Vision Leaks

By on October 4, 2021   /   Helpful Tips, Thriving for a Lifetime   /   Leave a comment

How do you keep the church’s passion for ministry from deflating? Vision doesn’t stick; it doesn’t have natural adhesive. Instead, vision leaks. You’ve repeated the vision for your church a hundred times. Then someone will ask a question that makes you think, What happened? Didn’t they hear what we’ve said over and over? Don’t they know what this church is all about? You can spot leakage by listening for three things: 1. Prayer requests. What people pray for will tell you more than anything else whether they are locked into the vision and priorities of the church. When you are […]

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Comparing Organizational Fundraising to Personal Partnership Development

By on September 14, 2021   /   Leaders   /   Leave a comment

A number of years ago, someone put a copy of Henri Nouwen’s booklet “A Spirituality of Fundraising” in my hands. Near the beginning of the piece, Nouwen says, “From the perspective of the gospel, fund-raising is not a response to a crisis. Fund-raising is, first and foremost, a form of ministry.” At the time, I had found myself in a fundraising role for Wycliffe Bible Translators USA, an organization dedicated to helping people from every language understand the Bible and be transformed. This was in addition to my own personal partnership development. Maybe you can relate? I was being asked […]

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4 Myths About Giving

By on September 1, 2021   /   Appointments and Asking, Basics, Biblical Encouragement, Family and Finances   /   Leave a comment

What the Bible really says-and doesn’t say-about giving  When it comes to giving, we all have our beliefs and opinions. But it’s time to turn some sacred cows about giv­ing out to pasture. As we become more and more inundated with appeals for finances, we must separate truth from myth. Let’s examine what Scripture actually says and doesn’t say about giving. MYTH #1: You must give 10 percent.  Don’t get me wrong! I’m not suggesting we water down our giving. Instead, let’s discover the New Testament’s tough-yet-fair standard for giving.  I used to believe that everyone should give 10 percent. […]

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I won’t come down…

By on August 17, 2021   /   Coaching, Culture, Infrastructure, Leaders, Training   /   Leave a comment

This is part two of a two part article series. The first article shares the support raisers experience and can be found here. This article shares a bigger vision and perspective from that of a coach. What would you do to see all your staff fully funded tomorrow, next week, this summer? Would you do whatever it takes? Would you stop your movement for a moment?  As non profits and missions organizations we want to be movements of God. We want to join Him in his work and to faithfully move for God’s kingdom to come and for the Great […]

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Pain and the Minority Experience in MPD

By on August 3, 2021   /   Follow-Through/Obstacles   /   Leave a comment

This is part one of a two part article series. This first article shares the support raisers experience. The second article shares a bigger vision and perspective from that of a coach and can be found here. As an immigrant woman on staff, there have been parts of my “staff life” that I have experienced, very differently than my majority culture peers, particularly when it comes to MPD. Most majority culture staff don’t have to think and worry about the same things I do. The pain I experience surfaces from the unique doubts, challenges, and struggles I face as an […]

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What I Wish I Knew Before Becoming a Development Professional

By on July 20, 2021   /   Leaders   /   Leave a comment

I am not so dissimilar to other fundraising professionals of my baby boomer generation. Most of us fell into our fundraising positions because we had a huge heart for our organization’s mission, a deep call to serve God, and frankly, we did not have the heart to say no. When I look back at my progressive fundraising and marketing career, I can honestly say I would have been ahead of the game if I had known several fundamental realities before jumping in. I wish I knew . . . 1.     A biblical mandate exists for fundraising activities.  “Command […]

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Seeing Ministry Partners as People – or Targets?

By on July 6, 2021   /   Communication and Relationships, Ethnic and Gender   /   Leave a comment

A few years ago, a prayer formed in my head and heart, ”Lord Jesus, help me see the person, not the package! You always did that when you were here on earth!”  I was facing a challenging circumstance where I desperately needed God’s perspective to form my attitude, my responses, my words.  I was about to attend a gathering of people, including many with different perspectives than my own…those in the LGBTQ community.  I wanted to engage with people, to see their intrinsic value through God’s eyes, and not to react to their lifestyle which collided with my Christian values.  […]

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How We Train Our People for Ministry Partnership Matters

By on June 14, 2021   /   Leaders, Training   /   Leave a comment

As we seek to help our new and veteran ministry workers become and remain spiritually healthy, vision-driven, and fully funded, how we train our people for ministry partnership matters. Every year, organizations of all kinds spend millions of dollars on training experiences for their personnel. Sadly, research suggests that the results of much of that training fail to live up to what was hoped for from the investment of such time and money. So what makes for effective training? Carissa Potter’s blog article, Learning that Connects, from March 15th makes three important points about adult learning: Adult Learners are motivated […]

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Growing a Heart Filled With Gratitude

By on June 8, 2021   /   Biblical Encouragement   /   Leave a comment

“The joy of the Lord is my strength!” (Nehemiah 8:10). This was my mantra as a teen and young adult.  I always thought it was my job to keep striving for the joy of the Lord.  Joy was something I had to work at, make a habit of, keep believing in and just keep smiling.  Keep going! After all, wasn’t joy visible in my countenance?  I learned fairly quickly that the joy of the Lord does not come from within myself, but in the restorative work Jesus did on the cross on my behalf. My salvation in Jesus Christ is […]

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MPD and Non-MPD Staff: A Clear Call and United Front

By on May 18, 2021   /   Culture, Leaders   /   Leave a comment

This is us! Not only is this a popular TV show but it also depicts the unity within a family in who they are and what they do. We all want a “this is us” mentality among staff. But when it comes to staff funding among those on MPD, those who aren’t, and some sort of hybrid of the two, the atmosphere of our organizations can easily turn from “this is us” to “us vs them.” In a mixed funding model, it takes intentionality and care to cultivate a healthy culture that produces a united front in fulfilling your organization’s […]

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  • Lifetime Service Award – Betty Barnett
    During each Support Raising Leaders Conference, we recognize a life-long champion of personal support raising who has given decades to the service of others in...
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