Downtown Durham campus members Nick and Caitlin describe themselves as opposites when it comes to finances.

Nick admits that being generous with finances was a struggle. He considered himself a saver and acknowledged that giving was a challenge. Meanwhile, he lauded his college sweetheart and wife of five years, Caitlin, as “one of the most generous people” he’d ever met and appreciated that giving brought her joy.

Through their time at Summit, Nick has seen God transform his heart. He recalled a sermon series on greed and that the statement “the only way to get rid of greed is to give money away,” prompted him to start tithing. He saw how that intentional act changed both of their hearts.

When the couple married, they determined the orientation of their finances from the beginning.

“We said from the very outset that wherever God took us in our careers and financial journey, all of that was his and we’re just merely stewards,” Caitlin said. “Starting from that position allowed us to be free in how we approached money because neither one of us was trying to grab and hold onto something.”

They also saw the blessings of increase in finances as a way to grow in generosity.

“God allowed us the opportunity to steward more, and we took on that responsibility and welcomed it, and we prayed that God would continue to increase that responsibility so that we could learn further stewardship and bless others,” Caitlin said.

Nick and Caitlin demonstrate that through living a lifestyle noticeably different from their peers in law and finance by driving older cars, living in a diverse area and living debt-free after paying off student loans, and it serves as an avenue to share the gospel.

“It is a constant topic of conversation,” Caitlin said.

God has met the couple’s desire to grow in sacrificial generosity through their financial faith commitments.

“We’ve stepped out and boldly made a commitment to giving God our first and our best, and being more generous when things come up in other people’s lives,” she said. “It’s been really fun to have the conversation each year, not knowing about raises or where our jobs will take us. But we’re going to go ahead and make the commitment, and God will be faithful.”

As Nick and Caitlin have grown in the joy of giving, they want to continue that journey in other areas of life as well.

“We want to live our lives the best we can to serve him because he’s done so much for us,” Nick said.