Creating a Circle of Love

Do’s and Don’ts of Christian Fundraising
by Loren Cunningham

There’s a circle of love even in Christian fundraising. Some basic dos and don’ts color this circle, but first consider five decisions that lead to your need for funding.

Decide if God’s Calling You If God is speaking to you telling you to venture out in His name He will provide the money needed. But how do you know if it’s really God speaking? Eliminate other possible sources. It’s easy to silence the devil. Command him to be silent in Christ’s name. And your own imagination? Ask God to help you take every thought captive in obedience to Him. Pressure from others? Again, pray that the Lord will quiet all other voices allowing only His own to sound clearly in your heart.
Decide How Much It Will Cost When Jesus told the disciples to feed the hungry multitude, Philip made a quick calculation of how much it would cost. Jesus didn’t rebuke him for being practical. Make a list. Where are you going? And what are your anticipated needs? Remember, God promises to supply our “needs” not our “greeds.”
Decide What You Already Have When Elisha asked the poor widow what she had in the house, she replied, “Nothing except a jar of oil.” The Lord used this “jar of oil” to provide for her and her family. It may seem as though you have nothing either, “except” The Lord is skilled at using the exceptions of our lives. Or perhaps you’re holding on to something for a rainy day. Surrender it to the Lord. Ask Him what He wants you to do with it, then obey.
Decide if You Should Tell Others About Your Need In the early years of Youth With a Mission, I never mentioned financial needs in our newsletters. Although I knew fundraising was biblical when the Lord directed it, I felt He had led us to keep quiet. Then in 1971 when we were buying a hotel in Switzerland to use as a training center I felt the Lord telling me to write a letter to the several thousand people on our mailing list explaining the need. Our financial need for the purchase of that hotel was met in exact figures to the franc on the day the payment was due. Faith is obedience to what God tells you. Nothing else. When the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years, manna fell every day except on the Sabbath. Imagine how they felt when they entered the Promised Land and were told, “Now go to work planting vineyards and farms. From now on, you’ll eat what you grow.” Were they less excited because now they wouldn’t live by “faith?” No, both the manna and the planting were expressions of faith each a response to God’s call at a different stage of the journey.
Decide to Get Started Many people wait their whole lives, wanting to do “big things” for God. But they never get started. Mark says in his Gospel, “And these signs shall follow them that believe” Signs can’t follow you when you’re parked. You have to get moving. If you sense God is calling you, go ahead. Take the first step, even if you don’t know what step two will be. God wants to give you vision. Today you might be praying for a few hundred dollars to go on a short term mission trip. In a few years, it may be a million dollars for an international ministry project. In every situation in all things come to the Lord, receive His guidance, then take the first step. Trust God to make His way clear and His promises true.

Five Fundraising Do’s

The “do’s” of Christian fundraising include three general principles that fit into many situations, and two specifics. The first principle must color them all.

Create a Circle of Love Don’t view others as the source of money, only value them as friends. We must learn to love people and use money never the other way around. Every communication even a fundraising letter should have love as its goal. Remember, it’s the Holy Spirit’s job to speak to others and prompt them to support you financially.
Make Obedience the Key Always encourage people to obey the Lord in their giving. Giving is an act of worship, not just some earthly task. Obedience to God is a goal more important than money. And God truly does bless those who give. Don’t be apologetic about offering friends the chance to be involved in the Lord’s work by supporting you. Only encourage them to hear the Lord before they respond.
Always Search For Guidance On one day, the Lord may guide you to write several personal letters. On another day, He may lead you to visit a friend. A third day might find you sending a newsletter to a hundred people still under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. As always, trust the Lord for the words to say.
Be Willing to Accept the Commendation of Others Sit before the Lord and ask Him to bring to mind the names of those who have shown confidence in the work you want to join. Think also of those who believe in you as a person even if they know little about missions work. Don’t shrink from asking someone you respect to commend your need to these people. Paul put forth his case for financial support in the Bible and wasn’t afraid to give his full resume, but he speaks in Second Corinthians about not having to commend oneself. When someone else praises you, it’s easier for them to point out the good and ask for help.
Don’t Rule out Non-Christians There may be unbelievers who will decide to join in your support. Don’t exclude them when you present your need. If it’s true that when you give your treasure, your heart follows this may be an avenue for bringing an unbelieving friend closer to the Kingdom.

Five Fundraising Don’ts

There are negative ways to raise funds. These are based on manipulation rather than love and must be rejected by anyone who truly seeks to follow the Father.

Don’t use Guilt Guilt is an ungodly motivator. The Lord loves a cheerful giver not a guilty, reluctant one. Examples of fundraising tactics that use guilt as the primary motivator are all around. “Send money now or this ministry will close.” “Do you realize you can feed a family in Central America for what it costs to eat out after church on Sunday?”
Don’t Appeal to Pity There’s nothing wrong with compassion for hurting people or concern for those in spiritual blindness. But if you seek to arouse the emotion of pity, you run the risk of hardening people until it takes increasingly stark examples of destitution to shock them into pity again. It’s a struggle to keep a human face on the pain and poverty of the world. The numbers of starving and dispossessed are so great, it’s hard to find ways to bring these facts down to a personal level. But pity alone is not enough. If we follow the rule of guidance in giving, we must look for the Lord’s specific call in how and when people give. Responding to the emotion of the moment is often beside the point.
Don’t Appeal to Greed The Bible does promise, “Give, and it shall be given to you,” but never appeal to greed. This only tempts others to sin. We’ve all come across these abuses. “Do you need a better car? Give to this ministry and the Lord will bless you. You can’t out give God.” Tragically, the poor are the most susceptible to these kinds of appeals. When we give money, God doesn’t bless us back with more money. Instead, He gives us joy, renewed understanding of Himself and His ways, and the satisfaction of working for His Kingdom on earth.
Don’t Use Fear This was a common appeal during the Cold War years. “God is keeping our nation free of communism so we can give to foreign missions.” The underlying message? “Give generously or you know what will happen.” Other “fear” appeals imply that God will keep you and your loved ones free from sickness, injury, and death only if you give. God doesn’t need our money to love us. He isn’t searching for loopholes in our obedience so He can send down judgment.
Don’t Appeal to Pride This kind of appeal is usually made to the wealthy. “Give to the building fund, and we’ll place a beautiful plaque in the hallway with your name on it.” It’s not wrong to honor those who give, but don’t encourage them to sin by making pride the motivation for their giving. Jesus teaches us that only those who give with a pure heart not caring whether anyone else knows what they’ve done are rewarded by the Father in heaven. Don’t strip away the heavenly rewards of giving with worldly imitations.
The Price is Humility Is there a price to pay in asking for money? Yes, indeed. You must humble yourself and be vulnerable to others. You must trust the Lord’s call on your life and His willingness to provide all your needs. Yet in the midst of your frailty as a human being, you will find a circle of love.

Creating a Circle of Love Dos and Don’ts of Christian Fundraising
Written by Loren Cunningham
International Director of Youth With a Mission
Pg 58-60
The Short-Term Missions Handbook, First Edition
© 1992 Berry Publishing Services, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.

*** Teens4Jesus would like that thank the Short Term Mission Handbook for allowing permission to use this article. ***