Category: ATB

I gave the standard spiel.  Then she said:

“We like what you guys are doing a whole lot.  But we’ve got lots of bills these days, so we’re not going to be able to give.”

I know, I know, what she meant was that they have more bills than they have money.  Been there, done that, understand.  But what she said was that simply the fact that they have bills is a good enough reason to not give to our ministry.  So, let’s chase that rabbit, shall we? Continue reading “About Ramen Noodles, Sally Struthers, and Not Having Bills to Pay.”

“We’d love to support you financially, but my husband is just an engineer.”

Sometimes these posts just write themselves.

Unemployed?  That’s a good reason not to give.  Engineer?  Some people go into engineering solely for the money.  If you had said “freelance harmonica player,” it would have set my mental payscale in the proper range to set off some not-big-giver alarms. Continue reading “About Using the Wrong Excuse to Not Give.”

I’ve written before about folks telling me all of their financial secrets. But this takes it to an entirely different level.

“Id love to give to your ministry, but my wife doesn’t know I have Continue reading “About becoming an Involuntary Marriage Counselor”

Often, if you ask a missionary to share stories of how God has been working, we’re quick to go to the neon signs.  The outreach where 10 people trusted Christ.  The drug dealer who is now leading a bible study.  The $30,000 gift that funded the ministry for a year. Big, glowing, neon signs.  And that’s OK.  People need to hear when God shows up in a tangible way.

But I’m perhaps more thankful for Continue reading “Thankful Thursdays: 5 bucks a month.”

“We don’t want all your support to come from the same place.”

That may be the weirdest stated reason we ever got for someone not being able to continue giving to our ministry.   I guess they just don’t like always being the answer to prayer. Continue reading “About how much we have to raise, per month.”