Comments on: Let’s Prove the Numbers Wrong: a look at Fundraising in the Digital Age.

By: Ben

Ben — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:57:01 +0000

I suppose I have had some success with facebook messages, as well, now that you mention it. I just know that I have had less success with fb messages about support than with fb messages about other things, so that is frustrating.

By: Hobbe

Hobbe — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:48:03 +0000

I empathize with you, Ben, with regard to the post to which this is a follow-up for. Support-raising has, at times, felt like a thankless enterprise. I also agree that phoning has still been the most effective approach for me. However, I would like to note that I found responses to Facebook posts/messages has been surprisingly effective – at least compared to e-mail. Perhaps this is because there is very little spam on Facebook…

By: I Have An Offensive Suggestion | The Rieslands

I Have An Offensive Suggestion | The Rieslands — Fri, 28 May 2010 13:58:13 +0000

[...] Ben recently wrote about how support-raising isn’t about going around and asking people for money. It’s about putting in the work to identify those people who God has raised up to be partners in ministry. [...]

By: Ben

Ben — Thu, 27 May 2010 13:17:40 +0000

Thanks for the comment, Zack.

I think it’s really funny how folks think it is being more faithful to do nothing. Like God doesn’t want us to ask.

Faith is not an exercise in ignoring facts. To “just wait on the money to come in” is like sitting staring at the door while the room fills up with poisonous gas, and waiting for the Lord to take away the gas. The Lord put the door there, and gave you a brain!

And you make a great point about manipulating people. I am not putting it on their heart (manipulation). I am seeing if God already has. that is a crucial distinction.

Thanks again for the comment.

By: Zack (@zacharyb)

Zack (@zacharyb) — Wed, 26 May 2010 19:00:52 +0000

I have LOTS of thoughts on this, but not lots of time to share them at the moment.

The one I’ll take time to quickly try and articulate is this:

When I was raising support to go on stint, I head a pretty hard time. My (mega) church was squarely against supporting me at all OR ALLOWING ME TO CALL ANYONE WITHIN THE CHURCH.

I sat down with the ‘missions’ pastor and tried to explain what I was doing. He said that calling people or actively seeking support at all was evidence that I didn’t trust God to provide, and maybe it was a signal that I shouldn’t be going at all. The example he used was Gideon (no, it doesn’t work really well, but…)

Here’s roughly what I told him:

God used Gideon to save Israel. He could have done it by Himself, but He set aside about 300 men and gave Gideon instructions for how to identify those men. Support-raising is the act of seeking out those who God has set aside. It isn’t asking someone to do what God hasn’t put in their heart: it is simply asking someone whether God HAS put it in their heart.

He didn’t buy it, but I think it’s true.
.-= Zack (@zacharyb)´s last blog ..The Sprinkler =-.