“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”Philippians 1:3-6 Imagine Paul getting to Europe the first time around. His expedition was altered by the Holy Spirit, taking him from Asia Minor and into Greece, not as he had planned. Upon arriving in Philippi, Paul had no starting point […]
Keep Reading →You probably know the verse, “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). You probably also know that any of us become cheerful givers to the cause of Christ when we really understand what Jesus did for us on the cross. When I really experience the grace of Jesus, I give gladly out of my heartfelt gratitude for what Jesus has done for me. As support raisers, you get all of that! Your question is “how do I get people to give cheerfully to the ministry I lead?” To answer that question, let me ask you a question: What percentage […]
Keep Reading →My favorite book related to support raising is Henri Nouwen’s The Spirituality of Fundraising. I read it at least once a year to be refreshed in a biblical perspective of giving, receiving and asking. I will admit, though, that perspective is most tested when it is time for my year-end appeal to ministry partners. It is no secret in the nonprofit world that year-end giving makes a significant impact on annual budgets, sometimes up to 50%. It also is no secret to the gospel worker. With such a great opportunity — and for some, such “high stakes” — it is […]
Keep Reading →“Spiritually Healthy, Vision-Driven, and Fully funded” – You have heard these words numerous times, but what do they mean? What do they look like as qualities of a God-Asker? My husband and I moved from Monterrey, Mexico, to our Jos, Nigeria site. By the time we arrived in Nigeria, we had depleted our staff account to move our family, establish housing, etc. We had two very different perspectives: mine believed God could supply our needs, and in faith, we trust Him to that end as I know He called us to serve there. My husband was full of doubt as […]
Keep Reading →As my brother guided me through the dark scaffolding behind the American Idol stage for the last time and my white cane tapped against a metal fixture, I heard Kara DioGuardi’s voice say, “All of this – it doesn’t matter, because you inspire people.” Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell had all spoken words of encouragement to me that I would never forget, but it was Kara who understood the calling on my life, better than I understood it myself. Over the years that followed, I had the opportunity to share large stages with musicians I grew up listening […]
Keep Reading →The relational world we live in is governed by social norms and etiquette that shape our decisions more than I think we care to admit. Is it too late to call? Did I just cut them off? Were they waiting for that parking spot? Will they be mad if I take the last tortilla chip? We care about, for good reason, what other people think and we want to carry ourselves in a manner that reflects well on us, our family and even our Heavenly Father. (Philippians 1:27) Every once in a while, our lives include circumstances, crises, or problems […]
Keep Reading →Raising up a team of partners is a journey and process, not just a process of connecting with people and sharing about your ministry, but a process of personal growth. MPD (ministry partner development) has a transformational effect on those in ministry. You are put in this place of depending on God for provision and then seeing him provide in ways you weren’t expected and weren’t looking for. Again and again God reshapes what you think should or will happen to what His plan is. In the end, we aren’t raising up a team of people that we like, we […]
Keep Reading →Paper, glue, and markers lay scattered around the table as we crafted cards for the Church’s partner ministries. Laughing chatter filled the air as the two girls at my table filled me in on all the latest of the college experience (boy had a lot changed!). Eventually came the question, “So, what do you do?”. I have the answer down pat. I’ve shared it so many times. But they were so eager, so interested, so easily excited—I couldn’t stop. I had to tell them why it WAS so exciting and important. I couldn’t help but pull out the pivotal stories […]
Keep Reading →2020 was a hard year for us all. It was an especially hard year for writing newsletters and knowing what to say when we got texts from our partners asking, “Hey, how are you guys holding up?” Our family of 4 (kids at 4 and 2) had just moved to Orlando as part of our organizations relocation, COVID hit a month later, my job as a recruitment coordinator was super stressful as about 30% of our staff had left due to the relocation, I was dealing with diagnosed anxiety and depression for the first time, and my wife and I […]
Keep Reading →Wouldn’t it be nice if while getting our annual physical exam we could also get a spiritual exam? We could go to a clinic, step on a scale, get spiritual blood work, and feel the squeeze of the spiritual pressure cup. Then afterwards, we would receive a list of supplements to take and exercises to do to become more spiritually healthy. When it comes to spiritual health, sometimes I just want to say, “Tell me how I am doing and give me a list of what to do to improve. I will do it!” If only it were that easy. […]
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