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January 29, 2008
Is fundraising even Christian?
Perhaps you're one of the people who read yesterday's post What makes Christian fundraising different? on Tim Smith's book Donors are People Too and said to yourself, "Fundraising is somebody else's job. It's not a ministry requirement."
I think there are many pastors and church leaders who believe that fundraising is a four-letter word that is forbidden from the Christian's vocabulary. It feels dirty. And it's more dreaded than the getting all your teeth pulled at the same time.
In my conversations with some pastors, they tell me that fundraising isn't something a minister should be concerned with. The money needed will be provided for "by the work of the Spirit." That sounds like a very holy, theological response. Unfortunately, it's the equivalent of a CEO of a company saying the customers who buy his company's product/service need the CEO and his/her company more than the company and CEO need their customers. That's simply not true.
I'm not diminishing the role of the Holy Spirit in the work of the church. It's central to our effectiveness in bringing about the Kingdom of God on earth. But when we take that reality and use that as an "out" or excuse as to why we're not responsible, we mis-use theology to justify our own interests. (Not that that's ever happened before.)
Fundraising is a responsibility of the the Church as an organization. If there is no money for ministry, then there is no ministry. The Church has operational needs, and ministry costs money. So Fundraising is not just Christian, it's at least in the top 5 things that every church and church leader should be concerned with.
What makes fundraising Christian is not the act itself. Rather, it's the goal we are trying to achieve. If all we are trying to accomplish is more money for the sake of more money, bigger salaries, etc., then we miss the point. If we are attempting to fund the ministry that God has placed on our hearts so that we can reach the world for Christ and carry out the Great Commission, then we are precisely on target.
Posted by bstroup at January 29, 2008 1:47 AM
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Comments
Fundraising in itself is neither Christian or non Christian. Our attitudes, basis and practices determine its spiritual "score" so to speak. I think you are right in your conclusion that it is in the goal we are trying to achieve, which makes it Christian or not. But beyond that, it's "how" we go about the task of fundraising.
Posted by: Jon Fugler at February 2, 2008 1:34 AM