5 Pits Support Raisers Fall Into (and How to Get Out!)

Pits are known to be dangerous places. The utter darkness combined with the fear of the unknown of what’s down there can produce heart-pounding terror. Normally, it’s wise to steer clear of pits unless, of course, you are Benaiah. In between killing huge warriors from Moab and Egypt in 2 Samuel 23:21, the Scriptures matter-of-factly slip in a little-known feat. Benaiah “chases a lion down into a pit on a snowy day and killed him.”   Now, for most of us, we don’t purposely jump into a pit, we accidentally fall into one! The lion in that pit with Benaiah could […]

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Coaching—Perseverance and Permission

“Coaching makes all the difference.” “Accountability is the secret sauce to success.” “You definitely need a coach.” I knew those words. I TAUGHT those words. But when was the last time I put them into practice and had my own coach for partnership development? 7 years. Yup. In my defense there had been at least twice that I had sought out people and invited them to fill that role…but they weren’t a good fit or I didn’t properly set up expectations. I could tell myself “Callie, you TEACH people how to raise support, you probably are the exception to the […]

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How Getting to Full Support Changed Me as a Coach

Ready for a challenge? It is stated in three simple words – get fully funded. You are a leader, a coach, a trainer, and, as such, you are an example for the supported staff in your organization. Yes, you’ve been at your role for many years, and you are good at what you do. Once upon a time, you were fully funded. You know what it’s like to raise support; you just haven’t done it for a while. Let me share how taking time out to make this a priority not only helped us reach full support but changed me […]

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Embracing Your Community in Ministry Partner Development

Diwali. Lunar New Year. Cinco de Mayo. Eid al-Fitr. Passover. Christmas. Depending on your personal background and the community in which you were raised or currently reside, some of these words immediately bring to mind joyous gatherings fille