overall, I recommend this ministry partner to pastors and churches seeking to cultivate generosity.
- Rev. Bradley T. Hinton, Pine Grove United Methodist Church (Albemarle NC)
Because we partnered with Joyful Giving Group, our leadership team was able to begin the turn from simply “funding the budget giving” to considering the spiritual meaning of the gift. A.J. is engaging, fun, and thoughtful in his presentation. You know right away this is his passion and call to ministry! He listened to our questions, doubts and hopes, and gave us practical suggestions for moving forward.
- Lisa Lail, Church Administrator, St. Luke's United Methodist Church (Hickory NC)
No one wants to hear bad news. This is especially true when it involves church finances. It was such a blessing to have A.J. Thomas as a consultant who could bring calm optimism and strong biblical principles into a difficult conversation. Our church really felt like A.J. listened to their needs, fears and desires rather than simply looking at numbers on paper. It is obvious he has a heart for Christ's church and for helping it to be the healthiest body it can be. We have seen a wonderful turn around in our situation thanks to his guidance.
- Rev. Karen Roberts, Wilkesboro United Methodist Church (Wilkesboro NC)
A.J. Thomas is in the center of his calling and skill set. He embodies the joyful generous spirit that he offers as a comprehensive approach to giving. A.J. came to preach at Yadkinville UMC and we followed up with a consulting session focused on our financial stewardship campaign. His winsome and winning presence made it easy to trust A.J. He listened to our hopes and our history, and offered helpful and practical suggestions to cultivate a culture of giving.
- Rev. Chris Hughes
Joyful Giving Group has re-ignited a passion for stewardship and offered support as we sow the seeds for long-term ministry at THE WALK. From helping us articulate our stewardship vision in clear and tangible ways to deepening our theological understanding of giving, from designing communication materials to prayer and encouragement, A.J.'s support has been consistent, compassionate, and clear to our Finance Team and our pastor. And, it's already bearing fruit! Since sharing our stewardship vision and challenge to the congregation, our plate offering has doubled. We are grateful for our partnership with Joyful Giving Group as we grow in generosity!
- Rev. Carter Ellis
Through A.J.'s ministry, we came to understand that our gifts were not just about sacrifice, but very much about becoming invested in God's work. Our money being given led to our hands, our heads and our hearts following into service to God and our fellow man.
- Rich and Melissa Lewis (Greensboro NC)
While looking for a way to refresh and evolve my relationship with God, I met A.J. After 12 months of "visiting" the church where he was pastor at the time, I felt the Holy Spirit's call to join. Since that time, I've become more spirit-filled, which has led me to a greater sharing of my time, talent, and treasure in hope of serving God every day.
- Al Musci (Greensboro NC)
I was blessed to have the opportunity to get to know A.J. while serving as church council chair. He is engaging, smart, and funny. He always makes you think. It becomes obvious after a few minutes with A.J. that he enjoys his ministry to lead people to Christ; his hope is that they become true Disciples. He is always energetic and ready to step in and lead, but more importantly, knows when to let others take the reins.
- Dee Spencer (Wilmington NC)
- Rev. Dan Martin, West Market Street United Methodist Church (Greensboro NC)
Joyful Giving Group has helped our church to see where we are now and how we can move ahead in the future. Through interviews with families, research into our churches history, strong biblical principles, and a willingness to hear and give people a voice, A.J. was able to help us see ourselves as we are. A.J. clearly brought a passion and love of Christ and a strong desire to see our church thrive and be the church that God is wanting us to be. His recommendations will help our church grow a stronger culture of generosity.
- Rev. Allan VanMeter, Archdale United Methodist Church (Archdale NC)
Our congregation recently had the pleasure of working with A.J. Thomas of Joyful Giving Group. He brought talent, creativity, wisdom, and experience to this coaching relationship. From the beginning A.J. developed trust with our leadership through his non-threatening, servant-leadership style. A.J. quickly gained the confidence of our lay leaders as he freely shared his vast knowledge and helpful guidance during every coaching session. The best recommendation I can give is to tell you that at our final session I asked A.J. to send us a proposal for how we could continue our coaching relationship past our initial contract. If you want a slick, flashy, silver-bullet kind of consultant who will have your church swooning in awe, A.J. is not your man. But, if you want an expert servant of the Lord who will jump in the trench with you and help your church work on some of the real stewardship challenges we all face, A.J. is the coach you've been looking for.
- Rev. Howard Fleming, First United Methodist Church (Granite Falls NC)
A.J. listens first. He works to understand the context of a pastor and a congregation. He hears the stories, the experiences, and the emotionality around giving (or the lack thereof). After listening he goes to his deep well of wisdom and best practices. The result is that one comes away with a bespoke suit rather than a one-size fits all solution.
- Rev. Dan Hester, St. Andrew's United Methodist Church (Charlotte NC)
Joyful Giving Group is an excellent ministry partner and resource. I found the work with the group to be practical, formational, and theologically rich. The one-on-one sessions with A.J. allowed for time of intentional work around topics of generosity. The sessions with the leadership team helped to give the church a framework and language for continuing to think about generosity. Overall, I recommend this ministry partner to pastors and churches seeking to cultivate generosity.
- Rev. Bradley T. Hinton, Pine Grove United Methodist Church (Albemarle NC)
Because we partnered with Joyful Giving Group, our leadership team was able to begin the turn from simply “funding the budget giving” to considering the spiritual meaning of the gift. A.J. is engaging, fun, and thoughtful in his presentation. You know right away this is his passion and call to ministry! He listened to our questions, doubts and hopes, and gave us practical suggestions for moving forward.
- Lisa Lail, Church Administrator, St. Luke's United Methodist Church (Hickory NC)
No one wants to hear bad news. This is especially true when it involves church finances. It was such a blessing to have A.J. Thomas as a consultant who could bring calm optimism and strong biblical principles into a difficult conversation. Our church really felt like A.J. listened to their needs, fears and desires rather than simply looking at numbers on paper. It is obvious he has a heart for Christ's church and for helping it to be the healthiest body it can be. We have seen a wonderful turn around in our situation thanks to his guidance.
- Rev. Karen Roberts, Wilkesboro United Methodist Church (Wilkesboro NC)
A.J. Thomas is in the center of his calling and skill set. He embodies the joyful generous spirit that he offers as a comprehensive approach to giving. A.J. came to preach at Yadkinville UMC and we followed up with a consulting session focused on our financial stewardship campaign. His winsome and winning presence made it easy to trust A.J. He listened to our hopes and our history, and offered helpful and practical suggestions to cultivate a culture of giving.
- Rev. Chris Hughes
Joyful Giving Group has re-ignited a passion for stewardship and offered support as we sow the seeds for long-term ministry at THE WALK. From helping us articulate our stewardship vision in clear and tangible ways to deepening our theological understanding of giving, from designing communication materials to prayer and encouragement, A.J.'s support has been consistent, compassionate, and clear to our Finance Team and our pastor. And, it's already bearing fruit! Since sharing our stewardship vision and challenge to the congregation, our plate offering has doubled. We are grateful for our partnership with Joyful Giving Group as we grow in generosity!
- Rev. Carter Ellis
Through A.J.'s ministry, we came to understand that our gifts were not just about sacrifice, but very much about becoming invested in God's work. Our money being given led to our hands, our heads and our hearts following into service to God and our fellow man.
- Rich and Melissa Lewis (Greensboro NC)
While looking for a way to refresh and evolve my relationship with God, I met A.J. After 12 months of "visiting" the church where he was pastor at the time, I felt the Holy Spirit's call to join. Since that time, I've become more spirit-filled, which has led me to a greater sharing of my time, talent, and treasure in hope of serving God every day.
- Al Musci (Greensboro NC)
I was blessed to have the opportunity to get to know A.J. while serving as church council chair. He is engaging, smart, and funny. He always makes you think. It becomes obvious after a few minutes with A.J. that he enjoys his ministry to lead people to Christ; his hope is that they become true Disciples. He is always energetic and ready to step in and lead, but more importantly, knows when to let others take the reins.
- Dee Spencer (Wilmington NC)