Most pastors, elders and ministry leaders do not see themselves as fundraisers, but some have discovered it is an important, and potentially God honoring, part of their work.
Whether it is a building program, a mission offering or raising support for a new staff person, those in ministry leadership may be called upon to promote generous giving beyond the normal support needed for the church.
Part of my role as a Baptist state convention executive director is to promote the Cooperative Program as the primary missions funding method for Kentucky Baptist churches.
The exact job description language says that the executive director – treasurer, “Promotes the importance of the Cooperative Program to carry out the ministries of the KBC and the Southern Baptist Convention.”
While that task was not what originally excited me about the role, it has become one of the most important, and potentially impactful, things I do. Part of my evolution into a love for fundraising has come from developing a friendship with someone who has spent his professional career in philanthropic development. In my time with him I have learned several important lessons about the ministry of fund-raising that can be helpful for pastors, elders and ministry leaders. Here are five of them:
1. Cast the vision: The adage, “People don’t give to needs, they give to vision,” is not completely accurate, but it’s at least partially true. Kentucky Baptists give generously to meet pressing needs. When a disaster hits our state, KBC churches start reaching out to ask what is needed and how they can help. It is true, however, that Christians eagerly give to vision. After casting the vision for the building of the tabernacle, the people gave so generously that Moses asked them to stop giving (Exodus 33:6). Those who lead in raising money must be able to help God’s people understand how their gifts will be used. Every leader must know the “one big thing” they hope to raise funds for and cast the vision to God’s people.
2. Connect to changed lives: Baptists may not get excited about putting up more buildings, but we do get excited when we see how those buildings will be used as a tool for making more disciples who will impact the world for Christ. Kentucky’s landscape is dotted with beautiful buildings dedicated to Christian ministry. Whether they are local church buildings, buildings on Southern Seminary’s campus, camp buildings for Crossings ministries, classrooms at Oneida or Clear Creek, or others, those buildings are set aside for gospel ministry and gospel ministry is all about changing lives. Ministry fundraisers must talk about how lives have been, and will be, impacted through these gifts.
3. Be patient: Professional philanthropic officers know that the space in time from meeting a potential donor to the place where that donor makes a financial investment in the organization may be several years. Pastors and ministry leaders may be at an advantage here because we have hopefully developed a trusting relationship where the donor knows that the ministry is trustworthy. Christian fundraisers also know that God touches the hearts of men and women to give generously to fund His work, so we never need to beg or fall prey to manipulation. God’s people are abundantly generous, and many will respond to a gospel need and a Great Commission vision.
4. Keep relationships central: The best Christian development leaders are not transactional in their relationships but transformational. These faithful men and women are not cynically using people to get to their finances — but instead they sincerely love people and build friendships with others whether the person ever gives to fund their ministry. John Maxwell said, “You build trust with others each time you choose integrity over image, truth over convenience or honor over personal gain.” One essential fundraising lesson is to treat all people right all the time and never use people for what they can do for you.
5. Fundraising is noble work: This was the most surprising insight for me. It is a God-honoring task to encourage God’s people to give generously — even sacrificially — to God’s work. According to a recent article in Nonprofit World, “Nonprofits across the U.S. receive more than $1.5 trillion per year.” The article goes on to say, “If we were our own nation — the United States of Nonprofit Organizations — we would boast one of the 20 largest economies in the world.” Imagine how the gospel will advance as more and more of those dollars are directed toward sending and sustaining more missionaries, planting more churches, training more men and women for ministry, helping more children in the foster system, responding to more disasters and more. That is the work of the ministry leaders engaged in fundraising, and it is noble work.
If the Lord calls you to encourage faithful and generous giving to a gospel-advancing work, then do it with courage and confidence. It can be holy work.
Dr. Todd Gray 